Alert level of hope
Commentary
Object:
The tension is thick at a particular workplace, church, nonprofit organization, or community group whose existence and giving is depended upon by many people. It is just after the American Thanksgiving holiday, and there is a large deficit in the budget as the calendar turns to December. Possibly some of the goals that were set the previous January have not been met as well. What will the future of the organization look like if the current shortfalls of cash and goals met continue well into the month of December? There are other groups who are possibly looking to benefit from the spoils of those who have lost in the latest competition for scarce resources, assets, and resources needed to keep the organization operational for another year.
In simple terms, if things continue as they are now somebody will be looking at a pink slip of employment dismissal; there could be major downsizing if not closure of the organization, or perhaps a simple hostile takeover by a competing group who wants to replace all personnel with their own staff. This time can be seen either as “the end” or as an “alert level of hope.” Jeremiah 33:14-16 sees this as a possible time for God’s further fulfillment after tragic events. First Thessalonians 3:9-13 suggests this is a time to grow mature in the faith. Luke 21:25-36 points to being watchful, alert, and not conforming to those who despair by falling into a negative attitude of resignation that says, “We are finished, let’s simply throw in the towel and have a good time for now.” According to today’s lessons, for those whose faith is in the God of the Hebrew scriptures and the Christian New Testament there is always a reasonable expectation for hope.
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Some people might feel that they are stuck in that “Saturday” moment of worry and tension after the tragedy of Good Friday, with little signs of the light of Easter. In today’s text, Jeremiah speaks in a Book of Comfort. Seeing radical change on the horizon need not necessarily be a sign of despair; it can also be one of hope. For Jeremiah, one interpretative lens to the book is 1:10: “See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” Possibly God is allowing destruction so God can plant new life in some other form. Maybe the situation a person is in is simply difficult and unsustainable, and thus needs to be torn down in order to be reborn. Jeremiah views God’s hand at work with Israel as tearing down the old monarchs who were at best sporadic in their faithfulness. Now a new time can emerge, when God’s new Davidic ruler will have traits which God had envisioned from the beginning.
The traits of this new ruler and kingdom include: 1) a genuine break from the old world and the scripts by which it operated; 2) a restored people, without a complex sacrificial system and mediators who could become corrupt; 3) a new king who does not use coercive or heavy-handed methods of power to achieve peace; 4) an inclusive community where a person’s blood line or lineage does not determine his or her lifetime fate; 5) a personal relationship with a king who cares for and nurtures the people. Who could fulfill these criteria?
Christians in the season of Advent view Jesus as the Messiah who was born in Luke 2. This interpretation does no violence to the Jeremiah 33 text in terms of taking it out of context, but rather runs alongside the Hebrew prophet’s words in a consistent manner. To place the Jesus of the Christian New Testament here is a viable reading of this text that can take on many meanings in terms of a “Book of Comfort.” A modern example might be that when the popular song “Happy Birthday” was first sung it might have applied to someone specific, say Patty or Mildred. However, one does no violence to the song if one sings “Happy birthday to you” for Sue, Joe, Zack, or Juan.
Jeremiah wants to assure people who worry about an uncertain future that these times can just as easily result in new life, a hopeful future, and growth onto the next level with one’s God. If our faith is in this God worldly objects of faith will die, but new life exists in the God of creation of the universe. Jeremiah is confident that “[Advent] hope is a promise of life when none is expected” (Stulman, p. 285). [Sources: Walter Brueggemann, Old Testament Theology: The Theology of the Book of Jeremiah (Cambridge University Press, 2007); Louis Stulman, Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries: Jeremiah (Abingdon Press, 2005); Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology:Existence and Christ, Volume Two (University of Chicago Press, 1975)]
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
If one is living a life of holiness and sanctity, then no imminent crisis will be of any major threat. Paul writes this reading after the events of Acts 20:1-2, when there was unrest among the church in Thessalonica. This text is a prayer that the believers may abound in their faith and love one another. It is connected to the Advent theme in that any sudden changes, acts of nature, or unexpected cosmic events need not bother Christians who have the word of God working within their lives (2:13).
Knowing that these Christians have been persecuted before (1:2-6), and will undoubtedly face more trials in the future, Paul assures believers that persecution is not a sign of disqualification from the kingdom. It is rather a badge to be worn as a sign of fidelity toward the God will whose final will is going to prevail over the dark recesses of current tension, strife, and violence (created by the forces of evil and the Roman empire). Just like Stephen maintained a faithful posture in Acts 7, Paul is confident that the Thessalonians can do the same in their times of uncertainty as they persist in their faith. It is simply a matter of receiving the support that God provides by strengthening the hearts of Christians in holiness (being set apart from the world’s values), because one is ultimately only accountable to the God of creation rather than to the latest threat of disruption, tyranny, or destruction that might come upon a person’s or community’s life.
