Jesus Brand Hope: The Best is Yet to Come
by Ken Wilson
Advent: Jesus comes to us. Began with Second Coming. Return of Jesus from realm of God to realm of this world. Reintegration of heaven & earth. As it was meant to be in Eden; as it was in at least one place on earth, the temple; and later in the person of Jesus, who brought heaven with him wherever he went.
This transformation--ultimate expansion of our horizons--began when Jesus was raised from dead to launch new creation. He ascended into heaven. He will come again to renew the whole earth: fulfillment of our wildest hopes. Jesus Brand Hope: The Best is Yet to Come.
Last week: Mark 13 Jesus prepares his disciples for different coming. Once in a lifetime crisis: destruction of temple in fulfillment of his prophecy 40 years earlier, “not one will be stone left on another.”
Mark 13 has indirect application to second coming, but primary focus is clearly the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. As Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened.”
So the first generation of followers had their work cut out for them. They would live through a major crisis—destruction of the temple and another exile [one taken, another left in fields] where they would spread good news of Son of Man’s reign. When bad news gets worse, good news gets better. As bad as it would be, it would not be a horror movie, but birth pains, leading to new life.
Jesus tells us to be alert to what he calls the signs of the times. “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain!’ and it does…You know how to interpret the weather, how is it that you don’t know how to interpret the present time?” (Luke 12: 54,56)
You don’t need special revelation to know what’s going on. When a storm, a crisis, is coming your way, it’s pretty obvious. Pretty obvious that we’re in one of those times, isn’t it? And that we in SE Michigan seem to be right smack dab in the middle of it.
+ End of era of cheap energy from fossil fuels. Long term
demand is up, supplies are not unlimited.
+ End of big manufacturing era. Big 3 shrinking. Arctic
expedition, Norwegian owner of solar--worth more than GM.
+ Boomers retiring, enormous strain on SS and Medicare.
+ Global food & water crisis (population 6B-9B)
Strauss & Howe in The Fourth Turning describe pattern in hx. Over course of 80 years, 4 distinct periods of 20-25 years each.
High: After a great crisis has resolved, upbeat era of strengthening institutions and weakening individualism, as a new civic order implants. 1945-65 when 94% of worlds wealth in American hands. We built the highway system, the major corporations, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Little League, PTA; everyone was a team player.
Awakening: A passionate era of spiritual upheaval, when the civic order comes under attack from a new values regime. Cultural–sexual revolution of the mid-sixties through early 1980’s when AIDS hit.
Unraveling: A downcast era of individualism and weakening institutions, when old civic order decays and new values implant.
Mid-eighties through present. Roads-bridges of1950-‘s wear out. Mistrust of authority, gov't. Everyone looking out for Number 1. People don’t want to join anything. Leave me alone with my flat screen. Era dominated by Culture Wars: Michael Moore Vs. Rush Limbaugh. Everyone picking up sides as culture unravels.
Crisis: The period we are entering. A crisis arises in response to sudden threats that previously would have been ignored or deferred, but which are now perceived as dire. Great worldly perils boil off the clutter and complexity of life, leaving behind one single imperative: The society must prevail. This requires a solid public consensus, aggressive institutions, and personal sacrifice. [Written in the 1990’s during Unraveling. People read the signs of the times.]
We Baby Boomers were raised in shadow of WW2 and the Cold War. We became leaders in the culture wars—Left or Right.
But our children grew up in a different time. Highest divorce rate in history, so they’ve had enough of the war metaphor thank you. All they see for all this cultural conflict is several messes they will have to fix—and they can’t imagine fixing them by screaming. [Amen?]
So like it or not, we’re entering a new era. Not going to solve our problems by Fox News defeating MSNBC or vice versa. We’re going to have to get along enough to fix our problems.
On Arctic Expedition: a Boomer stands up and says, “Why isn’t there more passion about the environmental crisis! People should be marching in streets!" A 35 y.o. Billionaire says, “I couldn’t disagree more. We don’t need people marching in streets. We need engineers to figure out how we can use new energy sources.”
