Sermon for the Twenty Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

‘Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?’ 

If you watch or listen to the news, you are guaranteed one thing:
you will hear of violence, injustice, and disaster.

Right now, we are hearing about the typhoon that has hit the Phillipines,
leavings thousands dead, hundreds of thousands homeless and without water or food.

We hear of the constant struggle of refugees being played with by governments as political pawns.

We hear of a refugee woman and baby separated because of political gameplaying.

We hear of suicide bombings in Afghanistan and Iraq.

We hear of the threat of chemical weapons in Syria.

We hear of government close downs because of debt ceilings being broken.
We hear of the poorest in society not having enough to eat.

Everyday, we hear of the how the world is not perfect, in fact is far from perfect.
You could, if you wanted, to get apocalyptic about it all.
We could see ourselves as standing at the door of end times.

When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed;
this must take place, but the end is still to come.
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;

Jesus doesn’t really talk about the end times.
He talks about some things that must happen before the end times can occur.
And it seems the types of things he is talking about have always been happening.
You could say that he was saying that things are always going to be tough.

So, what are we to make of the disciples question and Jesus response?

‘Teacher, when will this be,
and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?’ 

Since Jesus’ time, there has rarely been a time of peace.
There have been periods where there has been less conflict, or conflict on a smaller scale, but always some conflict.
Our own time is one of the worst for international war.

The constant war in the middle east, the looming threat of economic collapse,
the devastation of the typhoon, the ever growing amount of bushfires,
the never ending stream of refugees throughout the world are not signs of the end times.

Elsewhere in the Gospel Jesus teaches a different way of thinking. He says:

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.
Today's trouble is enough for today. 

Be present to what is happening.
Not worrying about what might happen, or whether things are getting that bad.

Being present and be aware of what is.
Be ready to help. Be ready to fight injustice. Be ready to comfort.
Be like Christ in the middle of it all.
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still, be present to what you are in.

The way to be present is to renounce all the violence of the middle east.
The way to be present is to unmask the causes of the violence not add to them by taking sides.

The way of Christ is to fed, clothe and home those who have suffered through the typhoon.

It is to be present to the suffering of economic hardship.

It is not to bury ones head in the sand and pretend that these things are not happening.
They are happening, and they will continue to happen.

We can’t let them bury us in a pit of helplessness, nor can we ignore them
We need to be in the middle of it, present to the pain.
Worrying about whether it all is the beginnings of the end times isn’t being present, isn’t being like Christ.

It is natural to worry about the future.
We all want to know what is going to happen.
But Jesus reminds us to be present to where and when we are:

do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.
Today's trouble is enough for today. 

Look at what is happening around us, not in some
way to predict the future, but to be truly present to what is actually happening.
Be present like Christ was present to the suffering he witnessed

It is by being present to what is occurring that we can be like Christ:
helping, healing, teaching, showing the light and love of God to all we meet.

Instead of trying to work out when the end is to happen,
Jesus tells us to present to the suffering and anguish that is around us, in our present time.

It is about being still in the midst of difficulty, not running away into tomorrow, but staying with what is happening. The good and the bad.

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.
Today's trouble is enough for today.