Today we celebrate the first day of Advent. The word “Advent” is from the Latin “Adventus,” which means “coming.” Advent is the beginning of a new liturgical year. It is the time of the year when we remember promises about the first coming of Jesus. We celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus in the manger at Christmas. But much more importantly, Advent is the season about how we get ready for the second coming of Jesus. It is the time for us to ask ourselves, “Am I ready?” “Am I on the right track?” This week’s lectionary passages tell us how we should be ready to meet Jesus individually and as a church.
Put on Christ
The Epistle reading from Romans 13 begins in this way: “… The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed… Therefore, put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (vv. 11-14). Then, what does it mean by putting on Christ? It means that Christ should be a suit of clothes that we wear all the time. It means that let Christ direct all our thinking and conduct all the time. Putting on Christ is not “once-for-all” action like baptism, but it is something we must choose to do each and every day.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 24 is part of Jesus’ teaching about the end of the age on the Mount of Olives. In the Olivet Discourse Jesus tells us how we may put on Him in our daily lives. In verse 44 Jesus says, “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Then, he tells us a parable, the parable of the ten virgins – five of them were foolish and five were wise. The Bible says when the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. Then, what makes the five foolish and the other five wise? The foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took along extra oil with them. Then, what does the “oil” stand for? It stands for a true relationship with Jesus. When the five foolish virgins cry out to the bridegroom, he calls out to them, “I tell you the truth, I don’t know you” (25:12). The oil must be prepared in our everyday life. It will be too late to get ready at the end of life or at the return of Jesus. We are ready when our relationship with Jesus is true and intimate. We are ready when we put on Jesus Christ every morning. We are ready when Christ rules in our hearts and minds.
The best way to put on Christ is to mediate on God’s word day and night, because Jesus is the Word (John 1:14). Recently, I faced Giant Despair. I almost lost my footing. It was close. But it was God’s word that sustained me and delivered me out of the dungeon of Giant Despair. Every morning I meditate on Psalms. Particularly, this week God gave me the same message every morning: “Take refuge in Him. Cry out to Him. And give thanks to Him.” Giant Despair was persistent. He didn’t just let me go. He kept coming back. But every time he came, I practiced these three things. I did run to God, cry out to him, and praise his holy name and give thanks for what he had done. “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music! Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn!” (Ps 57:7-8) That’s exactly what I did. And God sustained me and restored my soul. We put on Christ when we hear the word and do the word.
Put on Christ “Together”
This week’s Old Testament lectionary readings – Psalm 122 and Isaiah 2 – describe the glorious day of the Lord when God’s people are ready and go up to meet their bridegroom Jesus together! Psalm 122:1 says, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Isaiah 2:3 says, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.” God gave us the church, so that we may be able to remain faithful, encourage one another, and be ready as pure bride of Christ together. In the early church when believers gathered or parted, they didn't say "Hello" or "Goodbye." Instead, they said "Maranatha” which means “Our Lord comes!” They encouraged one another and reminded one another of the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb 10:25). We are the church. We are here to encourage one another. We are here to help one another to stay focused on Jesus Christ.
One of my favorite books is John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. Recently, I had a chance to watch a movie version of it. This time I noticed that the main character Christian always had a traveling companion. In the first half of the journey God sent him “Faithful” as his companion. When they were tempted, they watched each other in love. When they were ridiculed and persecuted, they encouraged each other. But then, in the town of Vanity, Faithful so boldly proclaimed the gospel and eventually he died a martyr. After this, God sent Christian another traveling companion, “Hopeful.” One time Christian and Hopeful had to go through the land, called the Enchanted Ground, whose air naturally made one drowsy and die. And here Hopeful began to be very dull and heavy of sleep. So he said to Christian, “Let us lie down and take a nap for an hour.” But Christian said, “By no means! If we take a nap here, we will die.” To prevent drowsiness, they began to share their testimonies to each other: When they felt the love of Christ personally for the first time, how God saved them, how God transformed them, how they began to love a holy life, and so on. While they were telling their love stories with Jesus, before they knew they just passed the Enchanted Ground. Let us pray that we may also meet our traveling companions right here in this place to encourage one another, comfort one another, and correct one another to stay focused on Christ.
Maranatha!
As I close, I want to share the story of Ernest Shackleton. While on a South Pole expedition, Shackleton left a few men on Elephant Island, and he promised that he would return. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. But suddenly, as if by a miracle, an avenue opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men on Elephant Island were ready and waiting, and they quickly scrambled aboard. As soon as the ship had cleared the island, the ice crashed together behind them. As Shackleton contemplated their narrow escape, he said to his men, "It was fortunate you were all packed and ready to go!" They replied, "We never gave up hope. Whenever the sea was clear of ice, we rolled up our sleeping bags and reminded each other, the boss may come today." The promise of the second coming of Jesus occurs 1,845 times in the Old Testament, and 318 times in the New Testament. In other words, about every 30 verses of the Bible tells us about the second coming of Jesus. The Bible keeps telling us, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief” (2 Pt 3:10). As we begin Advent, let us be ready. Let us be “packed and ready to go” at every moment! As we leave this room today, let us not say “Goodbye,” but say "Maranatha!" Yes, Come, Lord Jesus, Come! Amen.
As I close, I want to share the story of Ernest Shackleton. While on a South Pole expedition, Shackleton left a few men on Elephant Island, and he promised that he would return. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. But suddenly, as if by a miracle, an avenue opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men on Elephant Island were ready and waiting, and they quickly scrambled aboard. As soon as the ship had cleared the island, the ice crashed together behind them. As Shackleton contemplated their narrow escape, he said to his men, "It was fortunate you were all packed and ready to go!" They replied, "We never gave up hope. Whenever the sea was clear of ice, we rolled up our sleeping bags and reminded each other, the boss may come today." The promise of the second coming of Jesus occurs 1,845 times in the Old Testament, and 318 times in the New Testament. In other words, about every 30 verses of the Bible tells us about the second coming of Jesus. The Bible keeps telling us, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief” (2 Pt 3:10). As we begin Advent, let us be ready. Let us be “packed and ready to go” at every moment! As we leave this room today, let us not say “Goodbye,” but say "Maranatha!" Yes, Come, Lord Jesus, Come! Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment