2248AFC112522 – Guess who’s coming to the Banquet.
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Isaiah 2:3c – For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Psalm 122:6-7 – 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls,
and security within your towers.”
Romans 13:11-14 – 11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Matthew 24:42 – 42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! May Peace always be with you and may God bless you, Belovéd! This coming Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. I was thinking back about the various series we have done over the years. It was tempting to go back to the Aloha Friday Message Mercy Series (↔ Click Link) and reissue them in edited and updated form. That was contrary to the guidance already in heart and mind for this post – the idea of watchful waiting during Advent. Advent means coming, a beginning, a dawn, a start, an anticipated arrival of an important person, event, or object. For Christians, and especially Catholic Christians, it is the season of reflection, discernment, and anticipation for the birth of Jesus – Christmas.
“But everyone loves Christmas, and we all look forward to it. We know ‘Jesus IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON,’ but there is so much more to anticipate with joy!” Yes, that is certainly true. We all have more than one reason to look forward to Christmas; not all of us, though, are ready for the Season of Advent. This particular season of Advent is the beginning of Cycle A of the Liturgy.
Cycle A is essentially a process of preparing us for baptism and for understanding the principals behind our baptismal vows. Most of the Gospel readings are from the Gospel of Matthew. The first Sunday of Advent (which is the first Sunday of the liturgical year) uses Matthew’s account of Jesus’ warning to be vigilant because we will not know the day or hour of his return. Matthew’s Gospel covers Jesus’ ministry with emphasis on compassion and forgiveness – Mercy. Its focus is on the early Christian community among the Jews. Matthew portrays Jesus as “the New Moses,” leading his people out of the wilderness of sin and into the Promised Land of The Kingdom of God. Matthew makes sure they (and we) fully understand that Jesus is a man, a Jewish man, a son of Abraham and Israel who is the True Son of God. In this Gospel, Jesus’ followers frequently beg him for mercy. Jesus takes the Jewish leaders – the Scribes and Pharisees – to task for failing to show mercy. In the Beatitudes, Jesus tells us, his Disciples “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” (See Matthew 5:7). Because of this theme of compassion and mercy leading to forgiveness, I’m going to include a link at the end of every Aloha Friday Message during this Advent season for Liturgical Year 2023, Cycle A (← Check it out!) that will take you to a previous post on Mercy that is posted on the MBN website.
There you have it, the background for the four Sundays of this Advent season. For each Sunday we will follow our customary practice of choosing a key verse from the readings, amplifying the meanings and background of that passage, and then – at the end of the message – there will be a “supplementary link” to allow us to reflect on the importance, the effects, and the reality of God’s Mercy in our own lives. We all know (or should know) that it is only the Mercy of Grace that makes it possible to be prepared for the return of Christ. As we prepare to welcome Christ the King as a baby during Advent, we also prepare – at least in our hearts – for the day or hour our Lord is coming, “for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” For the past 2000 years we have been waiting. During the first century after Jesus established the Church, people really believed that his coming back was imminent – during their lifetimes. Hence, the Apostle Paul frequently warned the early Church to stay vigilant, to be faithful to the Apostolic Gospel, and to be ready … to WAIT. That is what we are told to do – to watch and wait. Let’s take a quick scriptural survey of WAIT.
We wait with “constant vigilance” for the coming of Jesus first as a baby in a manger, then as the King of Kings ascending the Throne of the Cross, and now – today and until “as long as it takes” – we wait for the day and the hour he will return in Glory. Let the evil one prosper and scoff. WE know how to wait and why we’re waiting. Here’s why:
2 Peter 3:3-9 – 3 First of all you must understand this, that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!” 5 They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water, 6 through which the world of that time was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the godless.
8 But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you*, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. * Some translations read “on your account,” or “for your sake” and YES, he is coming back!
BUT GUESS WHO ELSE IS COMING TO THE BANQUET! Let me give you a few clues. First of all, we don’t have to wait for him. He’s been prowling Earth since Eden was made.
Daniel 7:25 – 25 He shall speak words against the Most High,
shall wear out the holy ones of the Most High,
and shall attempt to change the sacred seasons and the law;
and they shall be given into his power
for a time, two times, and half a time.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 – 9 The coming* of the lawless one is apparent in the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, lying wonders, 10 and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false, 12 so that all who have not believed the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned. *This word is παρουσία, and in this instance refers to the coming of Antichrist. In another passage it refers to the Incarnation as the First Parousia. You will also find it in Matthew 24:37-39 where Jesus informs us about “the coming of the Son of Man,” his return as promised at the Ascension. (↔ My Favorite Learning Link)
When we are called to the Banquet, it will be because we believed – and lived – what is True, that Jesus Christ is Lord. The coming of godless earthlings, transgressors of the Law of Peace in Christ Jesus, do Satan’s bidding in all their actions. They will also hear the call, but they will refuse to come, and even if they show up, they won’t be admitted to even so much as sitting at the “kid’s table” because they have refused to be God’s children. (↔ Learning Link) They heard, but did not heed, the promise For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. That Word taught us everything we need to know to be prepared from the New Jerusalem, and Satan will have prepared his children for damnation (See Revelation 20:7–10).
It is past the time for America to wake up and smell the carnage. We have seen the signs of the eschatos (ἔσχατος), the last and farthest reach of human history when all of this present reality and its darkness (↔ Click Link) will be transformed: 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 – 51 Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. Much more will happen before that last moment comes, but during our wait we must remember to – 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls,
and security within your towers.” (that’s a prayer we can use) – because if we do, we will also be praying for the New Jerusalem to open its gates to issue forth the King, the Angels, and the Saints. We must not forget the warning in Zechariah 12:9 – 9 And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. Then Jesus the Lord will invite his guests into the Gates as in Revelation 21:6-8 – “To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless,* the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” *faithless = unbelievers
We cannot conquer if we do not fight. (↔ Learning Link) The Foe is at the door, crouching outside the door (See Genesis 4:6-7) to barge in and destroy, but he and the Death he brings are doomed.
Every living soul is today one day closer to that moment when Time ends. That is what The Apostle Paul means when he said, “For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. So, have you guessed who’s coming to the Banquet? It’s not the ones who “… speak words against the Most High, [who] shall wear out the holy ones of the Most High, and shall attempt to change the sacred seasons and the law.” Wake up America, because it is and will be as Jesus said: Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. As we’ve said before “Be ready, get set, and WAIT!!” Waiting in Hope is what distinguishes us from those whose hope is the World, not the Lord.
When we look around us and see so much violence, hatred, suffering, senseless behaviors, death, destruction, and despair, we rest at Peace in the Hope OF Peace: Romans 15:13 – 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. IT’S IN THE APP!
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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Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
