Sermon for Nov. 9, 2008: “Don’t Lose Heart… Christ Will Come Again”
Scripture Lesson: Matthew 25:1-13
Christian beliefs are not static and unchanging, but emerging and evolving. Evidence of this evolution is present even within the Christian scriptures themselves. The early church’s struggle to understand “The Second Coming of Christ” in view of the disappointed expectation of Christ’s imminent physical return is a case in point. Earliest texts, such as the genuine letter of Paul to the Thessalonians, reveal an expectation of a physical, visible return of Christ and the inauguration of an everlasting age of blessedness, which was to occur in the lifetime of the author. By the time of pseudonymous 2 Peter in about 100CE, some tension about the delayed coming of Christ and consequent reinterpretation are already occurring.
There are two possible approaches to the problem of delayed 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ. The first is to maintain a belief in the physical, bodily return of Jesus while reinterpreting the time frame of the expected event. This is the most common approach, and that of the many millennial sects that have come and gone through the years. The second way of dealing with the problem is to reinterpret the nature of the event itself, by shifting the emphasis from a physical to a spiritual coming. This is the approach I favor.
Turning our attention to an interpretation of the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids in the light of a spiritual and continual coming of Christ we can see that this parable conveys an important lesson about perseverence and faith: When hopful expectation is deferred and salvation is delayed, don’t lose heart; remain ready and watch for Christ’s appearing in our lives. This means looking and listening for signs or Christs appearing in the fabric of our lives, in the people and events around us and within our own hearts. Such preparedness involves quieting ourselves through prayer, meditation and contemplation. It means learning how to set aside distrations and focus attention of discoving the manifestations of Christ that are everywhere, if we but have eyes to see and ears to hear.
