Seated at the Right Hand and Coming in Clouds/Glory: The Destiny of A Christian
Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-14, 18; Mark 13:24-32
The progress recorded in history, thanks to science and technology, is so tantalizing that our scientists are thinking of immortality on earth. After all, longevity in the 21st century is unrivaled in past generations – more and more people live longer lives now than ever before. Just as the strides made by science and technology make earthly existence fascinating, the so-called third-world countries experience huge human migrations to the North Atlantic, whether they be South and Central Americans en route to the United States or Africans exiting their countries for an el dorado in the northern hemisphere. When the grass is greener on the other side, relocation is a huge temptation. In reality, these two temptations are ours today: the complacency with earth pleasures and the desire to have science and technology create heaven for us on earth or the desire to abandon our current habitation for a better one elsewhere. Today, God wants to recreate everything anew, and give us the true meaning of “heaven” – to be in the company of God.
This Sunday, our readings invite us to make a wise choice between the options available to us, whether to be with Jesus or to live separated from him. The two images presented in the second and gospel readings are invitations to crave for the company of Jesus and to imagine what goodies God has in store for his children. First, the idea of Jesus “sitting at the right hand/side of God” evokes the image of investiture and enthronement. “Right-side” is the place of power and authority for the Jews. It is reserved for those who have worked hard and merited rewards – that is the place of Jesus at the moment, and it is a place reserved for Christians willing to imitate Jesus. Second, “coming in the clouds” tells the story of end-time or parousia – the fact that Jesus will come again to take with him to the “right-side of God” those deserving of such honor.
Here and now, every Christian lives in between times, the dwelling of Jesus at the right side of God and the anticipated return of Jesus. This period of betwixt and between is full of vicissitudes. Like the first reading explains, “it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time”. The gospel is more dramatic in its description, “In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken”. Curiously, these phenomena take place in the “heavens”. It is suggestive of the relocation of God from “the heavens” and his creation of a new habitation. The elect too will be gathered to him, to this new location.
The meaning of our readings is that of newness and recreation: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away”. We have the opposite of the creation account, when God created the luminaries – sun, moon and stars; today, these luminaries are falling off their positions and the orderliness at creation is turning into chaos, but why? There is a new creation coming out of the word of God. The presence of God and the company of God is the real heaven that God plans for his children. When he sends out his angels, they will gather his children from the four-corners of the earth and bring them around himself. The original creation account of Genesis is meant to provide a temporary habitation for the children of God. Just like Jesus, the eternal habitation of the children of God is also at the right-side of God. There, there is no need for the sun and moon, the word of God illumines them (Revelation 22:5), the word of God keeps them forever because that is the source of immortality.
Chaos and confusion are preludes to recreation and regeneration. Crisis moments are opportunities and not condemnation. In fact, “heaven and earth” are not immortal but the word of God that created them is. Just as “heaven and earth” came into existence, they will also exit existence. The guarantee of immortality is the word of God, which creates and recreates at the time allotted by the Father. God offers humanity immortality through his words; fidelity to God’s word is all that is required of Christians.
The cataclysmic realities which our first and gospel readings depict conjure up a theology of hope: “hope” is the theological virtue which convinces us that God will do everything for our justification and salvation. After all, our second reading presents us with the guarantee of eternal life and redemption because Jesus died to take away human sins. He gave his life in order that we may escape the impending cataclysm of today’s readings. It is the power that comes from the one eternal sacrifice of the life of Jesus Christ that procured the eternal destiny of every Christian. Even here and now, every true and faithful Christian is given the stamina to weather the storms of daily temptations and persecution. Indeed, many Christians live under unimaginable catastrophe, orchestrated and exacerbated by religious intolerance and economic strangulations. Only the hope of redemption and the readiness to give one’s life in fidelity to the word of God and the promises the word of God has in store for believers will guarantee Christians places in the new world!
Indeed, if the Greco-Roman world of the New Testament turned our luminaries and galaxies into gods (Sunday – sun’s day, Monday – moon’s day, etc) to worship them instead of the eternal and living God, on account of which the impending cataclysm will come, 21st century is already deifying science and technology, little wonder churches are empty in the North-Atlantic because science has rendered the usefulness of God caduc – meaningless. Even so-called Christians question their faith and the relevance of God and religion for 21st century human beings. In fact, martyrdom makes no more sense to many, the preservation of life on earth at all cost is more important for many than working and waiting for the new heaven and earth God prepares for those who love him.
Despite the harbingers that alert us to the reality of the nearness of judgment day – distress, cataclysmic phenomena, etc. – our first reading wants us to focus our attention on another reality – MICHAEL. This name means “who is like God?” The meaning of this name and its bearer are very important: they remind us that even in the midst of cataclysmic events, God will save his people because God’s power to save his people is unhindered by any powers, hence, “who is like God” – MICHAEL! So, the problem is not the end-time, that will surely come to pass; the point is: will you be among those who will be saved – are you an elect of God?
Interestingly, we can prepare for God’s judgment – fidelity to his words: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Mark 13:31). If the one thing that will remain forever are God’s words, by implication, anyone who wishes to live forever will keep God’s words. Just as the words of God are eternal, so will keepers of the words be kept eternally by the words of God.
If Jesus kept his Father’s words, by coming upon earth to die for sinners and take away sins, and he now seats at the right hand of his Father, he waits for us to join him there, after our own obedience to his words. The encouraging words of the second reading, “for by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14), should nudge us on to fidelity to God’s words. We are God’s elect or the “sanctified,” according to our second reading, here and now, but will judgment day find us still faithful or not. The decision is yours and mine to make!
Let’s conclude with a story: there was a lovely couple, very pious, very dedicated to God. Unfortunately, the woman died before her husband and went to heaven. St. Peter welcomed her to heaven because she was a good lady upon the earth. As we know, Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom to Peter: it is his job to welcome souls to heaven. So, St. Peter made her his assistant in heaven: when he goes on coffee break, she takes over the work of welcoming souls to heaven, after a brief interview to ascertain their worthiness for heaven. As an interview, she asks every soul: could you kindly spell LOVE? All who succeeded were granted admittance to heaven.
Many years down the road, this woman’s husband died and came to heaven on the day she was on duty; what a happy reunion for the couple. She asked her husband how he fared after her death. He recounted to her how he missed her every second, minute, day and month. She was happy listening to him narrating how he missed her. She urged him to continue. So he said: love for you was driving me crazy, so I decided to remarry in order to keep my sanity! As soon as he said he remarried, she asked him to spell Czechoslovakia! Of course, he couldn’t, so she shoveled him to hell!
Assignment for the Week:
Since what earmarks us as God’s elect is our baptism, could you find out the date of your baptism and renew your baptismal vows?