2001 Twin Towers destroyed, America drawn into War on Terror. 2008 Twin Bubbles Burst: Housing & Credit Bubble; Global Recession
Not as bad as the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. Jesus said that would be an unparalleled crisis. But it’s certainly a time of crisis.
Crisis: from Greek root; a separating, a decision, to judge
1. The turning point in the course of a disease, when it becomes clear whether the patient will recover or die. 2. A turning point in the course of anything; decisive or crucial time, stage, or event. 3. A time of great danger or trouble, whose outcome decides whether possible bad consequences will follow.
Most of us will go through three major crisis-judgments: 1. A once in a lifetime historical crisis where excesses of entire society are called to account. 2. Death day (appointed for man to die once, then comes judgment); 3. Final judgment; end of this Age when Son of Man returns to renew heaven and earth—all wrongs put right, nations, eras, peoples, tribes have to give an account.
What themes can we glean from Mark 13, about the turning point we seem to be right smack dab in the middle of?
1. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. FDR beginning of the last crisis: Depression that led to WW2. (Which followed previous Unraveling: Roaring 20's). FDR echoing Jesus, who prepared disciples for their Crisis—destruction of the temple—by saying, “Be alert, but don’t be alarmed!”
Our task in times of upheaval: calm over-active alarm system. Fight-fright-freeze response. The anxiety system.
Three anxiety busters: walk, talk, pray. Exercise to deal with pent up stress. Need people to talk to. People to pray with.
Met with a friend on Friday for lunch. We did all three. Dug out snow—exercise. Had lunch and talked. I told him my troubles; he told me his troubles. Then we closed in prayer. I carried his burden to God in prayer, he carried mine. AND WE BOTH FELT BETTER
Jesus, facing his personal crisis, walked to Garden of Gesthemane, talked to his disciples and prayed. He wanted company when he was feeling anxious. “Pray with me for an hour!” If he needed company when his soul was troubled, we need company!
It time to start weaning ourselves off culture war media, watch more Leave it to Beaver & Cosby Show and walk, talk, pray!
The thing that will set us apart as followers of Jesus will no longer be how mad, how worked up we can get, demonizing whoever we think is cause of decline of western civilization as we know it. The thing that will set us apart is our capacity to be alert, so that we can pray, and not to be alarmed—the peace that passes understanding.
2. This is a time to strengthen the ties that bind. Mark 13 had a context: a small group of five friends talking. [Peter, Andrew, John, James, Jesus] Jesus prepared his disciple for the coming crisis by forming them into communities. The empowering of the Spirit came to them as they were gathered. Jesus left two things in his wake: the Spirit and the church. You can’t get one without the other.
Since 1960’s social capital in decline. People less connected to other people in each succeeding generation since the WW2 generation. That decline has to stop and it has to stop now.
So: we need to strengthen the ties that bind. If we have families we need to call them more often not less. If we have dinner once a week with roommates or family, it needs to be twice a week, starting this week. If we get to church once a month on average, make it twice a month. If we go to church, need to be the church. Join a small group, or a ministry that does something with other people. Invest in human connections. More, not less. Now, not later. Strengthen the ties that bind.
People who have more contact with other people—and that happens through churches more than any other means—have less depression, less anxiety, fewer headaches, lower blood pressure.
It’s time we move from ME-FIRST to WE-FIRST. That means we have to learn to sacrifice for the common good again.
The ME-FIRST excess of the Unraveling is being judged. We all have to learn some new habits for this new time.
During the unraveling we started throwing everything away instead of reusing it. Disposable LIVING.
My parents grew up during the Depression and they were frugal. Talked about saving tin foil, rubber bands, they collected everything and turned it in. They re-cycled everything without being green.
They were on rations for gas, nylons, chocolate, beef. We’re Super-Sizing ourselves to death. That has to change.
