In the Gospel for this week (Mark 13:1-8) Jesus talks about a coming apocalypse and warns his followers to “Beware” or “Watch out” for those who amongst the turmoil of the world will lie and claim that they are him. That they are the savior who has a plan that will lead them out of destruction. Many preachers this week will run with this, especially in light of recent events in the United States and around the world. Reminding people that no one is a savior but Jesus, and whether you are happy or distraught over the election results neither candidate was a savior. Neither would have been the one to bring about the Kin-dom here on earth because only one person can do that, and his name is Jesus Christ. Instead of going in that direction here (and I do think it is a good exegesis of the text) I’m going to explore another “no one” that Jesus might be warning us to “beware of”, ourselves. Cause let’s be honest we all lie to ourselves and go astray at times. Sometimes in little ways like “Just one more episode” or “I’ll fold laundry before bed.” Others can be a bit more insidious like when we need to justify our actions when they don’t quite line up with our values, or when we tell ourselves (and maybe others) that we can do everything on our own because no one else would “do it right.” When we lead ourselves astray it’s almost sadder because we almost always end up alone. Which is the antithesis of the new birth that Jesus is pointing to when he talks about “birth pangs” in our reading. This newly birthed world Jesus is asking us to envision is one in which we are all in community together with God. When we lead ourselves astray and take ourselves out of community, we also end up taking ourselves out of the work that moves us toward heaven on earth. It takes us out of a community where we can learn and grow to love our neighbors as ourselves, to find comfort and peace and joy and all the things God is promising us in a new kin-dom. Because outside of Jesus no one person is going to be our savior, only by banding together and following the way of love and peace can we even begin to inch ourselves towards that. And when the wars and rumors of wars and famine come about, we will be able to live in them so much better together than we ever would apart. So what are some ways you might be leading yourself astray? How can you lean into community and faith to maybe find your way back?
Peace,
Pastor Corey
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