1st Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 2:1-5
Romans 13:11-14a
Matthew 24:37-44
The world will come to an end. Many texts in the Holy Scriptures testify to this. And Jesus himself speaks openly about it. There is no question that it will happen. The end will come.
But when will it happen? Some people think they can already see signs of it: wars, epidemics, environmental destruction, social tensions. We should not downplay any of these. But observing all this does not provide an answer to the question of how much time we have left until the end of the world will come.
Jesus emphasises that the end will come unexpectedly. Suddenly. In the midst of everyday life. It will be ‘as in the days of Noah’. People ‘were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage’ and ‘were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away’. Jesus gives two more comparisons. He speaks of two men who are surprised by the end while working in the fields. And of two women who are grinding flour when the end comes.
All our normal, everyday activities and all our life projects are based on the assumption that the world will continue to exist at least a little longer. What is the point of farming, baking bread or getting married if the world is going to end tomorrow?
We do not know when the end will come. It could be literally tomorrow. Or in half an hour. So, should we stop eating, drinking or getting married because it all makes no sense anymore? Should we give in to fear or depression?
Two years ago in Germany, it was reported that a particularly radical environmental activist had herself sterilised in the face of impending climate change. In her eyes, there was no longer any point in having children. The fear of the end of the world had driven her to this radical action, as she confessed in tears.
Jesus says, ‘Stay awake!’ and ‘Be ready!’ He does not say, ‘Panic!’
It would be completely nonsensical for him to say that. For it is He himself who will return at the end of time to bring history to completion. This is what all secular doomsday prophets completely ignore: that the end of the world is not a fall into nothingness and darkness, but a personal encounter with Christ. The coming of the Son of Man. Advent.
Advent, the coming of Christ into our world, happens twice: once two thousand years ago in Bethlehem, and once at the end of time. But it is the same Christ both times. The child in the manger is identical to the judge of the world. Those who fear the judge should also fear the child. But those who truly love the Divine Child need not fear the judge. It is the same Christ, yesterday, today and in eternity.
At his first coming, Christ opened the way to salvation for us. At his second coming, he will complete our salvation. That is why Paul can write to the Romans: ‘Now salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand.’
Not fear, but quiet confidence and joy is the appropriate response of a faithful to the approaching end of the world. Just as we look forward to Christmas during Advent, we should also look forward to the end of the world.
Nevertheless, we should prepare ourselves well. We should stay awake and be ready. If we neglect our relationship with Christ, we may not recognise him when he comes. We may even become afraid of the mighty stranger who is coming to judge us.
Paul exhorts us to ‘put on the Lord Jesus Christ’ as a new garment. Christ should be as close to us every day as our clothes are to our bodies. We should become more and more like Christ and so may recognise him and be recognised by him on the last day. Paul writes how this can be achieved:
‘Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light. Let us walk properly as in daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarrelling and jealousy.’
We should not do things that harm ourselves and others. Most of the things we do out of fear and desperation can be counted among the ‘works of darkness’ that we should cast off.
Instead, we should put on the ‘armour of light’. First and foremost, this includes faith, love and hope. Then there are the good works we may do in the grace of God to help others. And yes, reasonable concern for the protection of the environment is also part of this. It is all about living honourably, ‘walk properly as in the daytime’. Let us not allow the inner and outer darkness we experience to determine what we do! Let us walk in the light!
Isaiah had a remarkable vision of the end of the world: he saw a great, peaceful pilgrimage of all peoples and nations to Mount Sion in Jerusalem. Justice and peace will reign, he says. And he concludes with an invitation: ‘Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!’
During this Advent season, let us walk in the light of the Lord! Let us walk properly as in the daytime! And let us look forward to the last day, the day when we finally will meet Christ our Lord and Saviour!
Amen.
