As we approach the end of the liturgical year, the theme of the lectionary readings turns to judgment and the end times – not the favorite topics of most of us “mainline” Christians, yet I think holding onto the eschatological aspect of our faith is critical. It’s the source of our conviction that history has a telos - that ultimately God’s reign will prevail.
And so the OT reading this week comes from the last book in the OT, a prophetic book from the postexilic period. Rhonda Burnette-Bletsch says the historical context of Malachi was such that, “a few generations after the Jews’ return from exile, conditions were not greatly improved.” God’s people were experiencing hard economic times, the political and religious climate apparently left a lot to be desired… you get the picture. So in the midst of this, the prophet points ahead to the coming day of God’s judgment, when the “arrogant and all evildoers” would be burned up like stubble in an oven. If I’m not mistaken, I believe this is a reference to burning up the stalks left in the field after the harvest, so that the field would be ready for the next year’s planting. I tried to corroborate this in the resources I have, but didn’t find anything addressing it. If I’m right, though, then it’s a fitting image for this time of year (as I smell burning leaves down the street). On the other hand, for those who revere God, the “sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.” Apparently the winged sun is an image borrowed from Egyptian and Mesopotamian religions – and it’s a nice image, full of light, warmth and life. And presumably the “healing” is for God’s people as a body: God’s judgment is a cleansing so that God can start over and give God’s people new life, a second (or third or fourth?) chance.
Psalm 98
A beautiful psalm, with its images of creation praising God (verses 7-8). But I notice that the reason for all the joy is the expectation of God’s coming as judge. Again, “judge” may not be our favorite image of God, but think of it this way – if you feel you’ve been wronged, chances are you’d appreciate the chance to get your case in front of a good judge who’s going to intervene on your behalf and rule in your favor. And verse 9 says God “will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.” That’s good, right? And the opening verses of the psalm paint a picture of God’s intervention on behalf of his people – God’s “right hand and holy arm” swinging in battle, fighting for God’s people, vindicating their cause. Part of our expectation of God’s coming is an expectation that God will straighten out what’s wrong with our world, and that God’s reign will not reflect the inequities and injustices of our world.
Luke 21:5-19
This week’s Gospel text finds Jesus preparing his followers for trying times to come. Jesus speaks of the destruction of the Temple (verses 5-6), then later Jerusalem’s destruction (verses 20-24), and his eventual return (verses 27-28).
It’s funny, I used to regard this part of Luke as something of an interruption – “well, and here’s this apocalyptic stuff” – but now it seems to me that there is an eschatological edge to Luke’s entire gospel that just gets sharper as the story moves along. It starts (chapter 2) with Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that her son would “reign…forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary responds with her song about God bringing down the powerful and lifting up the lowly (cf. Psalm 98). When John comes on the scene in chapter 3, he calls the people to repentance because God’s ready to gather the wheat up and burn the chaff (cf. Malachi 4:1-2). When Jesus then arrives (chapter 4), he announces that God’s jubilee year has dawned, and the people are so upset by his preaching that they try to throw him off a cliff. As Jesus begins his healing ministry, it is an extension of his proclamation that God’s kingdom has arrived (see 4:43). Then in chapter 5, his table fellowship with sinners and tax collectors is part of his calling “sinners to repentance” (5:32; cf. John the Baptist); it’s the bridegroom’s feast with the wedding guests at the dawn of God’s reign (5:34-35). In chapter 6, he lays the “blessings and woes” on his followers, telling them what the social structure of God’s kingdom is going to look like. In chapter 7, Jesus answers the question whether he is “the one who is to come” by pointing to his healings and preaching of good news to the poor (7:22-23). In chapter 9, he sends the apostles out to announce the arrival of the Kingdom, and soon afterward Peter acknowledges that he is the Messiah. After that point in the gospel, there’s a greater urgency. Jesus tells his followers they’ll have to take up the cross, and that some of them won’t “taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” (9:27) He says the dead can bury themselves, but we can’t look back if we’re going to be “fit for the kingdom.” In chapter 10 he steps up the effort, sending out the seventy into “the harvest” (again, cf. Malachi). In chapter 11, he instructs the disciples to pray “your kingdom come,” then he says his generation will be given the “sign of Jonah” (impending judgment). In chapter 12, Jesus tells us to be ready and watchful for his return, and that his coming will mean division even between family members; chapter 13 finds him warning that “unless you repent, you will perish” (13:6); and in chapter 14, he lays out the high cost of discipleship (14:25-33)…
Anyway, we get the idea. So chapter 21 doesn’t come out of nowhere, but rather is something of a culmination of this theme that’s been developing throughout Luke. What’s interesting to me about this text is that Jesus paints a picture of all this chaos and destruction swirling around, and basically says our job is not to worry or be too eager to jump on any bandwagon, or even to prepare what we’re going to say if/when we’re arrested, but just to be ready. This text, and the rest of Luke's gospel leading up to it, suggests to me that responding to the kingdom Jesus has brought and striving to live the life of that kingdom will be preparation enough.
Works Consulted:
Rhonda Burnette-Bletsch, Studying the Old Testament: A Companion
New Jerome Bible Commentary
Gene Tucker’s commentary on Malachi in Preaching Through the Christian Year: Year C
David Tiede’s notes on the Luke text in the HarperCollins Study Bible
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