‘Jesus said: ‘stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’ Luke 21:28
Friends, when we were kids—before iPads took over—how often did we spend our time playing outside and investigating the animals and insects we came across? Snails always fascinated me because they are so different. Have you noticed that when you touch a snail's antennae, it retracts them in a flash. Most times it also pulls its head in and crawls completely into its shell. The blind snail thinks it has come across something dangerous, and, fearing this danger, withdraws into itself. Many people do the same: when they sense danger and become afraid, they pull their heads in and crawl into themselves. But we humans are not snails! This instinct—given by the Creator to the snail—is not intended for human beings. For this reason, Jesus calls to us in today’s Gospel reading to ‘stand up and lift up your heads’. Don’t pull your heads in whenever you're uncomfortable, don’t let your fear drag you down. Stand up, lift up your heads, and look your future fearlessly in the eye! Why? For’, —Jesus says, ‘at the end of your future, ruin and destruction do not await you, but rather I await you — I, your Redeemer, am coming to you!’ Two weeks ago, we thought about different images which will help us to understand Advent and Jesus’ Second Coming. Today, I want us to keep in mind our first image: a child excitedly waiting for their loving father to come home; a father who will make all things right. This image helps us to make sense of Jesus’ words in our Gospel today, helps us to make sense of not fearing the future when so many other people do.
At the beginning of every liturgical year—this time we call Advent—the apocalyptic texts of the New Testament accompany us. Every year we are urgently reminded of the need to be vigilant in our Faith, and mindful of the Last Judgment, which will begin with the Second Coming of the Lord. This Second Coming is exactly what Jesus describes in today’s Gospel: ‘At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory… stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near’. The Lord said this in a long sermon about the last days, a long sermon of which today’s reading is only a small part, about the final time before Judgment Day. He foretold that scary things would come to pass… strange signs in the sky, storms at sea, wars, earthquakes, and famines. In other words, everything that previously gave support and stability to the world will, then, begin to totter. Jesus also foretold that great fear would spread among people, they would loose heart and become utterly bewildered when faced with such scary events. Fear spreading, then, is a sign of Jesus’ return. We have just heard from the mouth of the Lord that: ‘nations will be in anguish and perplexity’. We are experiencing this now aren’t we? Even though, in this country, we do not live in a time of war, even though we do not need to fear famine, even though we do not have earthquakes in this country… nevertheless, the grip of fear is spreading everywhere. Fears about job security, about safety, about health, fear of accidents and terrorist attacks. We shouldn’t be surprised though, Jesus has actually told us nothing new, the prophets of the Old Testament had already told us this, as our first reading shows. Jesus quotes the prophet Daniel in His sermon in the Gospel when He said: 'they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory’. Immediately after this quotation, Jesus challenges us, ‘when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’ In other words, now, today, when so many early signs of the Last Day are already frightening us. Now, today, do not be like the snail; do not pull your heads in out of fear; do not crawl into yourselves! For you know that everything must happen this way, since God has told us so. No, stand up and lift your heads. Why? because your rescue is drawing near the One who loves us is coming home.
When many things around us frighten us, it is a sign that the Lord is on His way. Yes, all who deny Him or do not want to know Him will be in trouble when they realise: ‘Oh no —Jesus really does exists!’ But we know Him. We know that He is our saviour, who has rescues us by dying on the Cross. We know that HE will not abandon us at the Last Judgment, because He Himself took responsibility for our sins and failures. Yes, we Christians may look forward to the Last Day because on that day our Redeemer will come. Who would want to hide their head when facing this glorious future? Who would want to hide their head when they see the One who loves them arriving home? So… do not be like the snail! Instead: ‘stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’ When other people ‘faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world’ the Christian will be able to stand up in faith-filled confidence and lift their head because they can tell from these events that their final rescue is drawing near. So stand up and lift your head up! Look towards the Lord Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of the Father; nothing and no one slips from His hand. Look towards our Redeemer, who will come again to complete His work of rescue! Keep your head up, despite the fear, despite the uncertain times and all the horrors of the world. Let us not crawl into our work, into our worries, into our hobbies! Let us face the world in which God has placed us. Let us resist the temptation to crawl into our shells out of fear. Do not be like the snail! Rather: ‘stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near’. Amen. (from Fr Mike).