The increasing number of natural disasters of late is disturbing. A severe drought in our area has ruined crops and several people have lost their lives because of the intense heat wave that has lasted for weeks. Add to that the hurricanes striking the Caribbean and Mexico, wildfires burning in Idaho and Greece, and severe earthquakes in both Peru and Japan. Disastrous flooding in the Midwest became personal for me. I learned that Dora Horse, who was with a Native American group that visited our church at Rehoboth just last year, was swept away in the floodwaters, drowning along with her daughter and granddaughter. And if natural disasters are not enough, then think a minute about the recent headlines about people losing homes and jobs in the lending crisis, pet food and children’s toys found tainted with poisonous chemicals, a massive bridge collapse into the Mississippi river, miners trapped in a cave-in—need I go on?
I met someone recently who remarked, “There’s so much bad stuff going on in the world right now. I’m pretty sure that Jesus will be coming back very soon.” I pursed my lips and said, “Hmmm” mostly because I don’t like to engage in theological debate with people I’ve just met! My acquaintance would likely have been disturbed to learn that I never worry much about Jesus’ return, nor do I sit down regularly with my Bible attempting to decipher ancient prophecies about when it might occur. It’s not that I don’t believe Jesus will return, I do--and have affirmed often in church that "Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again." What I don't believe is that Jesus wants us to worry; instead Jesus instructed us to be prepared, to be ready, to be watchful. Just like many people prepare for disasters by having a battery powered radio or storing bottled water, we can best prepare for the return of Christ by sharing his love with others not just with words but also through our actions (I John 3:18).
In the gospel of Matthew, the last statement of Jesus to his disciples is this:
“And be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (28:20 NLT).
We should pray for, work on, and give towards easing the suffering of those caught up in the troubles of the world. Our strength does not come from looking at the state of our world with apathy hoping that Christ will return soon to make it all better. Our strength comes from knowing that Christ is with us always, ‘even to the end of the age’, no matter how bad the world seems to be getting.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
The belief that the Second Coming is at hand because natural disasters have increased is common, at least in my former church. For many years, Seventh-day Adventists have tabulated the number of natural disasters occurring in the world. They say that the frequency of these events has increased exponentially in recent years.
I would love it if they were right. I, for one, am ready to meet Jesus. I'm ready to learn the ultimate truths to all the puzzling questions I have about the universe. And more than anything, I'm ready for the suffering to end. Wouldn't it be great to live in a world where you knew that no child would be abused or go hungry? To know that such things as torture and death would no longer be possible?
But for me, the climax of Jesus' speech in Matthew 24 actually occurs in Matthew 25, with three of the greatest parables Jesus ever told: the parable of the Ten Virgins, the parable of the Talents, and the parable of the Sheep and the Goats.
If you will notice, the transition from Matthew 24 to Matthew 25 is all in red. Jesus' advice to his disciples progresses in a long continuum, from signs of his second coming to directions about how to be ready, contained in the three parables of chapter 25.
All three parables end with some being saved and some being lost. In the first, those saved remained filled with the Holy Spirit, even through the dark of night and a delayed arrival. In the second, those saved used the gifts God gave them to their utmost, shrewdly working to increase the yield on the master's investment. In the third, those saved treated everyone around them, no matter how destitute and poor, as they would have treated Christ.
Since I became Methodist, my focus has shifted almost completely from Matthew 24 (which, as an Adventist, I learned almost word-for-word) to Matthew 25. I agree with Mike that it's more important to work to relieve the suffering around us than to smugly use it as proof that the end is near.
Now, not only do I want to know the message of Matthew 25 word-for-word, but also to live it word-for-word - not because I'm afraid of Christ's coming, but because Christ calls us to change the world in his name. Everything I read in this chapter makes it clear that when he comes back, he wants to find us hard at work righting wrongs, correcting inequities, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the sad, and in general working to make our world as much like heaven as we possibly can. And in fact, this may be the best preparation we could ever have to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of a perfect world.
Post a Comment