2146AFC111221 – It’s not over yet!
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Mark 13:31-32 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
As we approach Advent, the Church always brings us to the idea of “the end times” just before we get to the beginning of “the Salvation times.” We hear from Daniel who tells us in Daniel 12:2-3 – 2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. That last phrase in verse 2 – and some to shame and everlasting contempt – is one we’d like to avoid thinking about. This is one of the earliest prophesies of the “resurrection of the body and life everlasting.” It’s also, coincidentally, the first hint at our modern-day “YOLO-F”: You Only Live Once – FOREVER.” Those of us who carry the name Christian believe there is more to life than this corporeal existence. The possibilities of eternal life are mysteries we certainly cannot understand but still we anticipate them with caution. Will we make it to Heaven? How can we know? And who decides anyway? Jesus had something to say about that:
John 12:44-50 – 44 Then Jesus cried aloud: “Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness. 47 I do not judge anyone who hears my words* and does not keep them, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my word has a judge; on the last day the word that I have spoken will serve as judge, 49 for I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me.” * words = rhēmatōn a thing spoken, such as a word or saying of any kind, as a command, a report, or a promise.
It will be the Word spoken by the Lord which judges us – how we knew it, lived it, shared it, Loved it, Loved Jesus. Have you memorized John 3:17 yet, Belovéd? If you have, you’ll understand verse 47 above better. For some other viewpoints on this set of readings you can see 1546AFC111315 – What’s next?, and 1846AFC111618 – Let’s end this! So, if it is the Word by and through which the Lord judges us at the end, isn’t it reasonable to think that it could be useful to use that as a measuring rod for NOW? If it’s good enough for Moses and Jesus, it should be good enough for us. Here are a couple of examples from their viewpoint:
Matthew 4:3-4 – 3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Now, if we are using our Bibles, then we will see that the cross-reference for that is Deuteronomy 8:3 – {Moses said} 3 He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Whatever the Lord speaks, whatever he decrees, that is what we must be, must do, must live. Why is that so important? Let’s go back a couple of lessons to 2141AFC100821 – Sharpen your Sword! There we will find a very good reason for knowing the Word intimately. It’s in Hebrews 4:12-13 – 12 Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.
Huh, how about that? It says right there (again!) that it is the Word that judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart, that knows the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. Or how about this from Genesis 6:5 – 5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. Do you remember what happened after that? Noah and his family built, stocked, and sailed in the Ark. Eight people survived that; no one else did; the Ark was closed (↔ Click Link) to all but the righteous. (That’s in 2128AFC070921 – The Heart of the Matter) If we, the citizens of the Kingdom of God, are supposed to know, live, and Love the Word, what about our leaders? God has given us prophesies about that, too. Think about Psalm 118:9 – 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. In the Book of Wisdom we have this powerful exhortation to do what is good and exemplary:
Wisdom 6:9-11 – 9 To you then, O monarchs, my words are directed,
so that you may learn wisdom and not transgress.
10 For they will be made holy who observe holy things in holiness,
and those who have been taught them will find a defense.
11 Therefore set your desire on my words;
long for them, and you will be instructed. (See the NABRE version HERE.) The author of the Book of Wisdom prophesies that by using the B.I.B.L.E., our leaders will learn wisdom and not transgress. If they (and we) do not transgress (“breaking part of the Law is the breaking of the Law”), the outcome on the Day of Reward is likely to be YOLO-F with God. Would God really deny anyone eternity with him based on that judgment? If we know there is a Heaven, we know there is a Hell. That eternal separation from God is a certainty for the unwise who do not integrate the Word into every aspect of their lives. Those whose destination is Heaven are Those who are wise [and] shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. Check this out:
2 Peter 2:4-10 – 4 For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of deepest darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5 and if he did not spare the ancient world, even though he saved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood on a world of the ungodly; 6 and if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction and made them an example of what is coming to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man greatly distressed by the licentiousness of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by their lawless deeds that he saw and heard), 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment 10 —especially those who indulge their flesh in depraved lust, and who despise authority. Bold and willful, they are not afraid to slander the glorious ones ….”
OK, then, I’ll assume you’ve had enough and tell you why all of us are very glad “It’s not over yet!” There is still time. As it is written, “Something is going to happen somewhere sometime somehow that has the reek of Evil.” (I agree. It’s every day now.) We, who are nourished in and by the Word, know it is truer still that “Something is going to happen somewhere sometime somehow that has the savor of Good.” What would it be like if we all had that closer walk (↔ Music Link) to which we aspire? Some of us who have experienced that Savor will be the leaders who serve with “morality, compassion, integrity, wisdom, and justice so that we can all live together in Peace.” They will be those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. Some of us would really prefer that we could say, “It’s finally over.” But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. That goes for all our personal YOLO-F paths as well as or collective YOLO-F outcomes. The Day of Reward might be Tuesday of next week; or, it might not be. “God knows, but he’s not tellin'” is a biblically-true expression. What God has told us is more than enough to make a difference. (↔ Music Link) Old adage: It’s always good in the end. If it isn’t good yet, it isn’t the end yet. Well, Belovéd, life these days is a bit confusing, hurtful, and besmirched by godless people who commit unspeakable acts of violence against innocent persons, places, and things. But we have the Word, those Beautiful Words of Life! And – since we know that Word will be “the fork in the road” between Heaven and Hell – we’d do well to “come further up, come further in” – into the everlasting arms (↔ Music Link) of he who came to save the world, not condemn it. We have the Word so we know what is Good. This is where I send you to read Micah 6:8 again (Go ahead. I’ll wait). How sweet is is to Trust in Jesus!! His Word is Life.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!
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Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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