Sept. 22, 2019          Eschatology                                           

This past Monday, I had to drive my youngest daughter Emily to Peoria for a Dr’s appointment. So we drove to Peoria Monday afternoon, and on the way back, because I didn’t have anything thawed out, I chose to stop at a local tavern on the way home. Now about three to four times a year I like to do this, because usually, while I am eating at the counter, someone will talk to me and ask what I do for a living. Of course, I tell them I am a minister, and that usually leads to questions about the bible or about Christianity. And this time, didn’t disappoint.

The young man sitting a chair away from me, was confirmed in a UCC church, but had become an atheist while away at college. It seems he had taken a number of philosophy courses, became a fan of Friedrich Nietzche and came to believe that religion was some sort of scam. According to him, Christianity preached “Pie in the Sky when you Die by and by”, in order to get people to give money, and to get people to be good moral people. Instead of wasting time loving some God, we should really be loving other people.

“You’re talking about the problem of Eschatology” I told the young man. “Eschatology? What’s that?” “Eschatology is the part of Christian theology that deals with death, judgement, and the final destiny of the human soul. Nietchze understood this, in reaction to the Catholic Church of his time, like you said, to get people to give money, and to make them be good moral people, basically so they would do whatever the church told them.  But when Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven, I don’t think he is talking about what happens when we die, I think he is talking about something else.”

“I think Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven, not so we can prepare ourselves for the final judgement, but so that we will live differently in the here and now.  The most important part of that living here and now, is just what you said earlier, its about loving one another, it’s about caring for people, it’s about caring for every human being on the face of the planet. Only then will the kingdom of heaven come, not when we die, but here and now on earth. And that is what the final judgement will be about, not how much money we give, or how morally good we are, but about how we loved one another."  

Now, what I just shared with you, was really a boiled down version of an hour and a half discussion, and in the end, the young man and myself agreed to disagree about the purpose and value of Christianity, shook hands and departed. But you know, if you sow a few seeds, who knows what might grow?

Anyway, I shared this story with the local clergy group, and they said that this was a wonderful opportunity to talk about the dishonest manager this Sunday. The dishonest manager, changes his behavior before he gets fired, so that he might be welcomed into the homes of those whose he manages. The dishonest manager, doesn’t play by the rules of society, but uses his power and position, to make people’s lives better here and now. And yes, he does this all quite selfishly for himself.   

The dishonest manager, chooses God’s righteousness, rather than the righteousness of money or society, so he will be welcomed into the homes of the people. The parallel for us, is that we are called to find ways to live toward a future in which God’s kingdom becomes present among us now!

Last week, we read the story of the Prodigal Son, and in that story, we saw the love of the Father for the Son, that was willing to overlook how far the son had fallen, in order to be reunited with him. This week, we are invited to expand our compassion for others, beyond just family, but to all with whom we work and interact. The gifts God has given us, our talents, our abilities, the positions of power we are given, are meant to be used for the good of all. I am not suggesting we do anything illegal, but to find ways we can use the mammon of men, to bring the kingdom into the lives of those we interact with, who knows, by such kindness God's promise is to welcome us into God’s eternal home. And that’s the Good News of Jesus Christ. Amen.