Sunday, May 28, 2017

A Fiery Ordeal: Already, Not Yet

Acts 1:6-14     Ps 68     1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11      John 17:1-11

It is vacation season, and no family car trip is complete without the question: "How much longer until we are there?" The question is an expression of frustration (sitting trapped in a car) and excited anticipation of coming events. In Acts, we hear the apostles ask the same question about the Kingdom, "Are we there yet?"

There is much theological debate about the Kingdom of God. One school of thought is that it is already here among us. Right here, right now, Jesus reigns. As a result, the tendency is to blame every problem on doubt or sin. Those who believe and are aligned with God can be living abundantly every day. At the other end of the spectrum are those who, like the Jews, are awaiting Messiah. The world is still a mess and Jesus' ministry was a temporary interruption--more like a commercial for coming attractions than the beginning of anything new. Miracles, signs and wonders are in the future. The main focus is "getting saved" and "enduring." There is truth in both of these so I think the Kingdom is a paradoxical already/not yet.

John 17 expresses the tension. Listen to Jesus' words: "Father...you have given [the Son] authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given Him....I glorified you on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do." Hear how the 'past tense' and 'already accomplished' echoes in these words. Yet, Jesus goes on to say, "and now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one." The work is done, but the need for protection continues, because Jesus is no longer with us.

This absence of Jesus is also found in Acts, where the angel says, "This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way you saw Him go. Jesus has left the world and is absent, but He will come back again. And, as Jesus made very clear, "it is not for you to know the time that the Father has set by His own authority." So what happens in the mean time? Peter, one of the twelve who watched Jesus taken up to the Father, has remarkable tings to say in his letter:

Do not he surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you...you are sharing Christ's sufferings...Discipline yourselves and keep alert. The devil is a prowling lion who seeks to devour you. Fight back, steadfast in faith. Christians everywhere suffer the same, but the suffering is only for a little while.

The Christian life is a call to fearless trust, unworried love, steadfast hope--and courageous imitation of Jesus. You have a promise: it will be a battle, spiritual warfare entails 'fighting back.' St. Peter says, "Do not be shocked" that it is an ordeal, this is how the time before Jesus' return must be. The world is still partially under sin and death, Satan, the world's prince, is still around. Let us not despair, the victory is already won, but the Kingdom is still (in the process of) coming. We are sent, by Jesus, (paradoxically) as warriors to do the Kingdom peacemaking as we await the King's return. Satan, meanwhile, is still hungry...

When you think that things are not as they should be, you are correct. The spiritual war is all around us and within. Fear not, trust Him for the victory. All will be well. However, stay sharp, stay active. You are a warrior for God. And until His return, it will be a fiery ordeal!

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