Other assurances of the text include that God keeps believers “sound and blameless” despite what difficulties emerge in the future, and that God continues to work to sanctify all believers in their faith since their time of baptism (or conversion) into Christ. No harsh times will ever have the last word in the life of a Christian. Sanctity, strength, and freedom await those who are in the community of faith when (or if) the second coming arrives sooner or in some distant time in the future. [Source: Edgar Krentz, John Koenig, and Donald Juel, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament: Galatians, Philippians, Philemon, 1 Thessalonians (Augsburg Fortress, 1985)]
Luke 21:25-36
Contrary to many populist, fundamentalist, and media evangelists’ views, there is a strong argument that texts such as this one (along with Mark 13 and Matthew 24) are apocalyptic texts intended to bring hope and comfort during anxious times (such as my introductory illustration above). It is contested as to whether the “signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves” (v. 25) signals a comic disaster or immediate historic events.
Advent season is intended to be a time of being alert, watchful, and not allowing oneself to be distracted by drunkenness or debauchery. Scholars have seen this text as a reference to the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE, which occurred approximately around the date of authorship of Luke-Acts. Also, the text has been applied to many times of anxiety, persecution, and brutality throughout history, to show that tyrants do not have the last word. The “Son of Man” reference in v. 26 finds its roots in Daniel 7:13-14. Most New Testament authors have little difficulty associating this Son of Man with Jesus of Nazareth. Much of Luke 21 follows the pattern of Mark 13. This also suggests a stronger attestation that these were the actual words of Jesus.
Both evangelists believe Christians will be vindicated for their faith in Jesus as Lord in the long-term future. Yet there could be times of a historic disaster, or one will have to await the parousia (the second coming of the Christ). It is dangerous to speculate as to whether the second coming will occur in the 21st century or not. The illustration of the fig tree suggests that believers are simply to read the signs of the times as one sees the cycles of fruit from the tree (vv. 29-30).
One way to structure a sermon might be to take the phrase “Be alert at all times” (v. 36) and retrace the text to discover points that might apply to a particular congregation or local situation. What kind of “traps” (v. 35) are people falling into around this time of year? Could it be too much spending for gifts? Possibly there is a push to cram too many activities into a small time slot during the holiday season. Second, what words of Jesus never end (or pass away) despite seasons of vegetation and trees (v. 33)? In the introductory illustration above, the budget remains real all year around. But so do ideas for hope, positive actions, and team efforts to be part of the solution rather than the problem. Finally, going back to the beginning verses of the passage (vv. 25-28), what weather-related events may occur that disrupt people’s lives? A horrific snowstorm season might prompt readiness to have salt and home supplies ready. Flooding and such calamities remind those who live in these areas to be awake, alert, and prepared. Possibly one could preach a sermon on both the immanent and transcendent side of God, in terms of both uncontrollable cosmic weather events as well as those in the community who seek to prepare and comfort people who are victimized by natural disasters (whom God is working in and through their generosity).
In the time of Advent, when the culture wants people to spend their money and run up their credit cards, texts such as this one serve as a reminder that the collection agencies will be as ruthlessly aggressive as any signs of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The bank will send the collection agency out to repossess any assets that can be liquidated. But faith in Christ lasts forever. Advent is a time to be prepared and alert. The reality of Advent can happen any time of the year, such as summer or autumn. An Advent faith serves as a reminder that while times, seasons, and people in power do change, the values of seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10) remain. The Christ still gives light in the darkness that any political or cosmic entity ushers into people’s lives. If our faith is in the crucified and risen Savior, then we have the same assurance as Paul in the 1 Thessalonians 3 texts. [Sources: John T. Carroll, The New Testament Library: Luke (Westminster John Knox Press, 2012); I. Howard Marshall, The New International Greek Testament Commentary: Luke (Eerdmans, 1978)]
Application
With changes in healthcare plans, these texts assure believers that while our physical and mental abilities age and possibly fail, the spiritual dimension of Advent remains eternal. God is with us as times are about to change in the upcoming year. If we could write a “Book of Comfort” for those who will follow us in times to come, what would it look and sound like? Jeremiah has suggested that no cosmic or national tragedy need separate us from the assurance and love we have from our God.
Alternative Application
Another way of approaching this might be to examine which reasons for hope have let us down this past year. When and where have we discovered that the “emperor wears no clothes”? And we were worried for no reason about a particular person or situation? People’s terms on various boards do expire. Contracts with certain individuals and organizations do expire. What has been the source of anxiety and worry that burdens us, that we can now let go? Possibly this is the reason some people choose to end relationships during this season.
