Today is the first Sunday of Advent, and in today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark (13:24-37) we clearly heard what at first may seem to be a very disturbing message given directly from Jesus to all of those who would willingly listen. On this first Sunday of Advent we might have expected to hear some other kind of message; maybe one about the need for the coming of the promised Savior into this world to be announced by a prophet, but instead this morning we are hearing Jesus telling all of us to be continuously prepared for the end of our time here on earth. Apparently Advent is not only a time for all of us to prepare ourselves for the up-coming celebration of the season of Christmas, but it is also time for us to remember the true reason for this season of celebration; the celebration of the coming of God directly into this world in human form to bring us clear messages of hope and salvation.
Maybe the most well-known passage in the Bible is one that most of us have seen advertised on placards at almost every sporting event around the world; John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” But the truth is … there is more to this verse.
John 3:16 really says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”[1] That second part of the verse is really very important. If we are expecting to be “saved,” then we must “truly” believe in God and in Jesus. And if we are true believers, then God and Jesus will be able to tell as they will be our final judges.
Now we need to be very careful at this point, for being a “believer” is not just a matter of words. Time and time again, we can find stories and passages in the Bible where the being a “believer” is not just a matter of words. Being a true believer is also a matter of actions. Being a believer is about both words and actions.
There has been in the past, in a few faith traditions, the practice of final absolution; the chance to confess our sins upon our death bed, be forgiven, and thereby gain entry into eternal life. There have also been those times in the lives of different individuals, when they would knowningly sin with the expectation of being able to “buy, earn, or repent” their way into forgiveness. And to be honest with you, I’m not about to claim that any of this is either true or false.
I do believe that God and Jesus will be our final judge. I do believe that we will be held accountable for all of our actions and all of our intentions. But I also believe in the mercy and love of God and Jesus. Which one of us, as parents, would not embrace and love any of our children who having done something wrong and then honestly admitted to it and humbly asked us for forgiveness?
But in today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus also included a dire warning; “Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.”[2] If we are counting on having time to confess and repent at a later date, then we may end up missing the mark. The mistake for any of us would be to think that it will be okay to break one of the Ten Commandments, after all we can confess on our death beds. That of course is assuming that you will be given advanced notice. Personally, I’ve survived at least 3 heart attacks, 1 car crash, and a 12 gauge shotgun round striking the ground 3 feet to the right of me. There is no guarantee that we will have advanced notice of our death.
And of course there is also the question of intention. I’m not 100% sure about God and Jesus, but I do know that I’ve all too often “not forgiven” an individual who smugly came to me with a fake confession, or even worse – they knew that as a Christian “I had to forgive them.”
When we pray to God for forgiveness, maybe we should remember the words of the author of Isaiah when they wrote,”Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity forever.”[3]
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