Title The Son of Man Is Coming
The Son of Man will come!
(Matthew 24:36-44), November 28, the first Sunday of Advent
parousia
One of them is apocalyptic literature. It is also called apocalyptic thought. Many contents of the Old Testament were influenced by this apocalyptic idea. The same is true of the New Testament, but the Old Testament does not contain only one thought. Basically, it preaches God's reign of salvation, but the way we understand it and the way we respond to it can be different. Some schools called God ‘Jehovah’, and others called ‘Elohim’. There is the prophetic tradition and there is the priestly tradition. Although these traditions are identical in that they each speak of God, they differ in perception and experience. Apocalyptic thought is a unique thought that appeared relatively late in the history of the Old Testament. Their core idea is that the ‘time’ will come when God will directly judge the world. Verse 36 of today's sermon refers to the 'day and hour'. Revelation 1:10 is called “the day of the Lord.” On that day and at that time, it is the Son of Man who will take full power and judge the world. The Son of Man is not simply a ‘son of man’ but means ‘a judge’ in the last days.
The historical background for the emergence of apocalyptic ideas is the experience of the Babylonian captivity and the Dark Ages between the Old and New Testaments. The Jews at that time had no hope that the world would get better. The world was completely under the control of evil, and there was nothing we could do about it. The world is totally corrupted. Moreover, they did not have the power to change the world. I was caught up in complete despair. It was like someone diagnosed with terminal cancer. What are the Jewish choices in this desperate situation? The old world (Old Aeon) had to go and a new world (New Aeon) had to come. The one who executes it is the Son of Man. He proclaimed the coming of the Son of Man as ‘Parousia’. When that parousia is realized, the world will be completely different. The pattern does not change, the substance changes. This apocalyptic hope carried on to the early Christians. We have established ourselves with the belief that Jesus, who will return at the end of time, is the Son of Man. Such faith is expressed in today's text.
that day and that time
When will the parousia of the Son of Man be executed? The text says that no one knows the day and the hour. Not even the angels in heaven know, not even the Son, but only God. At the time of Noah's Flood, people could not predict the flood. It is said that they did not realize until the day Noah entered the ark, “they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage” (verse 38), until everything was completely destroyed. How sudden and unpredictable the parousia is can be seen in the statement that up to that moment people will be plowing (verse 40) and milling (verse 41). Some people are afraid to read these verses. He is gripped by the anxiety that he might become a human unless the Son of Man takes him. The text is not meant to say that. It is said that the parousia of the Son of Man will arise at a moment when all daily life seems to be still, just as a thief invades without notice.
What does the above explanation have to do with our religious life? If you don't know that, is it impossible to live your life of faith? Parousia is absolutely essential in our faith. Hear what Matthew has to say. “Keep awake” (verse 42), and “be ready” (verse 44). Spiritual awakening and preparation do not happen automatically. It depends on the level of awareness of Parousia. Imagine a death row inmate here. For him, every day is literally full of waking and preparation for death. Imagine a person here who is preoccupied with drugs and gambling, or stock investing and real estate speculation. His daily life is filled with a hazy mind and money.
Dear brothers and sisters, today we saw what the spiritual interests of the early Christians were 2,000 years ago. The soul was sensitive to Parousia of the Son of Man. It's never cheating. It is not the opium of the people. This spiritual awakening does not happen instantaneously, nor does it remain taut all the time. Because worldly things make us insensitive. Each time, remember that “the Son of Man is coming”. That's right. He is coming soon.