The Unauthorized Homily

By Bill Dunn

A commentary on the Scripture readings from the Sunday Lectionary

(Scripture readings for Sunday, December 3rd: Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2; Luke 21:25-28, 34-36)

ADVENT SEASON POINTS TOWARD SECOND COMING

This week is the first Sunday of Advent. Can you believe the Christmas season is here already? It seems like just a few months ago the retail stores were decked out with holiday decorations. (Well, actually, that’s because the stores WERE decked out with holiday decorations a few months ago. The “Back to School/Christmas” sale is now a popular concept during August—as is the “Labor Day/Christmas” sale in September, the “Halloween/Christmas” sale in October, and the “Thanksgiving/Christmas” sale in November.)

This week’s gospel reading is from the 21st chapter of Luke. Jesus described the signs that would foretell the end of the world and His Second Coming. He explained that events will be so cataclysmic, “People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world.”

After many supernatural signs, both in the heavens and on the earth, “They will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

Jesus told his followers not to be afraid when all this happens, as everyone else surely will be. He said, “But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.”

At the Second Coming, Jesus will be the judge of all the world. (As it says in the Nicene Creed: “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.”) Those who have kept the faith and tried to do the right thing will be rewarded. Those who have lived a life of sin and faithlessness will be, as they say, in deep doo-doo.

Some folks may find it odd the gospel reading this week focuses on end-of-the-world, Second Coming, final judgment statements by Jesus. After all, this is Advent. We should be preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus, His First Coming. There are so many cute images we could be focusing on instead—like mangers, shepherds, angels, little baby Jesus, Silent Night Holy Night-type stuff.

And that’s exactly the way many people want to think of Jesus: the cute little baby, asleep on the hay, cooing in His mother’s arms. Tiny, innocent, adorable…powerless.

The Jesus of the Second Coming—righteous, majestic, King, Judge, able to shake the very heavens and strike fear in the hearts of everyone…in other words, ALL POWERFUL—well, thanks but no thanks. That image of Jesus is just a little too discomforting for many folks.

And the reason this aspect of Jesus makes people uncomfortable is very simple: we don’t like to be judged. In fact, we dislike being judged so much our current culture has made being non-judgmental a new sacrament. If someone has the audacity to “pass judgment” on anyone or anything, that person is immediately labeled intolerant, mean-spirited, hateful, and any other hysterical adjective that can be dug out of a thesaurus.

Someone molests children? An emotional disorder—blame his parents. Some teenager shoots up a classroom, killing as many fellow students as possible? He was a victim of bullying—blame the bullies who teased him. Someone drives off the road and splatters a few innocent pedestrians? Alcoholism, a disease—blame Anheuser-Busch. Someone embezzles money from the company? Financial stress disorder—blame the employer for not paying him enough in the first place.

Yes, indeed. We do not like to be judged. Whenever there is a problem of our own making, our first instinct is to make excuses and blame someone else. It first occurred in the Garden of Eden when Adam said, “Yeah, but the woman made me do it…” to which Eve quickly said, “Yeah, but this serpent tricked me…” and it’s been going on ever since.

In order to pass judgment, in order to show discernment in a particular situation, there first must be a clear understanding of what is right and what is wrong. We hate being judged so much, we have come up with a devilishly clever plan in recent generations: we simply deny the existence of absolute right and wrong. Whatever someone “feels” is right, is right for him. How convenient!

When morality is no longer based on God and His laws, and instead is defined as nothing more than personal opinion, it is impossible to pass judgment. Anyone who tries is instantly accused of “imposing his intolerant values on others.”

Well, society may have decided that right and wrong and judgment are old-fashioned politically incorrect concepts—but God hasn’t. And as Creator of the Universe it would seem He has every right to define right and wrong, and pass judgment on us, no matter how much we whine that it’s not fair.

As we enter the Season of Advent, it’s a good idea to remember that Jesus was a powerless infant for only a brief time. Before the world began, He was the eternal Word through whom all creation was made. When the world ends, He will be the righteous judge before whom we each must stand. Trust me, at that moment He will not be asleep on the hay nor cooing in His mother’s arms.

©2006