December 2: Jeremiah 33:14-16, Luke 21:23-36
Text Message
Background: Today’s readings are all about promises that God has made. The prophet Jeremiah, usually preaching destruction, now prophesies restoration. A new and righteous leader will come from David’s lineage-this prophecy Christians understand to be fulfilled in Jesus. The Gospel passage is apocalyptic, that is, it speaks about the end of time. But rather than focusing on signs and predictions, the emphasis is on living in hope by watching.
Think and talk: Advent is the time in our church’s lectionary when passages about the end times are read, but otherwise we don’t pay a lot of attention to this theme. Many other Christians do, however-whole denominations have been started based on particular interpretations of these prophecies. How do you react when hearing about these predictions? What is your response to Christians who expect the end, or to nonbelievers who wonder about this side of the Christian faith?
Looking around: Jesus’ advice is that when difficult times arise, we “lift up our heads.” In other words, we have hope in the future. If the end of everything isn’t your hope, what is your hope for the future? How is God part of that vision? How are you “alert” to that future?