The Unauthorized Homily

By Bill Dunn

A commentary on the Scripture readings from the Sunday Lectionary

(Scripture readings for Sunday, November 19th: Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-14, 18; Mark 13:24-32)

JESUS DISCUSSES THE END OF THE WORLD

In this week’s gospel reading, we hear a portion of St. Mark’s so-called “Little Apocalypse.” Jesus proclaimed some very dire predictions about the end of the world. He said, “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”

Jesus then clearly explained that He would return during this time. “And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory.”

There’s no doubt about it: when the end of the world comes, no one will be able to ignore it. All human activity will stop in its tracks—even if it takes place during either of our culture’s two most reverent religious holidays, the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards ceremony—everyone will gaze heavenward with awe and wonder. The Second Coming will make the Super Bowl’s extravagant halftime show look like a Kindergarten school play.

Throughout the 2,000-year history of Christianity, each generation had people who thought the end of the world would occur during their lifetime. The folks who first read Mark’s Gospel expected the events described by Jesus to happen at any moment, and in St. Paul’s early writings, especially his correspondence with the Thessalonians, it is clear he thought Jesus’ Second Coming was imminent.

Obviously, each generation that thought it would witness the Second Coming was mistaken. It hasn’t happened yet.

Many people in our present generation are also convinced the Second Coming is at hand. In the last decade or so, wild interpretations of the Book of Revelation have become commonplace in America, to the point where Rapture/Second Coming/End-of-the-World speculation is a multi-media, multi-million dollar industry.

There are countless books and videos available dealing with apocalyptic prophesies and end-of-the-world time tables. Some of the preachers I hear on the car radio during my travels seem to talk about nothing but the Book of Revelation. (“Keep your eyes on the skies, mah friends, cuz the Lord is comin’ any day now! Ah jist know it! Probably next Wednesday! Do Ah hear an ‘Amen’?!”)

However, Jesus made it crystal clear that no one will know the exact day of His Second Coming. (Ah said NO ONE, mah friends! Do Ah hear an “Amen”?! Is it just me, or do a lot of these gentlemen, regardless of whether they live in the heart of the Bible Belt or in, say, Michigan, sound just like that Looney Tunes character, Foghorn Leghorn?)

Jesus said, “But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

There is probably no clearer concept in all of Scripture: Jesus Himself did not know the exact day or hour of the Second Coming and the end of the world. If He didn’t know, what in Heaven’s name makes some of these preachers and authors think they know? (I’ll tell you what makes them think they know, sinful pride.)

By the way, unlike what some have said, the fact that Jesus did not know the exact day does not mean He was less omnipotent than God the Father. When the Second Person of the Trinity lowered Himself to take on human flesh, He willingly relinquished some of His divine, eternal knowledge for a period of time. Some religious groups (hint: they often appear at your front door passing out Watchtower literature) claim that Jesus was a LESSER spiritual being than God. The Bible plainly states otherwise. The beginning of St. John’s Gospel identifies Jesus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made.”

So, if Jesus did not know the exact date, it seems clear that we should not be obsessed with trying to figure it out. The words Jesus spoke during the Sermon on the Mount might be more relevant for us: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all [good] things will be given to you….Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:33-34).

Just making it through each day without screwing things up too badly is hard enough. We definitely don’t need to spend an undue amount of time and energy worrying about end-of-the-world prophesies.

If we spend our time trying to draw closer to Jesus—trying to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness right here today—then we won’t have to worry about the end of the world or the Second Coming or any other apocalyptic prophesy proclaimed by some radio preacher. If we are doing God’s will today, we have nothing to fear about tomorrow. (And we definitely don’t have to worry about next Wednesday, a day which I predict will NOT be the end of the world. If I’m wrong, sue me. Do Ah hear an “Amen”?)

©2006