On another note, sometimes people who are close to us do die during this season. Once we own the reality of grief, we can hold onto the hope that our faith is grounded in the God who points us to eternal life.
In simple terms, if things continue as they are now somebody will be looking at a pink slip of employment dismissal; there could be major downsizing if not closure of the organization, or perhaps a simple hostile takeover by a competing group who wants to replace all personnel with their own staff. This time can be seen either as “the end” or as an “alert level of hope.” Jeremiah 33:14-16 sees this as a possible time for God’s further fulfillment after tragic events. First Thessalonians 3:9-13 suggests this is a time to grow mature in the faith. Luke 21:25-36 points to being watchful, alert, and not conforming to those who despair by falling into a negative attitude of resignation that says, “We are finished, let’s simply throw in the towel and have a good time for now.” According to today’s lessons, for those whose faith is in the God of the Hebrew scriptures and the Christian New Testament there is always a reasonable expectation for hope.
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Some people might feel that they are stuck in that “Saturday” moment of worry and tension after the tragedy of Good Friday, with little signs of the light of Easter. In today’s text, Jeremiah speaks in a Book of Comfort. Seeing radical change on the horizon need not necessarily be a sign of despair; it can also be one of hope. For Jeremiah, one interpretative lens to the book is 1:10: “See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” Possibly God is allowing destruction so God can plant new life in some other form. Maybe the situation a person is in is simply difficult and unsustainable, and thus needs to be torn down in order to be reborn. Jeremiah views God’s hand at work with Israel as tearing down the old monarchs who were at best sporadic in their faithfulness. Now a new time can emerge, when God’s new Davidic ruler will have traits which God had envisioned from the beginning.
The traits of this new ruler and kingdom include: 1) a genuine break from the old world and the scripts by which it operated; 2) a restored people, without a complex sacrificial system and mediators who could become corrupt; 3) a new king who does not use coercive or heavy-handed methods of power to achieve peace; 4) an inclusive community where a person’s blood line or lineage does not determine his or her lifetime fate; 5) a personal relationship with a king who cares for and nurtures the people. Who could fulfill these criteria?
Christians in the season of Advent view Jesus as the Messiah who was born in Luke 2. This interpretation does no violence to the Jeremiah 33 text in terms of taking it out of context, but rather runs alongside the Hebrew prophet’s words in a consistent manner. To place the Jesus of the Christian New Testament here is a viable reading of this text that can take on many meanings in terms of a “Book of Comfort.” A modern example might be that when the popular song “Happy Birthday” was first sung it might have applied to someone specific, say Patty or Mildred. However, one does no violence to the song if one sings “Happy birthday to you” for Sue, Joe, Zack, or Juan.
Jeremiah wants to assure people who worry about an uncertain future that these times can just as easily result in new life, a hopeful future, and growth onto the next level with one’s God. If our faith is in this God worldly objects of faith will die, but new life exists in the God of creation of the universe. Jeremiah is confident that “[Advent] hope is a promise of life when none is expected” (Stulman, p. 285). [Sources: Walter Brueggemann, Old Testament Theology: The Theology of the Book of Jeremiah (Cambridge University Press, 2007); Louis Stulman, Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries: Jeremiah (Abingdon Press, 2005); Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology:Existence and Christ, Volume Two (University of Chicago Press, 1975)]
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
If one is living a life of holiness and sanctity, then no imminent crisis will be of any major threat. Paul writes this reading after the events of Acts 20:1-2, when there was unrest among the church in Thessalonica. This text is a prayer that the believers may abound in their faith and love one another. It is connected to the Advent theme in that any sudden changes, acts of nature, or unexpected cosmic events need not bother Christians who have the word of God working within their lives (2:13).
Knowing that these Christians have been persecuted before (1:2-6), and will undoubtedly face more trials in the future, Paul assures believers that persecution is not a sign of disqualification from the kingdom. It is rather a badge to be worn as a sign of fidelity toward the God will whose final will is going to prevail over the dark recesses of current tension, strife, and violence (created by the forces of evil and the Roman empire). Just like Stephen maintained a faithful posture in Acts 7, Paul is confident that the Thessalonians can do the same in their times of uncertainty as they persist in their faith. It is simply a matter of receiving the support that God provides by strengthening the hearts of Christians in holiness (being set apart from the world’s values), because one is ultimately only accountable to the God of creation rather than to the latest threat of disruption, tyranny, or destruction that might come upon a person’s or community’s life.
