23rd Sunday after Pentecost

​We are at the point where we are approaching the end of the Christian
year. Next Sunday is the final Sunday before advent.
And as we enter this new year, we begin to see a lot of apocalyptic imagery
in our scripture texts.
We see it in both Malachi and Luke this morning.

This imagery:
And language of destruction and judgement can be unsettling to us.
Especially since we are often used to hearing about Jesus as loving and
merciful:
An agent of forgiveness and restoration.

And yet, it’s significant that we hear this language:
That we remember that God is a God of Justice as well as of grace and
mercy.

Sometimes we have the tendency to turh God, or Christ:
Into sort of nebulous “feel-good” forces that are at our beck and call.

But that is not what God is.
It’s important to remember that God is God.
And we are not.
Christ is king and we are not.

The first lesson from Malachi talks about the end times:
“see the day is coming, burning like an oven,
When all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble.”
Malachi is referencing a time of judgment at the end.
And there’s a positive aspect to this too:
It’s not just fire and destruction.
Malachi also says, “But for you who revere my name the sun of
righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings.”

It’s a classic apocalyptic text:
Where God who is the God of judgment:
Is also the God of mercy and love.
In the last days, God will hold the evildoers accountable:
And will protect the righteous.
The passage from Luke, however,

Might not be as straight forward.
Its not as “classically” apocalyptic.

This story from Luke:
Also appears in Matthew and Mark.
All three gospel writers talk about the difficulties and tribulations that will
befall believers.
There’s talk about wars and rumors of wars that will come.
Warnings about false messiahs.

But what Luke does in his telling of the story is slightly different.
He removes the parts that seem to indicate immediacy.
(Mark talks about this as: birth pangs: but luke omits that part.)
Birth pangs are immediate:
It means the baby is coming:
And it’s not waiting.

Luke, omitting these pieces of immediacy:
Provides more of a description of the real state of the time BETWEEN the
times:
This time where we all live:

After the first coming of Jesus:
And before the final coming and last judgment.

In Luke’s telling,
People are asking him when this end time will take place:
And Jesus very clearly says, beware that you are not led astray:
Many will say “ the time is near!’
Do not go after them.

Even further he says, “when you hear of wars and insurrections,
Do not be terrified;
For these things must take place first,
But the end will not follow IMMEDIATELY.

For Luke it’s not immediate.
It’s just the between times.