Planet is Burning
Fifty years ago, when I was at
school, we were taught that the Earth was due another Ice Age any
time in the next 100,000 years or so. How would humanity survive as
the ice sheets once again covered Britain? Would we all have to
migrate south and live in southern Europe or northern Africa? At
least it wouldn’t affect my generation, even when the process
started it would take thousands of years get this far south.
How different it is today. Over the
last fifty years we have detected that the Earth has changed from
getting very slowly colder, to getting very quickly hotter. Wild
fires in various places, and other fires deliberately set to clear
forest mean that the quote I heard on the radio “the planet is on
fire” really sound like the truth.
Malachi
Then I read the Malachi reading. In
the day of the Lord “All the arrogant and every evildoer will be
stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire”
In a fire, stubble burns in seconds
and is gone.
The arrogant and the evil doers I can
easily see as those who have encouraged us to get where we are, who
have put profit ahead of care for the environment. We all must take
some responsibility though, because we have not been determined to do
things the right way, but have gone along with the ease and
convenience that the modern world provides.
Verse 2
Using that interpretation, though,
meant that the first part of verse 2 that was read bothered me a
little. “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness
will rise with healing in its wings”
It sounds like we should be somehow
exempt from the effects that we are suffering. That can’t be the
case, if the planet burns we all suffer.
Luke
So let’s turn to Luke to see if the
gospel reading can help us understand what is going on.
The Temple
The Temple was an incredible building
intended to show off the glory of God. It was the centre of the
Jewish world, not just an important building. The disciple remarking
about its beauty was quite a natural thing to do. So when Jesus says
that a time will come when the temple will just be rubble you can
imagine their reaction.
St Pauls
To help us get a sense of the shock
Jesus’ statement must have caused, think about St Paul’s in WWII.
The cathedral suffered some damage, but became a symbol of our
nation standing against all that the German air force could through
at it. There were teams of people dedicated to removing incendiary
devices from it’s roof, and put out any fires that occurred before
serious damage could be caused. If it had been destroyed, there’s
a chance that morale would have plummeted and the war lost.
Temple Destroyed
The temple was more, much more,
important than that. We know that it was finally destroyed in 70AD,
but for now the disciples want to know when it will happen.
Jesus doesn’t give them a date, or
tell them that a cosmic event will mark its end, instead he gives
them some indicators, and with them some instructions on the attitude
they should have.
Many claim to be Jesus
There will be many who claim that
they are Jesus returned. They will say that the final end is near,
they are wrong. Jesus’ coming will be obvious to all, Jesus has
already told the disciples this in Luke 17:30-31:
“It will be just like this
on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on
the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get
them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything.
Everyone will know.
Wars, Revolutions, Natural Disasters
Wars and revolutions will also occur.
These don’t imply that the end is coming either, they are simply
events that must happen before the end can come. Natural disasters,
earthquakes, famines, epidemics, and cosmic events are also in the
same category. They are things that must happen.
What happens next
Before any of this, though, a worse
fate will befall you Jesus tells His disciples. “they will lay
hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues
and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and
all on account of my name.”
Don’t worry, though, because this
gives you a chance to tell your story, don’t lose any sleep
preparing it, because I will give you words and wisdom at the right
time.
Family & friends & everyone
Even family and friends cannot be
counted upon in those times, and everyone will hate you because you
follow me. Some of you will even be put to death.
But ..
But not a hair on your head will
perish and by standing firm you will gain life. So, this life that
Jesus is referring to is clearly eternal life, and that must be what
Malachi is getting at when he says ““But for you who revere my
name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings”.
The future
While the teaching here seems to be
specifically for the period between the resurrection and the
destruction of the Temple, especially because the following verse
talks about armies surrounding Jerusalem, we know that we are still
living in the same times as the disciples were being warned about.
The Teaching
The teaching in this passages offers
us 4 points as we try to remain faithful to God during difficult
times:
v18 Watch out for false leaders, do
not follow them.
Vv9-11 Do not be frightened by the
events that you know have to happen in the end times.
Vv12-16 Do not worry about your
defence when you are taken to court, Jesus will provide you with the
words to say and the wisdom to deliver them. You will be a witness
for Christ
vv17-19 When everyone turns against
you, and hates you, stand firm in your beliefs, and by doing so you
WILL gain Eternal Life
Our Experience
We don’t see much persecution in
this country, but we are starting to see the beginnings of it, so far
it is mainly inconvenience – people losing job, being de-selected
as candidates in the general election. It is getting slowly more
serious, but that is to be expected in the current times – the end
times.
As we wait for His return, we must be
prepared for this and worse, if we expect it, and persevere we too
will gain Life.
Amen
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