“I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.” - Matthew 24:34-35
Fads come and go. What is in today is out tomorrow. People come and go. We are here today, and sadly, gone the next day. Leaders come and go. Seasons come and go. The best of times and the worst of times do the same. While we humans desperately try to hold onto constancy, we inevitably discover that life is full of variability, insecurity. Things fade, break, rot, dry out, disappear, burn up, fall apart, and die. Such is the way of our unstable existence. So we cling with all of our might to that which is only temporary because we are reaching for stability. And then we suffer with great disappointment when our dreaded fear of loss becomes reality.
Maybe this is why Paul advised that we ought to hold everything loosely (1 Corinthians 7:29-31) and not try to grip too tightly that which so easily slips through our fingers. We would probably be happier if we did. But instead, our hearts attach strongly to what we have and what we wish we had. We ruin our peace and prospects of joy by doing this. I surmise that this is a natural reaction to the vulnerability of daily life. Deep down we all know we can die at any moment, lose our families, be robbed of all our stuff, or get axed from our jobs. Just a stark and dark reminder. We don’t like to think about it, but we know that the facts are all in front of us. Some intrinsic, internal voice reminds us that everything comes and goes. And we don’t like it.
However, Jesus intimates that while both heaven and earth will come and go, one thing will remain forever. The Word of God. It is almost inconceivable that one day this planet and the sky above it will be charred by fire. It will be totally gone along with everything on it. Except for the Word of God. That spoken word that flung planets and stars into place, that sure word of prophecy, the words of Jesus, the testimony of scripture, will never come and go. It will always be. Meanwhile, we humans continue to distract ourselves with the temporal and material. Even as the imperishable and the eternal is right in front of us. We look for security in that which is not secure and yet pass by the sturdy foundation which cannot be shaken. We drift like unmoored ships tossed on a turbulent sea, refusing to anchor ourselves in the Lord whose power will not be moved. Let the words of Jesus sink deep into your ears, into your thoughts. The whole earth will soon pass away, all that will be left is the Word of God (and the people of God). And then He will make all things new. Therefore, lay aside these transitory things, hold this life loosely and grip the living Truth, Jesus Christ the Living Word.
We will conclude our study of Matthew 24 with a message entitled, Life and Teachings of Jesus: Distractions. As the world awaits the arrival of Christ, the human race is largely unaware and unfocused. This is why the moment will catch most people off guard like a thief showing up in the night. But we need not be unready. Join us as we discover how to wade through all of the distractions of common life in order to establish our hopes on the surety of Christ’s return.
Pastor Dean