This is a time in the Church year when we are caught in tension between two different things. On the one hand we look forward to the birth of Jesus. On the other hand we look forward to the parousia--the Second Coming of Christ.
For a children’s sermon, I brought a salt shaker and asked, “What do I have here?” A little boy said, “That’s salt.” And I said, “You’re right, so what can you tell me about salt?” He didn’t bat an eye. He said, “If you eat too much, it’ll kill you.” So much for that idea.
Chapters 24 & 25 tell First Century Christians that their suffering is not in vain – that God hasn’t forgotten them. They tell them that there’s purpose to be found in suffering. “Only stay alert – hold on just a little longer; God will come and make it right."
SALT AND LIGHT: Some years ago, shortly after I had moved to Florida, on a Sunday just like this one, just before an election, I preached a sermon about Christian responsibility in regard to the ballot box. A few days later, a letter arrived on my desk from one of those who had been in the congregation that morning. It expressed absolute outrage at my "political use of the pulpit." Huh?
John the Baptist had gotten himself thrown into prison for insulting Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee. His days were numbered. In time, Herod would have him beheaded. The clock was ticking, and John wanted to know before his time ran out whether or not Jesus truly was the Promised Messiah.
Eight hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the Prophet Isaiah began to tell people that help was on the way--"the Prince of Peace.’” He was speaking of the baby Jesus, but the Jews didn’t know that. They saw in their mind’s-eye, a victorious warrior who would come and defeat their bitter enemies.
No doubt, some of you have watched the reality show, Survivor. Imagine putting 16 people together from different backgrounds - trying to survive together and at the same time competing against one another for individual survival. After each round, the participants meet together to cast their votes to see who will be dismissed from the group.
In the original account of Noah and the flood, God punished the people for their sins. But as Jesus tells it, people in the days of Noah were sufficiently distracted by the usual business of life that they ended up losing their lives.
(This sermon was delivered to a group recovering from alcohol and drug addiction.) The Age of Miracles is what the Big Book says has arrived for us too. But being in sobriety is very much like being in the kingdom that Jesus preached: Some days we’re in it and some days it’s not even close.
For about twenty years now Wiley Publishing has been producing the tremendously successful “… for Dummies” series of titles. My first experience was “Windows for Dummies.” My latest is “iPhone 5 for Dummies.” The secret of their success is to make intimidating subjects approachable. That's what Jesus does with the Beatitudes.