ルカによる福音書 ２１章２５－３６節
「あなたが用意できていようといまいと、わたしはあなたの所に来る」
私たちの父なる神と、主イエス・キリストより恵みと平安が、あなた方の上にあるように。 アーメン。
教会の暦によると、今日からアドベントのシーズンに入ります。これはクリスマスの前の３週間で、日本語では待降節、つまりイエス様の到来を待ち望む期間です。一般にはこの期間をクリスマスまでの準備の日と考えられていますが、アドベントという言葉の中には、待つとか準備をするという意味はありません。辞書でこの言葉を引いてみると、「重要な人物やイベントの到着、または到来と説明されています。
キリスト教ではこのアドベントは二つの意味があり、第一はイエス・キリストの降誕、第二はイエス・キリストの再臨、つまり蘇られたイエス様自身が、私たちのところに再び戻ってくる時を指します。ですから、イエス様が私たちの元に戻ってくる日があるというのです。
イエス様が十字架にかかり死んだその裏に、イエス様が私たちの罪を背負って死んでくださった、それは本当は私たちが受けるべきであった罪をご自身が受け入れて陰府に下ったということです。
毎日曜、教会の礼拝の中で、使徒信条の言葉を語る時、私たちはイエス様がこの世にまたやってこられる、その約束を待ち望むのです。しかし、イエス様は目に見える形で私たちのところに戻ってくるというより、私たちの心の中に来られるという言い方のほうが正しいのです。それは「私に従いなさい」という私たちへの心の中に語られる言葉で表されているのです。ですから、本当にイエス様は見られる形で来られるのですかという質問に勿論ですとは言い難いのです。しかし、アドベントとはどういうものであるかを今日の説教の中で1つの話をもって語ってみましょう。
一人のお爺さんが、スーパー・マーケットで買い物をした後、帰り道の途中にある公園のベンチに腰掛けました。木枯らしの吹き始めた寒い時でしたが、もう２時間も買い物をしていたためか、足に痛みを感じ始めたのです。彼は彼の大きな両手で膝と太ももをマッサージし始めたのですが、心の中に何か空しい思いが湧いてきたのです。というのは、彼は奥さんに先立たれて今は一人暮らし、子供に恵まれなかったので、毎日の生活も一人ぼっちの孤独さをいやというほど感じて毎日を過ごして来たのです。
ところが、目をつむって、足のマッサージをしていたそのおじいさんの膝になにかあったかい、そして柔らかい感触を感じたのです。びっくりして目を開けると、おじいさんの真ん前にやっと歩くことができるようになった男の子がやってきてこの子もおじいさんの膝に手を置いて立っていたのです。
近くのベンチにこの赤ちゃんのお母さんが座っていました。お母さんはお爺さんに「すみません、うちの子が、何か迷惑な事でもしたようで」と話しかけると、お爺さんは、「いいですよ。私はこの子が私のところに来てくれたことだけで、今まで、思い詰めていたわびしさが飛んでいきましたから」。と言って赤ちゃんをお母さんの元に連れていったのです。
お母さんは言いました。「この子はつい２，３日前に一人で歩き始めたばかりで、とっとこ、とっとこ自分の世界が広がったように、それも人前まで行って自分でできることを自慢したいように思っているようですが、ごめんなさいね」。
お爺さん、もう一度この男の子を抱き上げ、お母ちゃんに言いました。「私は家内に先立たれて以来何時もわびしさを感じていましたが、今日、お宅の坊やが私を訪ねた時、何か心の中に暖かいものを感じました。こちらこそ、ありがとうと言うのです。」私たちが心の中に何か温かいものを感じる時、何か希望を抱く思いになった時、何か心の中に希望を抱くことができるようになった時、それは、そこに、神様が、私たちを見守ってくださっている、私たちに希望を与えてくださっている、神様が、今ここにいらして私たちを支えてくださっていることを知るのです。
アドベントは神様がいま私たちと共にいることを、そして神様がこれからも私たちの命が、この地上で続くかぎり私たちを見離すことはないことを死に打ち勝った、イエス様がいつも私たちと共にいて力と慰めを与えてくださっていることを知る時です。
イエス様は私たちから離れることはありません。悲しい時、わびしい思いに駆られる時、もの悲しい思いが私たちを暗闇の中に閉じ込めてしまうような思いになる時にも、光を持って、希望を持って、イエス様は、常に私たちと共にいるんだよと聖霊の力を与えてくださるのです。
またこのアドベントの時は和解の時でもあります．私たちは神様の姿に似て作られたと聖書から語られていますが、完全でない者です。思いも行いも、イエス様を見習って生きてゆこうと思いつつ、その反対のことをしてしまう私たちです。罪を２０も３０も重ねて生きている私たち、愛していただく資格もない私たちをあなたの御心にとめていただいていることに感謝します。どうか、このアドベント、あなたが再び私たちの間に来てくださる約束の中に、あなたの思いを悟らせてください。
最後に、イエス様は「あなたが用意ができていよう、いまいと、私はあなたの所に来る」とおっしゃっているのです。ですから今こそ、イエス様のこの言葉を心に止めてください。それは私自身が心に留めなければならないことです。神様から罪の許しをいただいて、お互いを大事にする心が私たちの心の中の育つよう祈りましょう。アーメン。
“I will come to you whether you are ready or not”
May God the Father and The Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Amen.
When Jesus was risen from the dead and then return to heaven, he has promised that he will come back or return to us. That is called the Second coming of Jesus. I don’t know about you, but there’s a certain comfort in imagining what it might be like to see the Second Coming of Christ. After all that is what Jesus has promised to us.