Opposite of sacrifice is greed. Former head of NASDAQ, Bernard Madoff, made off with 50 Billion! Greed trickles down! We got greedy as a society. We spent more money than we earned. Giving to organizations like the church went down, not up as a percentage of income. Charitable giving did not keep pace with income.
We rise and we fall together. Our average gift is 23$ per person (adult or child) per week. It turns out we have many people (couple hundred) who attend, who like what we’re doing and don’t give any money. Now I understand that if you’re out of a job, or in financial turmoil you may not be able to give. We know that you will when you can. But if you are not giving because it's not a priority--that has to change or we won’t pass the test. Everyone has to contribute something according to their means. Those who are blessed have to bless others. We only get to keep what we give away.
Single mom family losing her home. Do you have plenty of space? Kids grown? Maybe we will need to form a rotating shelter of people who can take a single mom family in for a few months. In days ahead, will need to sacrifice in order to strengthen the ties that bind.
The more we learn to sacrifice for the common good, the more good we do in common. Times crying out, not just for a few heroic givers, but for a heroic community of givers. Time of decision: our light either gets brighter or duller. We decide. He’s ready to light our torch so we shine brighter than ever. If we're ready to sacrifice.
3. This is the time to remember who’s in charge. I had a classic anxiety dream after my alarm system became elevated in early November. In dream, back to church after vacation, guest speaker. Mid-talking, he leaves platform…we're all just sitting around. I go searching for him. Can't find. So I go back into the sanctuary and I’m just walking through the crowd saying, “Who’s in charge around here?
When the world is in upheaval this is our question: Who's in charge?
I mean ultimately. Does anyone have this world in his hands? Is there someone pressing out a redemptive purpose thru all this pain? Someone making wine out of these crushed grapes?
In Mark 13, Jesus foretells the ascension of the Son of Man, fulfilling Daniel 7: "At that time people will see the Son of Man coming with the clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his messengers and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth and the ends of the heavens." (Mk. 13: 26)
Remember context. He's answering question about the coming crisis culminating in destruction of temple. "All these things will take place in this generation." The biblical reference is Daniel 7: In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. (Dan. 7: 13-14)
Not his return in glory. That has not yet occurred, but it will. This is about his elevation to God's right hand where he receives power and we are commissioned to be his messengers to the end of the earth.
In a time of Unraveling, rampant individualism, people riding various bubbles, it doesn't seem to matter who's in charge. But in times of distress, as the Jewish in Daniel's time lived through it matters a great deal who's in charge.
In Daniel's time Jews lived under Belshazar of Babyon, an egomaniac who forbade them to worship any other. Belshazar was having a feast and saw writing on wall: MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. Daniel interpreted: MENE, your days as king are numbered; TEKEL, you've been weighed on the scales and found wanting; PARSIN, your kingdom is divided among the Medes and Persians.
Cyrus the Persian King conquered Belshazar and issued and edict allowing the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild temple.
It mattered a great deal to them: who was in charge.
It matters to us who's in charge.
All the powers that be of this world, rulers of Wall Street, rulers of nation states, every dictator, every corrupt politician--all the powers that be are lame duck powers now. A new regime on the way.
Jesus, a sympathetic high priest, a friend of sinners, God of the God forsaken, who faced down the powers that be with radical self-giving love, has ascended to God's realm, where he has received power and authority. But it's a reign of love, not military, not political might.
And he is calling us, his messengers to bear witness to his self-giving love, to woo people to freely surrender to his reign.
When storm clouds gather, we know they are being chased by the light and the winds of a new day dawning. We've been given the ultimate gift in a time of distress, Jesus Brand Hope: The Best is Yet to Come.
So: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Walk, Talk, Pray.
This is a time to strengthen the ties that bind. To move from ME-FIRST to WE-FIRST. To sacrifice for the common good.
This is the time to remember who's in charge. Son of Man coming with clouds into God's realm of peace & power. Where his reign of love has begun. Ane we are called to make it known