AtomSo, What Do We Do For Now?
Revelation 22:6-21
As a people, we are fascinated with endings – with last things. Witness how many make sure to see the final show of any significant series. Some years ago it was the final “MASH*” episode – the most watched television of all time when it happened and for many years afterwards. This year there was great interest in the last episode of “The Sopranos.” And maybe you have heard that the last and final book of the seven books of the Harry Potter series came out this week. You would have had to be canoeing in the Canadian Wilderness or marooned on a desert island to not have heard. There were long lines of folks at bookstores all over the country waiting to get their hands on it. We love to know how things turn out, and even are tempted to peek ahead. I asked the congregation gathered last night if they were ever tempted to turn to the last few pages of a book before they had finished reading. I was surprised by how many people sheepishly nodded. I know how I often slide my eyes down to the last paragraph of a personal letter, even before I have read all the other content, because it is here that we most often read the deepest expressions of love. Endings are important to us. We want to know how things turn out. So, too with the last book of the Bible – the book of Revelation. Here is a vision of the end. And in spite of the fact that the images here have long been mysterious and confusing to most Christians, they fascinate us. Again, witness the amazing popularity of the “Left Behind” series of books that uses a compelling story line to try to make one particular sense of the message
So, here we are, in the last nine verses of the last chapter of the last section of the last book in the Bible. I hope you have taken at least one opportunity in the last six weeks to read the whole book through, not necessarily in detail, trying to determine the meaning of each number or name or phrase, but as a whole to catch the great “symphony” of it. Esther Onstad said in her book, “Courage for Today, Hope for Tomorrow,” that Revelation is “like a great musical piece that rises and falls and swells with passion and meaning.” That being so, here is the final chorus, the last verse that will stick in the minds of hearers and play there as they make their way into their homes and workplaces. So it’s important that we get it. John – really Jesus who gives John the vision – Jesus draws all of Revelation together with a warning, a promise, and an invitation.
If you have your Bibles before you, great. If not, look at the text in the bulletin. I would have you notice the repetition in this chorus. We all know that when we’ve got something really important to say and we tend to say it more than once? The important “reminder” that Jesus gives to every Christ-follower in every age and time is important enough to be in four places in the book of Revelation, three places in this last chapter, and then in two places in this last section; once at the beginning and at the end – bookends. Jesus doesn’t want the faithful to miss the importance of this last word. And so in verse 12, and then again in verse 20, Jesus simply reminds the church, “I am coming soon…surely, I am coming soon.” Don’t miss it.
Now those words tend to cut two ways, as warning or as reminder of blessing to come. Kind of like, “just wait until your Mom or Dad gets home,” can cut two ways. If Mom has been away on a business trip and you’ve been missing her a lot, then “wait until your Mom gets home can mean one thing.” But if, on the other hand, you’ve dragged the heavy metal zipper of your backpack all along the side of the van parked in the garage and left a four foot reminder that car paint is really quite thin, then the phrase, “just wait until your Dad gets home,” has a completely different ring. The same words can be warning or blessing. Look at verse 14 and 15. Again, here is the tension between warning and blessing. Verses 14 and 15 describe the two sides of this truth in some rather graphic biblical language.
“Blessed are those who wash their robes,” (that is Christ-followers who live in an on-going state of cleansing from the power of sin and death and daily remain faithful and ready for Jesus’ return.) Jesus says, “…they will have the right to tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.” Verse 15, on the other hand says, “Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murders and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” This doesn’t mean that Christ followers don’t ever sin or fall short. They do and hence they daily recognize their need to be cleansed in the blood – read “forgiveness” – of Christ. Those outside are those who are persistent in thumbing their noses at the call of God to repentance and faithfulness. They “love” falsehood.
So, here is the tension. “Behold, I am coming soon” can be both a warning and a blessing. Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end, the Lord of the church and the lord of history, is coming soon.
How then shall we live – knowing how history is going to turnout, knowing that the vision of Revelation is God’s reminder that many forces will tug at us and either try to seductively lure us or violently force us to give our allegiance to them instead of the Son of God? How shall we live now, between the resurrection and the ascension of Christ in that first Easter season and his ultimate return to rule forever? How shall we live knowing that in the end Jesus wins?” I am often reminded when I ask these questions of that bumper sticker that says, “Jesus is coming; look busy.” I don’t believe that is it! Nor do I believe that Jesus intended us to spend too much time looking at the calendar.
Through the centuries the church has been tempted to spend far too much energy on trying to figure out the date on the calendar when Jesus will ultimately return – a day which Jesus himself said he did not know and did not want his disciples to worry about. “Just be ready,” Jesus said, “always ready.” Not as in “sitting-around-on-your-suitcase-with-your-traveling-clothes-on” ready, but rather as in having your ticket – your trust and faith in the promise of Jesus – tucked safely away in your heart, and then going on about your day, knowing that when the time comes, your name will be called and you will be joining Jesus.