But at the same time we think the second of coming of Jesus is the time of Armageddon. That is, the time of the rapture, the time of judgment of the people. Those who has been faithful to Christ and his teaching and those who don’t have faith. You probably know some of the Christians who come to your home and tells you that you have to accept Christ or else. They are the one who also tell you the time Jesus is imminent that we need to prepare for him.
The famous radio talk show host Garrison Keillor who is the most famous Lutheran often talks about Church matter on his radio show “A Prairie Home Companion”. He talked the conversation about the Advent with his parents were never a time of hope and expectation connected to the cradle and the manger; but a chance to anticipate the terror and cataclysm of the Rapture that is, the Last Days of the Second Coming of Christ. I suspect some of you hold the conviction that Christ will come again, but the majority of Lutherans I know do not take this as threats, but rather that is the time for God to invite us to his kingdom in heaven.
For most of us believe that Jesus Christ will invite us to his kingdom when our life on earth will come to end and that is not the frightening time, but joyous time. Let me share with you the story I have read not so long ago.
An elderly man sat on a park one afternoon late in the fall. The air was cold, but he had been shopping on foot for w hours, ached, he needed to put down his parcels and rest a little before heading for home. He was never prone to feel sorry for himself, but he felt a loneliness in the cold busts of wind and the thoughts of returning to his now empty house did not excite him. He stared this large round hands as he worked them back and forth between his keens.
Suddenly a small a smaller hand, pink and chubby, was placed on top of his own. He jerked his head back and said, “Hi-yah” in a bit of raspy voice. Then he got to his feet, took the child by the hand and let it gently back to its mother who stood smiling just a few paces away.“Thank you,” the mother said, “He just learned to walk and has to race over and greet everyone.”
The man smiled, nodded, then picked up his package and started for home. The ache was gone now. So was the loneliness. Memories of a chubby hand and a grinning face warmed him. And just few minutes before, he had possess no idea of how close he was to this particular experience of Joy.”
The story of the man and the little boy tells us that something wonderful is coming into this world. During this season of Advent, we wait, we hope, get ready for Christ child who like that little boy will bring a measure of joy and happiness into this world.
In our gospel lesson this morning, Jesus is reminding us that his kingdom is coming into this world, he says: “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
The son of man is coming into the world. Jesus is coming at the end of time. He is coming as a babe in the manger, He is coming to us through the word and sacraments. Yes, He is coming!
Jesus tells us to prepare. During this season of Advent, we are to prepare for the coming of Jesus. And how do we prepare, we repent. Jesus tells us to watch, to wait for He is coming. Coming this Christmas and coming again at the end of time to redeem the whole world.
Advent is the season of hope, and the season of repentance. Our altar clothes have changed over the years for the season of Advent. Remember they used to be purple which is the sign of repentance. But now they are blue, the color of hope.
In the chaos of this world. In the tumult of life. In brokenness we all feel, there is hope. There is hope because Jesus is coming. Coming as a babe to redeem this world. Coming again at the end of time to finish His act of redemption.
In late 18th century Poland, the Kaiser’s forces were burning all the Jewish villages. One village had been burned and nothing was left standing. As the sun came up the next morning an old Jewish gentleman pounded a few boards together, made a seller stall and opened it up for business.
A young man walked and passed, stared in disbelief and asked, “What are you selling among these ruins. The man smiled and said, “I am selling hope. You can sell water on a dry desert, so the place to sell hope is on the ash heap of destruction.”
Hope! We all want to hope. Hope for a loved one who is sick. Hope for someone who lost a job and wants to find a new one. Hope for someone who has been given a broken heart and want stop find a new companion. We all hope for something.
Advent is a time for hope. We hope and look forward to Jesus coming. The hope of Jesus’ coming whether as a babe born in the manger or His second coming changes our lives.So, do you want to feel better? Do you want the hope of Advent to fill your life?
Jesus is saying during this Advent season ready or not here I come. I am coming as a babe in the manger. I am coming at the end of time to finish redeeming the world. I am coming now to bring hope to all those who are feeling brokenness of this world. Ready or not here I come.
When Jesus comes lives change. When Jesus coms heart change. When Jesus comes the world around us seems more hopeful. Jesus comes amid the chaos of life.
Here’s another story for you. Christmas shoppers were racing every which way in the bargain center; cashiers struggled to stay ahead of growing lines and mounting customer impatience; loud speakers blasted a new “fantastic sale item” every 5 minutes. Amid the havoc, nobody noticed that an elderly woman had dropped her packages near and exit door and was having a rough time getting them together.
Nobody, that is, except a plain looking teenage boy who came over, wordlessly reassembled her purchases, and then lifted the packages in his arms. “I can get them to your car,” he said, a bit hesitantly.“Thanks!” she answered in a loud voice, and winked.The boy smiled. Nobody saw them as they headed out the exit, but in a crowded bargain center something very good had happened.
Jesus came in the form of that shy, plain looking teenage boy and brought a smile and hope to that elderly woman.There is a hopefulness in this Advent time. But also there is a warning from Jesus that we must be ready for his second coming.
To close my message this morning, let me read the 34th verse of today’s gospel lesson.Jesus says: “But take heed to yourselves lest yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and care of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare”.
esus says ready or not here I come. Take heed to yourself means you must be ready. You must repent. You must not take Jesus’ salvation for granted.
“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution (forgiveness of sin) without personal confession.
Are we ready to receive in our hearts? Are you ready? Jesus says, “Ready or not here I come.” Amen.
