Apocalypse now!

Luke 21:5-19

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”

Signs and Persecutions

They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them.

“When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.

Don't you just love this season of the year - I call it silly season.

The rest of the world, it seems, is gearing up for Christmas - and has been since Halloween - and the church is gearing up for Advent.

The rest of the world, in the unlikely event that it’s even considering sacred texts, is focusing on the Nativity.

And the church?

Is focusing on...  the Apocalypse.

Are we so out of step with our culture - the culture that God calls us to engage with good news?

And do we really need to read ancient apocalyptic texts today?

Isn’t there enough of the apocalypse happening in our world?

Aren’t there enough terrible things happening?

Isn’t there enough doom and gloom and scare mongering all around?

Do we need to indulge in it in the church too?

I happen to think that we do.

And here’s why:

When Jesus started spouting apocalyptic narrative and metaphor, he was appealing to those on the margins.

He wasn’t indulging those who were comfortable.

He wasn’t kow towing to those whose fortunes depended on the current structures remaining in place.

When Jesus got heavy, apocalyptic heavy, he was preaching a message of hope for the poor and the marginalised.

When Jesus got weird and started noising up the status quo, he was speaking words of security for the displaced and the dispossessed.

Because disruption of the empire could only be good news for those on the periphery.

The notion that all that kept the downtrodden in their place was about to be shaken up, literally toppled - was good news for the oppressed.

So even though, throughout Luke’s gospel, we tend to find Jesus being positive about the temple:

It’s the place where Simeon and Anna wait to greet the new Messiah

It’s the place where Jesus gets lost on a family outing

It’s the place where Jesus sets out his manifesto - Good news for the poor and the like

It’s the place that Jesus goes to lengths to protect as a place of prayer, driving out money changers and all that jazz.

Even though this has been a place Jesus has hung out in, observing and being seen, his prophesying its downfall would be music to the ears of those considered the dregs of society, those who longed for change, those who yearned for justice.

The destruction of the temple is, for them, a symbol of the possibility of revolution.

And that makes it entirely appropriate that these are the texts we turn to at this time of year - indeed at any time when we want to affirm that God’s kingdom is here and that we have a part to play in changing our world, in overthrowing injustice, in demolishing the status quo.

For those at the bottom of the heap, these are not words of the end times.

But words of hope in the present.

These are not words that invite us to indulge in escapism and imagine the new world to come that is out of this world.

Not words that invite us to dream of a blessed future.

These are words that speak of hope.

Hope now.

The hope that God’s kingdom, a kingdom of peace and freedom, a kingdom of justice and love will prevail in our world - not in some ethereal future, but here and now.

Apocalypse now would mean that those disenfranchised by Brexit would find a place to call home.

Apocalypse now would mean that those who are homeless would find shelter and those who are hungry would have enough to eat without being forced to rely on food banks.

Apocalypse now would mean that those who flee their homes because of violence and war would find a welcome and a refuge.

These words do not belong to the future.

They belong to now.

We are called to realise the kingdom of God among us.

Make up your minds, Jesus said. I will give you wisdom...

Our call is not to sit back and let governments sort out crises.

Our call is not to pin our hopes on an election or a referendum or a slowing down of climate change, however important those may be.

Our call is to live into and invite others into God’s kingdom of peace and justice, of equity and love - NOW.

Our call is to love as those who hope - not just for the future, but for now.

And that, right there, is counter cultural today.

Maintaining hope, not just for the future but for NOW.

Seeing beyond the appalling state of the world - globally and locally and knowing that it can be different.

And, out of our knowing, making a difference.

By showing up.

By speaking up.

By stepping up.

To serve God’s kingdom - that’s already among us.

What we do here week by week is counter cultural today.

And so is the kingdom of God.

So,let’s keep on being out of step.

Let’s take heed of Jesus’ apocalyptic words, words that are music to the ears of all who suffer, words of hope, not fear.

Hope will not be extinguished.

Love will not be defeated.

God’s kingdom is here.

May God give us hope and help us to live in love - not as those who despair today but as those who live and work alongside God in building God’s kingdom.

Apocalypse now.

Amen.