The Unauthorized Homily

By Bill Dunn

A commentary on the Scripture readings from the Sunday Lectionary

(Scripture readings for Sunday, December 2nd: Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44)

 NOT POPULAR, BUT JUDGMENT IS REAL

In this week’s gospel reading, Jesus again discussed the Second Coming and the end of the age. As with the gospel readings of recent weeks, we are reminded that no one will know when this will occur. This week’s reading concludes with Jesus saying, “You must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

He was specifically talking about all of humanity being prepared for the cataclysmic end of the age and His second coming, but this message can also be relevant for each of us regarding our own individual “end of the age” event. On a personal level, we never know when our time will be up. Check the obituary page. Among the 92-year-old nursing home names, there is often a 26-year-old car accident or a 47-year-old massive coronary. As Jesus says this week, “For you do not know on which day….at an hour you do not expect…”

So it’s very important for each of us to be prepared to meet our Maker, even though the actual Second Coming of Christ most likely will not occur during our lifetime. (But on the other hand, who knows? Maybe it will occur next Tuesday.)

A primary focus this week is on the swift judgment aspect of the end of the age. Jesus compares it to the great flood of Noah’s day. He said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man….They knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”

In the days of Noah, the world was an incredibly sinful place. God sent the flood as judgment for their wickedness. However, God gave them plenty of time to repent and turn from their evil ways. Many, many years went by between the time God told Noah that he had a new hobby and the coming of the flood. (I can just hear Noah now: “Build a boat?! But I was gonna build some new shelves for the Rec Room!”) The people could have repented—but they didn’t.

Jesus said the very same thing applies to our age. Our world is an incredibly sinful place. We, too, have been given plenty of time to repent and turn from our evil ways. But judgment is coming. We can be sure of that.

Jesus described it: “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.”

God’s judgment will be swift. It will take everyone by surprise. And when that moment comes, it will be too late for someone to try to repent quickly and join the right team. That’s why Jesus warned so often to be on watch and be ready.

This week’s gospel reading highlights a concept that our present world frankly does not want to hear: JUDGMENT. Oooh, how politically incorrect can you get? Judgment? That’s not allowed these days.

We live in the age of moral relativism. There is no such thing as absolute truth anymore. There is no clear, black-and-white difference between right and wrong. Everything is a shade of gray. Everybody is allowed to decide for him or herself what’s right and what’s wrong.

As a result, the only absolute truth is that there is no absolute truth. The only idea which is definitely wrong is the idea that something can be definitely wrong. The only opinion which is strictly forbidden is the opinion that certain things are strictly forbidden. The only behavior which deserves swift judgment is to say that people will be swiftly judged.

This is why despite clear evidence of dishonesty and depravity among many influential people in our culture—politicians, entertainers, business executives, journalists—most citizens shrug their shoulders and says. “So what? Who cares what they do as long as I’m comfortable? Besides, that would make me judgmental. And everyone knows the only sin is to say that something is a sin.”

This way of viewing life is given all the nice adjectives: tolerant, enlightened, progressive, informed, open-minded, and loving. While the biblical view is given all the nasty adjectives: intolerant, ignorant, bigoted, closed-minded, and of course, mean-spirited and hateful. (I wonder why religious conservatives are the only ones capable of being mean-spirited and hateful? Some of the most hate-filled rhetoric I’ve ever heard in my life has been spewed forth at rallies sponsored by Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. I guess if you’re on the popular side of political correctness it’s impossible to hate.)

People can go through life defining their own version of right and wrong, and insisting that there never will be any judgment. But that’s no different than the captain of the Titanic insisting that the ship was unsinkable. And repeating it over and over to yourself does not transform the fantasy into reality.

We can ignore the reality of a clear and firm moral code—given by God—which governs the affairs of mankind. We can pretend that it’s OK to do whatever we want with impunity. But a ship filled with seawater is no different than a society filled with moral relativism: both are headed for the bottom.

And watching our culture disintegrate into Balkanized tribes of whiny and indignant special interest groups is nothing compared to the eternal judgment we all face if we continue to mock the reality of God’s law.

©2007