“But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short!” Trinity 25 2024

17. November 2024
Trinity 25
Matthew 24:15-28

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Mt 24:1-3)

In the holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.

Today’s Gospel lesson is meant to strike the fear of God into us. It is definitive doomsday apocalyptic death and destruction. You have the desecration of the Temple and the destruction of Jerusalem, as foretold by Daniel. In 167 BC, the Seleucid king Antiochus profaned the Jerusalem temple by building an altar to Zeus on the altar for burnt offerings. The Romans under General Titus desecrated and tore down the Temple in 70 AD, after a seven-month siege, battle, and over one million Jews dead.

You have the world's end coming like a thief and lightning without warning. Unlike the destruction and desecration of Jerusalem, Christ’s return in judgment will be instantaneous and from the sky. These are the days of the great tribulation! If that doesn’t cause you to wring your hands in worry or tremble with fear, you neither believe God’s Word nor fear Him. It’s the end of the world as you know it, and you don’t feel fine. At least, that’s what Jesus would have you know and believe.

But maybe your preferred candidates got elected in the recent elections? Maybe your elected leaders will turn things around, make America great again, restore truth and honesty, and usher in a new golden age for us. Does this contradict Jesus? Not at all. Jesus warns us: “Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans perish” (Ps 146:3–4) And even if “your guys” won, they remain sinners who do sinful things. “The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us’” (Ps 2:2–3).

We should be just as critical of political leaders who do what we want as those who do not. They will always demand fear, love, and trust that belongs to God alone. They’ll “fix” some things only to cause problems elsewhere. Israel, at the time of Christ, had its highest GDP, the roads were fantastic, and the social programs were funded. The government was highly efficient and taxation low. But there was the catch: you must call Caesar lord. You could have your lesser god or gods, but Caesar was the father of fathers and lord of lords. And this is an abomination, a disgusting thing to the true and only God.

Every nation, government, and leader who acts in opposition to Christ is an abomination, a disgusting thing. We are easily deceived into complacency by those who do “what we want” while overlooking everything they say and do contrary to God’s Word. Maybe this life will get a little better for us, but the weightier matters of faith, hope, justice, and love will be neglected.

Worry is in itself not wrong, any more than hope. But unfaithful worry and misplaced anxieties are just as much as misplaced hope and optimism. All concern and hopes must be directed towards God, the Holy Trinity, in prayer. Anxiety about tomorrow doesn’t belong in your heart, on your mind, or weighing on your conscience. Hope and confidence for the future don’t belong in princes, nations, economies, or elections. All this belongs to God, so give it over to Him in prayer.

Direct your worry back to God. Put your confidence in Christ. And listen to His answer in the Holy Scriptures. Body and life, clothing and shoes, house and land, food and drink, cars, job, education, country, church… God will provide. Trust Him. Everything is going to be okay in Him. But if you still must worry or want to be hopeful, turn to the one thing that matters: faith in Christ. As Jesus said, “Seek first His kingdom,” and “Mary chose the good part.” Ask yourself, “Where is Jesus… where can I hear His word rightly… where has He promised to bless me with His gifts?” If you’re going to worry about anything, worry about receiving Jesus. If you want to be genuinely hopeful, turn to Jesus and His promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation.

Jesus’s word of warning in the Gospel still holds true today. “False christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” Not every preacher who speaks in Jesus’s name tells the truth. Not every expansive and flourishing congregation does so with the Word of the Gospel and by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is of the most significant importance where you go to hear God’s Word and what is being preached in liturgy, prayer, hymnody, and from the pulpit than anything else.

What you eat and drink can only kill the body. What happens with your home and investments only affects this life. But what you hear and, therefore, what you believe is the deciding factor between heaven and hell, eternal life and eternal damnation. Don’t be seduced by those who claim they can be Christians apart from Christ’s gifts. Christ instituted His church as the place to receive His forgiveness, His life, and His salvation. He gave the church the preaching of the Gospel, the keys of heaven, and the administration of Holy Baptism and the Holy Communion.

But don’t be seduced by those enthusiastic folks who say the proof of a church’s message is in worldly success. Look at the beautiful church buildings! Look at the fantastic programs and ministries! Look at what we have done! It doesn’t matter what denomination they call themselves. If they put their faith in their earthly monuments or their emotions, they follow a false savior and a false god.

Amid the promise of doom and gloom against the temple… amid the coming judgment and a church in chaos, Jesus gives you His Gospel promise: “But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short!” That’s you! For the sake of you and your salvation, the tribulation will be short. Can any great signs or wonders lead you away from Jesus? Is it possible to deceive those who have Holy Spirit given faith? Possible, no impossible! You are God’s child. You are forgiven. You are with Jesus. Nothing they say or do can change that.

Martin Luther has a wonderful little quote about where our priority and attention must remain: "See, how rich therefore is a Christian, the one who is baptized! Even if he wants to, he cannot lose his salvation, however much he sin, unless he will not believe. For no sin can condemn him save unbelief alone. All other sins—so long as the faith in God's promise made in baptism returns or remains—all other sins, I say, are immediately blotted out through that same faith, or rather through the truth of God, because He cannot deny Himself.” (Martin Luther, "The Babylonian Captivity of the Church”)

Christ isn’t concerned with impressive spectacles and buildings, moving hearts to tears, and stirring up generous gifts from impassioned pleas. The church is concerned with delivering God’s kingdom because Jesus will have His kingdom. That’s “the kings of the earth.” Instead, Christians sit at Jesus’s feet, listening to Him and receiving everything from Him now and for eternity. And because you are here now, gathered with fellow baptized children of God and listening to Jesus, you have nothing to fear, for you are Christ’s, and He will preserve you to the end.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guards your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Christopher R. Gillespie
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church & School - Sherman Center
Random Lake, Wisconsin