Morning Devotion for the Season after Pentecost
July 11 2024
Invitatory
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Matthew 24:15-31
‘So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy place, as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; someone on the housetop must not go down to take what is in the house; someone in the field must not turn back to get a coat. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath. For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, “Look! Here is the Messiah!” or “There he is!”—do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Take note, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, “Look! He is in the wilderness”, do not go out. If they say, “Look! He is in the inner rooms”, do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
‘Immediately after the suffering of those days
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from heaven,
and the powers of heaven will be shaken.
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see “the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven” with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Meditation-Rebecca Northington
This section of Matthew, otherwise known as “The Olivet Discourse,” has been read as profoundly threatening and ominous. It is a section of scripture we Episcopalians spend little time considering, and focuses on the return of Christ/the parousia, and the end times/rapture. The Olivet Discourse is in Matthew, Mark and Luke and has been especially relevant to more fundamentalist traditions who see it as a warning. Be ready, be clean-or else. There are the elect who will be saved, or those who did not prepare who will be damned for all time. This a concept we spend a lot of time considering in our tradition, and frankly a harsh binary that gives Christianity a bad reputation.
I have read Matthew 24:15-31 repeatedly in these last couple of days, as well as many accompanying commentaries. In typical fashion folks have tried to dissect every word in it and to translate exactly what it means to and for us. How is it a directive? What, exactly, are we supposed to do? How will we recognize the false Christs amongst us? When will we know the end of time is near and our reunion with Christ imminent? How can we prepare, or more accurately, how can we control our outcome?
For me, this text must be consistent with the rest of the messaging of the Gospels. Rather than discrediting our judgment or abilities with threatening language and complicated directions, I believe Jesus encourages us. Jesus is leading us to understanding, rather than preaching in anger or judgment. I believe Jesus is giving his disciples a preview of what is about to happen, not a complex riddle to figure out when or what will happen in the future. Within days of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus is betrayed into the hands of unbelievers and crucified for us. The Son of God is murdered. I don’t think this text is telling us if or when he will come back. What it does provide is an explanation of the price of our sinfulness.
To me the “desolating sacrilege” must be Christ on the cross, and we must see this horror and flee from our old ways. Woe to those who are encumbered, because such a venture will be that much more difficult, and thus, much more important. Because as we know from Paul we may be rejected by our families and our loved ones, communities and places of comfort-but now we will see with eyes wide open. We mustn't be swayed by false prophets, and we must pay attention to those who cluster around them, for Christ’s brilliance will shine in ways that eradicate all doubt. The “elect” are those who are willing to see with their hearts and not their egos. Those who are willing to surrender rather than control.
The parables that follow this section in Matthew speak of readiness, and that I can wholeheartedly get behind, for ourselves and for Christ. When we live a life open to love and vulnerability we live a life open to Christ. When we follow the habits and lifestyle that protect the earth and the people in it we are following Christ’s new commandment. When we avoid the gathering of the vultures, or the temptation to be captivated by false idols. When we put people ahead of materialism, and properly mourn the sacrifice for our collective sin by recognizing the darkness that comes with that kind of wholesale scapegoating, we continue to prepare. With God’s help. This kind of preparation fills up our hearts, allows our egos to exist in their appropriate zones, and whether we know it or not, truly speaks to the readiness Jesus calls us all to.
An excerpt from The Highest Form of Prayer: Julian of Norwich:
For we are so preciously loved by God that we cannot even comprehend it. No created being can ever know how much and how sweetly and tenderly God loves them. It is only with the help of his grace that we are able to persevere in spiritual contemplation with endless wonder at his high, surpassing, immeasurable love which our Lord in his goodness has for us. Amen
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