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The Gospel of Matthew Bible Studies
The Gospel of Mark Bible Studies
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
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August 2008
September 2008
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December 2008
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First Sunday of Advent – (B) Isaiah 64:1-9 and Mark 13:24-37 November 30, 2008 Brothers and Sisters in Christ, do you remember way back in the time before cell phones… what used to happen? I mean things are way different now, because people can just call each other up and say, “Where are you?” or “Why aren’t you here?” But do you remember what used to happen when a family went to the shopping center, and split up saying, “We’ll meet at the couches by Penny’s at 3 o’clock.” And then 3 o’clock came around and everyone showed up… Everyone except mom that is. Do you remember what we used to do in such a situation? We used to have to WAIT! Or what about in a simple matter such as a question of trivia: if you were trying to remember something, it might have been that you would have used to “wait for the answer to come to you.” But not anymore. What do we do know...? We Google it. Perhaps you still wait sometimes, but let me tell you, we are reaching a time in history—in our society—when every moment can be filled (if we want it that way)… but what does this say of our relationship with our God? In the Book of Isaiah, the prophet is worried. For, as he says, “There is no one who calls on your name..; no one attempts to hold on to [the Lord].” So, in his day and age, no one was even calling on God; no one was attempting to hold on to God. Rather than wait, they gave up and went home. Instead of wait for the Lord, what does Isaiah say is happening? “Our iniquities, like wind, take us away.” So, rather than taking hold of God—or holding on to the hope of God—everyone seems to be wrapped up or swept away by their own things. This is from the prophet Isaiah—written 2,500 to 2,600 years ago. Yet, to me, I am struck by how familiar the whole sentiment is! I mean, I am struck by how long people have lived in this type of despair: hoping, longing, pleading for God to act. “Oh that you would tear open the heavens and come down Lord. Show yourself to them. Make them believe.” It’s strangely disturbing to me, to know how long this prayer has been prayed. “We’re tired of waiting God; we need you to act now.” It’s disturbing… yet (on the other hand) it’s also encouraging, in a way, to see that someone—this prophet—was worried about the people’s lack of faithfulness so long ago. Yet, with all that has happened since, there are still today, people left to worship and call upon God today. The remnant, if you will, who still wait upon the Lord.
Welcome to the season of Advent everyone. Welcome to this four-Sunday season before Christmas. Welcome… to the season of waiting. In a few weeks (if you continue to come to church) you will hear familiar stories about Jesus and John the Baptist; about the people’s hope for a messiah around the time of Jesus. Today, you just listened to a portion of the little-apocalypse from Mark’s Gospel. It is difficult to understand, yet it reminds us of a tenant of our Christian faith: that Christ, the Son of man is still coming, and that we are still to be looking to the future in anticipation of God’s work. That is, God who created is not finished. We still wait for the final redemptive act. But are we, here in 2008 (soon to be 2009), a patient religion? We are supposed to be a “waiting” people. As Jesus said, “Stay awake.” But waiting truly is the hardest part. It is difficult and it requires patience. And we struggle with this. In my opinion, Advent—this short season—is not nearly long enough for us. It is just four weeks before Christmas and the Christmas music started four weeks ago! Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Christmas, it’s just that if I were in charge I would lengthen Advent. I have no idea what I would say for additional Sunday sermons, so maybe I wouldn’t. It would be a season of appropriate silence—as we learn together the often neglected quality of being patient… waiting… listening. That is, learning how to let God’s voice and God’s wisdom come to us, when we ourselves are still. Waiting, brothers and sisters in Christ, is difficult, but it’s also very important. It’s a spiritual gift. It’s such a big part of this life God has given us. Patience brings both humility and perspective, for if we are waiting for something, we can’t claim to have arrived already. In this way, patience and humility... waiting helps us as we interact with each other. Our Christian calling is to love and forgive one another. We know this, but how often do we have need to wait and let God show us how—how to love each other—how to forgive each other.
Now, as for the Gospel: in this reading Jesus tells several truths. I think we mostly miss what he is trying to say, based on the language of our culture. It has to do with this all too familiar term, “pass away.” He uses this term three times. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place (referring to the hardships mentioned previously in Chapter 13: false messiahs, persecutions, wars and rumors of wars). Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away (Mark 13:30-31). As I said, the problem for us comes because we hear it through our own language. The phrase “pass away.” What does it mean in our culture? It means death, right? Well the Greek word being translated here is parerchomai, which can also be translated “pass by.” The phrase has the connotation of something passing by something else. It can mean “pass by” as in sneak past; it can also can have the connotation of something disappearing from sight. So what Jesus was saying to his disciples was that their generation could not expect to “pass by” the turmoil of the day and of the age. The same, I’m afraid, is true for us. Secondly, in the midst of the world that does pass by (or change completely) God has given us this unchanging (impassible) word, which we are told accomplishes precisely what it sets out to accomplish. So, this Word of God—this divine word found in Jesus Christ—which shines and lightens our darkness, it is precisely what we need in this uncertain world… As we wait. -------------------- Pastor Joshua Magyar 418 W. Main St. Sidney, MT 59270
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