When Holly and I went to Charleston last fall for the wedding of Andy and Tonya Marthaler, we missed our connection in Chicago. There was weather and there was the presidential plane. Runway traffic was stopped and we missed our flight out. We spent the next six hours trying to find a way to Charleston, going from ticket agent to ticket agent, trying to get on other flight. Finally, one got us on the standby list for the last flight out of the night. We hurried to the gate. Sure enough our names were there and the attendant said, “Don’t worry. You are tops on the list. There is room. You are in.” Finally, for the first time in about six hours, we could breathe easily. We could eat and use the restroom and talk to the other waiting passengers. We were no longer consumed with “getting there.” Jesus’ reminder that he is coming soon has always been intended to free us from fear and to free us to live completely in the present with faith and hope for the future.
So, again, how shall we live until Christ returns? What should our lives look like as believers in the Christ who has come and is still coming? Martin Luther had a word about this that has been a guide at least to Lutherans. He once said, “If I knew that the world was going to end tomorrow, I would plant a tree.” Now I don’t know about trees in your yard, but mine are slow growing. I have some flowering crabs that I planted four years ago that are only about four feet high. Part of that is a deer problem. Luther’s point, however, is that planting a tree is making a long term investment in an unknown future. None of us really knows if we will be here tomorrow. One of our members has son who had a stroke this week – at 38. It looks like he will make a recovery at this point. But many people who have a stroke at 38 – a cerebral hemorrhage – do not survive. And they rarely know it is coming. We cannot clearly see the future. Luther’s advice here is to not become incapacitated, paralyzed by what you don’t know about tomorrow. We don’t know when Jesus will return. We don’t need to know to be faithful. Luther would say (and he got this from Jesus, remember), “Don’t worry about it. Be faithful with today. Serve someone today. Spend time with God today. Worship God today. Live in the Holy Spirit’s power today. Plant a tree today in the hope that if, by some chance Jesus lingers, that tree can grow up to produce shade or fruit or some bit of beauty for someone who will follow you. And you will be blessed in the doing and in your waiting!
The reminder that Jesus is coming soon is meant to be a warning, a kind of “heads up,” but more than that, it is a promise that should help us to be confident in going about the business of serving the community and the world God has placed us in. If you don’t have to worry about looking good before God – because you can’t make yourself look any better than Jesus already makes you – then you are free to get on with helping the world look better – “thy kingdom come, they will be done.”
Finally, there is invitation here. In the book of Revelation, after all is said and done, there is invitation to join the celebration – look at vs. 17. And again note the repetition: “Come!” God says, “Come!” The Holy Spirit says, “Come!” The Church – the Bride of Christ (remember this is another name for the body of believers)…the church says, “Come!” The church is to be a welcoming, hospitable, inviting place. Our first and last word can be this marvelous expression of invitation to all people, “Come!”
Imagine, for a minute, John writing this from his prison cell. He’s in the last four verses of this marvelous book – saving the best for last, and he writes, “Let everyone who hears say, “Come!” It is invitation. This line symbolizes the great truth that every Christian follower is sent to be an inviter. We who have been found by Christ are called to find others for Christ. And we do it knowing that Christ never calls us to do something without equipping us to do so. He will give us the opportunity. He will give us the words. Our own words. Our own story of faith. Our own invitation to “come.” “Come with me to worship…we have a wonderful gathering of believers.” “Come with me to Jasper’s Theater. A bunch of friends from the Church are going. They are a lot of fun.” Or, “come with me on the Mission Trip to Montana.” I was with our youth as they were preparing to depart for Montana on Friday morning. There was a group from our church. There was a group from Trinity. And there were a bunch of other kids from the community who had just been invited by ours to “come on along!” That’s what the church is to be about…not arguing people into the faith, not forcing them, but inviting them to “come and see, come and taste, the Lord is good!”
Then the final appeal, “Let everyone who is thirsty, come. Let everyone who wishes, take the water of life as a gift.” The message of the book of Revelation is ultimately a message of invitation to drink deeply from the deep well of God’s glorious love for us. And the water of life is a gift…a free gift. So, are you thirsty? Do you long for that long, cool drink that will satisfy your heart and soul? Do you yearn for the deep healing and joy of knowing that you’ve been invited to live in the presence of the One who is the beginning and the end of all things, the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last? Are you thirsty? Come. Drink. And the Lord of all creation and all history will meet you and refresh you as none other can.
The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints – be with you! Amen.
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