“Until the Coming of the Lord”

-->

Meditation on 1 Thessalonians 4:9-18

Dec. 2, 2012

First Sunday of Advent

***

      “Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, beloved, to do so more and more, to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you, so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one.

      But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever.

     Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (I Thess. 4:9-18)

***

      I was on my way out the door to go to a meeting at church when my cell phone rang.  In a rush, I immediately took the call, saying “Hello” without looking at the number.    

     The voice sounded familiar.  But the background noise made me think it was a telemarketer in a call center.

     He asked, “Is Karen there?”

     I answered in a polite voice, my mind still on the passing of time and fear that I would be late for my meeting. “This is she.  Who is calling please?”

     “Josh!” he said, in a louder voice.  And when I did not answer right away, he said, “Your son!”

     I don’t remember what I said after that. I was stunned.  I hadn’t heard Joshua’s voice in 4 years—not since right before he joined the Air Force. Only brief emails or Facebook messages. His choice.  

     He had remained in regular contact with his brothers, whom he had seen on leave by meeting them elsewhere.

     But now, Josh wanted to come home. He wanted to see Jim and me. He said he was sorry and had come to the conclusion when he was overseas that what we had argued about was “pointless.”  He needed his family.  He missed us.    

    His phone call was an interruption in my schedule.  It wasn’t written on my calendar. I didn’t have time to talk with him or lose sleep worrying about his visit, but of course I did anyway. And just the sound of his voice brought back painful memories of the summer that our family of 5 decided that we could no longer live together in peace. Josh at 19 would need to move out.

     He ended up moving in with a friend for a few months, before heading off to basic training in Texas.

     After he left, I sat down on his bed, and cried.

     That was the last time I heard his voice. For a long time, I had nightmares that something would happen to him while we were not reconciled as a family.  I worried that the pain and brokenness would never be healed.

      I worried that I would never see him again.

***

     

     In our epistle today, Paul is trying to encourage the Thessalonian church. The people are discouraged, thinking that when Jesus said He was coming again—that He should have already come back by now. They have endured persecution for the faith as they are members of a minority religion not recognized by the state or accepted by the majority of citizens.

     They are asking Paul, “What now? What shall we do until the coming of the Lord?” 

     Interestingly, they aren’t questioning their belief that Jesus will come back.  They just don’t know what they should be doing in the meantime, since they have no idea when He will return.  They don’t know if they should be working regular, secular jobs, getting married and having children or just devoting themselves to prayer and worship all day long. They just want Jesus to find them faithful to His call on their lives when He returns for His church.

     Paul gives them practical advice. “Aspire to live quietly,” he says.  “Mind your own affairs. Work with your hands, be self-sufficient as we have taught you and so you may behave properly towards people outside the church. And so you do not have to depend on others for your livelihood or well-being.”

    The most important piece of advice Paul offers is to keep on loving and caring for each other—more and more. He assures them that they have already been taught to love—not just by himself and other church leaders—but by God himself.  Paul can see their Spiritual fruits. 

   Then, to encourage them further, he tells them, again, of their hope in Jesus Christ and what will happen when He does return. Paul believes it will be during his own lifetime.

   The cry of a command.  The archangel’s call.  The sound of God’s trumpet. The Lord himself descending from heaven with those in the faith who have already died. 

   “Then we who are alive,” Paul says, “we who are left will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever.”

   “Encourage one another,” Paul says, “with these words.”

  

***

   The question of how we shall live as we wait for Christ’s return is one the Church is still asking itself today. In this first Sunday of Advent, as we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christ’s coming to us as a babe in the manger, we also prepare our hearts for that great day when Christ our King comes again to gather His church.

    Paul’s advice is still relevant today. We should aspire to live quietly and peacefully with our neighbors—Christians and non-Christians alike.  Some of us will work with our hands, but others will choose other occupations that are equally acceptable. We are blessed to live in a time and place when being a Christian does not also mean that we are marginalized and unemployable.

      But the most significant piece of Paul’s advice is still most important for us today.  To keep on loving and caring for one another—more and more.  And I will add on another piece of advice for those who seek to be faithful until our Lord comes again. 

      Keep on loving and seeking healing for broken relationships, though it is inconvenient, difficult, and painful. Because that’s how it is.  Reconciliation is never easy or comfortable.  It isn’t usually something we can write on our calendars and anticipate.  We can and should pray for reconciliation and hope that it will come about.  But it will only happen in the Lord’s time and in His way.  

      Saying goodbye to Josh at the airport on Friday was hard. After 4 years of brokenness, he had come home to us with love and forgiveness, and we, too, loved and forgave.  We began, as a family, to heal.

      While he was here, he wanted to spend every moment with us.  Though I was busy with ministry, we found time to be together.  Family dinners, playing Simpson’s Monopoly, and taking a walk on a windy afternoon. Grocery and thrift store shopping in Renville.  Lunch in Willmar.  Watching a video and eating chocolate cake and Moose Tracks ice cream. 

     At the airport, as Josh waited to go through security, Jim shook his hand, wished him well, and told him to come again.  Josh thanked him and promised he would come back.  But he couldn’t say when.  Maybe a year.  

    I gave him a hug, kissed his cheek and tried very hard not to cry.  I didn’t know when he was coming back, but at least this time I knew that he wanted to.  

    I whispered in his ear, “I love you.” 

    He whispered back, “I love you, too!”

Will you pray with me?

 Heavenly Father, thank you for your love and your desire to be reconciled with all people—in every time and place.  Thank you for making a way for our reconciliation with You, though it meant your own Son would suffer and die on a cross.  Thank you for our blessed hope in His return to gather us and take us to be with You forever.  Thank you for your Spirit that teaches and empowers us to seek healing and to be reconciled with one another.  Thank you for making it possible for Josh to spend time here with us and our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Thank you for blessing us with loving, peaceful moments despite the busy-ness of ministry. Lord, we ask that You grow his faith and keep him safe.  Draw him nearer to You, and guide him in your Will for his life.  Fill him with your Spirit and reassure him that You will be with him always—wherever he goes.  In Christ we pray.  Amen.