Noah Is You

First Sunday of Advent

December 1, 2013

Matthew 24:37

Noah Is You

In the name of Jesus.

I.

Even he didn't know when the end would come. He knew it was coming, but not with any precision. He was waiting and the only difference between him and everyone else was that he knew he was waiting.

Who is he?

As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark. They didn't know until the flood came and swept them all away. So this is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be: Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one left. (Matthew 24:37-41)

II.

He was Noah. In those evil times God called him to find safety in an ark. Noah's neighbors most likely thought he was nuts, similar to our feelings toward the guy building the aluminum foil spaceship in his backyard. But Noah was right—the end was coming and he was ready for whenever it would come.

He is also you. In our evil times Jesus called you to find safety in a different ark, called the Church. So here you are, waiting for the end to come, but without any precision. So to be safe, you assume that it could come not any day, but today.

III.

Hollywood's made a movie about Noah and the flood. Russell Crowe will be Noah and early reports indicate that the movie will suggest that Noah was the world's first environmentalist. So instead of a faithful recounting of Noah's life, you'll see Al Gore with animals next year.

The people of the world want to believe that they can delay or even stop the end from happening. Their books, news, movies, and tweets will always try to put you to sleep with this lie. And they'll go on eating and drinking and getting married and living together until the end.

IV.

Like Noah, we know that the end is coming. The day and the hour have already been set.

Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son—except the Father only. . . . Therefore [kept watch], since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. (Matthew 24:36, 42)

And so we take Jesus seriously. Use this Season of Advent to pray every morning and every evening,

From there He will come to judge the living and the dead,

and

Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.

We remember that Jesus Christ has come in Bethlehem and He is coming back to judge the world. His first coming leads our hearts towards warm romantic feelings and His second coming leads our hearts towards not a little dread. But as you pray,

Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead,

our hearts become balanced on the cross of Christ. The temptation to get sucked into Merry Money Christmas and to use the holidays for our own ends is restrained. The temptation to dread the end of the world is calmed by the joy of Christ's resurrection, the rising back to life that belongs to you because the Holy Spirit has washed and fed you into trust in His promises.

IV.

It's easy to feel stupid waiting for the end to come. The pressure to chase that Christmas feeling can be overwhelming. But I suppose it wasn't easy for Noah. No one was campaigning to put Christmas tree lights on the ark, but it must have been lonely. Year after year, the world kept on spinning and did its evil things, but they sure were having fun. The temptation to join in the fun and stop watching must have been powerful.

Well, Noah is you. And when the waiting gets you down, open your photo album and see the pictures of your Baptism. Open up your favorite parable of Christ and begin reading. Call me up and I'll open up the church or come to your home and feed you His body and blood. And play it watchful, and don't assume that He's coming back any day, but that He's coming back today.

In the name of the Father

and of the † Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.