I Am Coming Soon

Revelation 22: 12-21, page 879
Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what they have done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let those who hear say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let them come; and whoever wishes, let them take the free gift of the water of life.
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book; if anyone adds anything to them, God will add the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from their share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
Sermon
For the last 5 years, and now into the 6th, Sara and I have not missed an episode of the TV series “Lost.” This series is now into its 6th and final season, and in all the show’s many twists and turns, what has most captivated me has been the characters.
Having begun the show as a group of survivors from an airplane crash on an island, the characters have grown and changed to become, in some cases, better, more mature and well rounded people. Some folks have died and gone on, some folks have died and stuck around, and one character, for what viewers assume has been the past few hundred years, has not died or shown any sign of aging.
This character is named Richard, and I guess he’s been given eternal life on this very strange island.
While every other character on this island is continually trying to get something accomplished – half the characters are trying their hardest to escape the Island at this point in the series while the other half is trying to stop this group from leaving – it’s hard to figure out which side Richard is on. In fact, for most of the show’s six seasons he hasn’t been too concerned with much of anything. Richard has been spared the relentless drive to escape the Island that the survivors of the airplane crash have been consumed with, and I suppose that makes sense – Richard doesn’t have to worry about the passing of one day into another, he doesn’t have to worry about what he’s missing being stuck on that island away from family and friends – he doesn’t age, and we viewers assume that he cannot die.
Immortal then, his life has lost the same kind of urgency that the other characters have.
This kind of problem, some would say, is a common occurrence among teenagers. The feeling that all of their life lies ahead of them leaves some teenagers without any urgency and anything pressing can be put off until later.
This is a concern you parents have for your children, especially those of you starting college.
Your parents worry that you’ll ask yourself: Why should I worry?
Why not go to this party – I’ll have time to study later.
Why do laundry now? There will be time to do laundry tomorrow – and this is where there can be no finger pointing at teenagers as at some time or another we have all said, “There will be time to do laundry tomorrow.”
We must therefore take heed of our scripture lesson for today: Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
I don’t mean to make light of today’s scripture lesson – but that is what the lesson says. And while most of what this strange book of scripture offers modern readers is interpreted symbolically, I do want to take some of what the author offers us as literally as possible.
We can certainly read this line about “those who wash their robes” as an illusion to those who have been washed in the waters of baptism, those who have washed their robes in the blood of martyrdom, those who have washed their souls with a spirit of purity and repentance; however we read it I can’t think of any better image to think of the process of salvation than a never ending mountain of laundry – one that as soon as you think you are finished, as soon as you have sat down to rest in the satisfaction of completion, magically builds itself back up again.
Once we think we have become good enough, once we assume we have defeated the temptation to envy our neighbors a new boat pulls into the driveway and we are consumed with jealousy. Once we assume we have learned to forgive something hurts so bad we find that we’re not man or woman enough to let it go. Once we get that pile of laundry down to size, it builds itself back up again.
Our scripture lesson for today is a challenging piece of scripture. It wakes us in the middle of our relaxed slumber with immediacy, kicks us awake from any assurance that tomorrow will come – and as we rub our eyes it pulls away our blanket of certain salvation as it causes the uncertain voices in the back of our heads to wonder – “will I be welcomed into the city, will I be given entrance to the tree of life?”
Have I done enough to have distinguished myself from the dogs?
When Christ comes, when this life is over, will I be welcomed into the Kingdom?
If you are looking for the assurance that you will, don’t look for it here.
And if you are looking for the comfort of God’s grace and constant love, don’t look for it here in Revelation as in the place of those warm blankets of promised salvation and undying love the author of Revelation gives us vengeance and wrath to wake us up from the comfort that plagues us.
As though we were immortal, too often we assume that there will always be a tomorrow to take care of what needs to be done.
As though we were immortal, we squander our time with our TVs as though time grew on trees.
But here is Revelation with the truth like a bucket of cold water – in the place of tomorrow may come the end.
We have no guarantee that death will not come like a thief in the night, but blessed are those who wash their robes. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
Blessed are those who have not waited to do what can be done today.
Blessed are those who have not put off reconciliation with the assumption that they’ll have plenty of time to make amends tomorrow.
Blessed are those who have not postponed friendship with the belief that there will be plenty of time for friends later.
Blessed are those who have not put off repentance with the assumption that tomorrow will be anew day to do right so I might as well do wrong again today.
Blessed are those parents who have not let time with their children slip away, as they are growing up and if you don’t say what you need to say now when are you going to say it?
Blessed are those who have not put off forgiveness or kind words – blessed are those who have not waited to say what they need to say – as just yesterday came again the cruel reminder that the end will come for us all – and if you haven’t said what you needed to say today, you may not be able to say it tomorrow.
Blessed are those who wash their robes – for salvation – like laundry is not a destination, not something you can do and be done with – but like laundry is a never ending journey, doing what is right is a process that greets us each day. Don’t put it off, but seize this day, as Christ is coming for us all.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.