Other assurances of the text include that God keeps believers “sound and blameless” despite what difficulties emerge in the future, and that God continues to work to sanctify all believers in their faith since their time of baptism (or conversion) into Christ. No harsh times will ever have the last word in the life of a Christian. Sanctity, strength, and freedom await those who are in the community of faith when (or if) the second coming arrives sooner or in some distant time in the future. [Source: Edgar Krentz, John Koenig, and Donald Juel, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament: Galatians, Philippians, Philemon, 1 Thessalonians (Augsburg Fortress, 1985)]
Luke 21:25-36
Contrary to many populist, fundamentalist, and media evangelists’ views, there is a strong argument that texts such as this one (along with Mark 13 and Matthew 24) are apocalyptic texts intended to bring hope and comfort during anxious times (such as my introductory illustration above). It is contested as to whether the “signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves” (v. 25) signals a comic disaster or immediate historic events.
Advent season is intended to be a time of being alert, watchful, and not allowing oneself to be distracted by drunkenness or debauchery. Scholars have seen this text as a reference to the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE, which occurred approximately around the date of authorship of Luke-Acts. Also, the text has been applied to many times of anxiety, persecution, and brutality throughout history, to show that tyrants do not have the last word. The “Son of Man” reference in v. 26 finds its roots in Daniel 7:13-14. Most New Testament authors have little difficulty associating this Son of Man with Jesus of Nazareth. Much of Luke 21 follows the pattern of Mark 13. This also suggests a stronger attestation that these were the actual words of Jesus.
Both evangelists believe Christians will be vindicated for their faith in Jesus as Lord in the long-term future. Yet there could be times of a historic disaster, or one will have to await the parousia (the second coming of the Christ). It is dangerous to speculate as to whether the second coming will occur in the 21st century or not. The illustration of the fig tree suggests that believers are simply to read the signs of the times as one sees the cycles of fruit from the tree (vv. 29-30).
One way to structure a sermon might be to take the phrase “Be alert at all times” (v. 36) and retrace the text to discover points that might apply to a particular congregation or local situation. What kind of “traps” (v. 35) are people falling into around this time of year? Could it be too much spending for gifts? Possibly there is a push to cram too many activities into a small time slot during the holiday season. Second, what words of Jesus never end (or pass away) despite seasons of vegetation and trees (v. 33)? In the introductory illustration above, the budget remains real all year around. But so do ideas for hope, positive actions, and team efforts to be part of the solution rather than the problem. Finally, going back to the beginning verses of the passage (vv. 25-28), what weather-related events may occur that disrupt people’s lives? A horrific snowstorm season might prompt readiness to have salt and home supplies ready. Flooding and such calamities remind those who live in these areas to be awake, alert, and prepared. Possibly one could preach a sermon on both the immanent and transcendent side of God, in terms of both uncontrollable cosmic weather events as well as those in the community who seek to prepare and comfort people who are victimized by natural disasters (whom God is working in and through their generosity).
In the time of Advent, when the culture wants people to spend their money and run up their credit cards, texts such as this one serve as a reminder that the collection agencies will be as ruthlessly aggressive as any signs of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The bank will send the collection agency out to repossess any assets that can be liquidated. But faith in Christ lasts forever. Advent is a time to be prepared and alert. The reality of Advent can happen any time of the year, such as summer or autumn. An Advent faith serves as a reminder that while times, seasons, and people in power do change, the values of seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10) remain. The Christ still gives light in the darkness that any political or cosmic entity ushers into people’s lives. If our faith is in the crucified and risen Savior, then we have the same assurance as Paul in the 1 Thessalonians 3 texts. [Sources: John T. Carroll, The New Testament Library: Luke (Westminster John Knox Press, 2012); I. Howard Marshall, The New International Greek Testament Commentary: Luke (Eerdmans, 1978)]
Application
With changes in healthcare plans, these texts assure believers that while our physical and mental abilities age and possibly fail, the spiritual dimension of Advent remains eternal. God is with us as times are about to change in the upcoming year. If we could write a “Book of Comfort” for those who will follow us in times to come, what would it look and sound like? Jeremiah has suggested that no cosmic or national tragedy need separate us from the assurance and love we have from our God.
Alternative Application
Another way of approaching this might be to examine which reasons for hope have let us down this past year. When and where have we discovered that the “emperor wears no clothes”? And we were worried for no reason about a particular person or situation? People’s terms on various boards do expire. Contracts with certain individuals and organizations do expire. What has been the source of anxiety and worry that burdens us, that we can now let go? Possibly this is the reason some people choose to end relationships during this season.
On another note, sometimes people who are close to us do die during this season. Once we own the reality of grief, we can hold onto the hope that our faith is grounded in the God who points us to eternal life.
