As we approach the end of the Church year we are in a transition period. The question: What happens to followers of Jesus after he is taken away? Our Gospel text from Luke does not offer his disciples or us much comfort of what they can expect. Yet as we read verses 9 through 11, I would ask us: When has there been a time in history when none of these things have occurred? Human history has had very few instances where there has not been war, natural disasters, famine, plagues. This is part and parcel of the human condition. In modern times it is even brought into our lives with greater presence and timeliness through our mass communication. We don’t hear of rumors of these events, we see the events on our television or computer in our homes, so very far removed from events. Calamitous events are always before us, we cannot be removed from them.
Jesus is saying to us, that our grand plans do not have permanence - everything will eventually break down, be destroyed, whether it be anything we build or construct, information or ideas, time has a way of eventually wearing down and destroying all that we try to do and accomplish. The History Channel offered a show called Life After People. This show graphically portrayed what would happen to our cities and structures, if all of a sudden there were no persons around to care for them. I found this show fascinating. Time will destroy anything we have ever created, if we are not around to maintain it. About the only two things that could withstand the onslaught of time - gold and intact containers of honey - everything else will break down, returning to the earth from whence it came.
Jesus is being very realistic in his assessment of history and time. We all face some sort of calamitous experience in our life times. The Derby Fire is an example of one such instance.
Those who were immediately threatened by the fire know, just how helpless we are before such a natural disaster. In Baltimore, I knew people who were refugees of war. They lived in Lithuania or East Prussia, and when the Eastern Front collapsed they were forced to flee, taking only what they could carry, leaving everything else behind.
Jesus tells us what we may expect if we defend our faith against those who are hostile to our Faith in God and his Son, Jesus Christ. Members of the early church did indeed become martyrs for their faith. They faced persecutions, torture and death for their faith in Jesus Christ. Such persecution goes on in the world today. Christians in Iraq, Iran, India, China face the threat of attack, physical assault, and death for practicing their faith in Jesus and gathering together to worship.
While we here in Absarokee may not face such persecution directly, we face a continual and subtle nibbling away of our faith, by a thousand cuts, distractions and temptations that lure us away from living as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. But is this all hopeless? As Paul would say: By no means. Jesus gives us hope; Jesus promises to give us wisdom and words to respond to those who would disparage or deride our faith. Jesus promises us - we will not perish, not one hair on our head will perish. Jesus will gird us with strength. Jesus will endow us with the mettle to endure. Jesus says to us: “By your endurance you will gain your souls.” No one can take this away from us. Jesus gives us the courage to persevere; Jesus walks with us through that dark lonesome valley. Yes the journey may be terrifying at times, we may be fearful and afraid - this is the time and place where Jesus is with us. We do not walk alone, we do not stand alone - Jesus is with us. Amen
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