Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
I have a running joke with my wife, which usually comes up each time we go grocery shopping together. I don’t know about you, but when I see random shopping carts scattered around the parking lot, I say, “They couldn’t make it! They’ve been raptured! I know they wanted to return their cart, but there wasn’t enough time.”
On second thought, maybe not everyone is raptured, since I have seen some people nestle their cart on top of a curb – often when the cart corral was just feet away. But for many of those other people, who knows? Maybe it was their time?
Now, I’m not here to judge you if you don’t return your cart. Although, it is the right thing to do. So, I guess I am judging. However, today’s Gospel text has much to do with the rapture. In fact, this is one of the so-called “proof texts” of the dispensationalists who believe that some will be “taken” and others will be “left behind.” So, let’s take a look at this claim.
In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus compares the Last Day – the Day of Judgment – to be like the days of Noah. He says: “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:37).
For everyone, but Noah and his family, everything appeared to be normal. Jesus says: “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark” (Matthew 24:38). They were unaware. They were just living their lives as they did. They were living out life’s normal patterns of food and drink, forming human families and being formed in those families. They were just following the normal orders of the day.
But then, seemingly, without warning, the flood came and swept them all away. Every land creature that was not on Noah’s ark was swept away.
I say seemingly without warning, because the people who perished must have noticed the construction of the ark. This must have attracted some attention. It’s not everyday that you see a large boat being built nowhere near a body of water. There must have been some conversation among the people. They couldn’t have been oblivious.
When we see construction projects going up and we don’t know what is being constructed, how often do we make guesses on what it could be? Could it be another Kwik Trip? A Chick-fil-a? So, I’m sure a large boat being constructed with no water nearby would have caused some conversation. What is that Noah doing now? Who builds a ship nowhere near water? Why is Noah doing this?
All appeared normal for the people. Again, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. They were shopping, they were going out to eat, they were forming families. But then they were swept away. But why? Well, as Scripture says, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continuously” (Genesis 6:5).
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a righteous man, because he had a right relationship with God. He had faith. Now, Noah was just as bad as those other people, but he trusted in the Lord for his redemption. Noah was a sinner who sought forgiveness. Noah trusted the Lord and followed His commands in constructing the ark. The Lord preserved Noah, his family, and two of every living creature as God’s remnant.
Jesus then says, this is exactly how the Last Day will be. Everything will appear normal. Nothing unordinary. People will be watching the morning news, reading the newspaper, driving into work. They will be raising their children. They will be preparing supper. But “then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left” (Matthew 24:40-41).
Jesus says this is how it will be on the Last Day. But what is to be understood of the one “taken” and the other “left”? Jesus here never specifies to where the one will be taken. Is this a positive or a negative outcome?
Again, we have two men working in a field – one taken, one left. We have two women grinding flour at a mill – one taken, one left.
Well, for the dispensationalists, they believe that the rapture must take place before Jesus returns. So, they understand those taken are with God. They see the “left behind” as the wicked.
But how does Jesus lead into talking about the one taken and one left? He speaks of Noah and the unsuspecting flood. Who was taken and who was left behind in that scenario?
The flood came upon an unsuspecting humanity. Noah went into the ark, while Jesus says, “the flood came and took – or swept – them all away.” Jesus here refers to “taken” as a word of judgment, and not salvation. So, being “left behind” is likely to be understood as an indication of salvation.
Throughout the Old Testament, the prophets speak frequently of God’s judgment coming upon Israel in terms of the apostates – those who claim to be followers of God, but actually live their lives not as God’s people, since they have more in common with pagans than fellow “believers” – they were taken away into exile, removed from the land, and others being left behind constituting a remnant. And this remnant would grow into faithful believers in the future.
Anyhow, the main point of Jesus’ teaching is the suddenness and the unknowability of that day. That day will come without any sign or warning.
We would all like to know when a thief would break into your home, or into your car. We never expect that. And if we would, we would like to be prepared.
On May 17, 1987, an Iraqi F-1 Mirage aircraft fired two Exocet missiles at the Navy frigate USS Stark, which was patrolling in the Persian Gulf.
The USS Stark was equipped to be prepared for anything with its state-of-the-art radar systems to detect such missiles in the air. In the nerve center of the ship was the electronic warfare operator. So if a missile was fired at the ship, he would be warned in two ways: an audible alarm would sound and a visual symbol would appear on the radar screen. But seemingly without warning, those Iraqi Exocet missiles struck the USS Stark, tearing a ten-foot hole in the ship and killed 37 American sailors.
How could this happen? How could a ship that is prepared to detect such missiles just not notice it? Well, after an investigation from the House Armed Services Committee, it was learned that this tragedy was not from equipment failure. It turned out that the audible alarm had been turned off. And the operator appears to have been distracted at the time when the visual signals appeared on the radar screen.
That ship was prepared for anything, but it was human error that caused the failure. With many warnings available to protect them, out of their own convenience, they ended up being without any warning.
As we begin the season of Advent, we are to be reminded that we must be ready “for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44). Lo, He comes with clouds descending!
So, how are you prepared for the Lord’s Coming on the Last Day? Are you going to be swept away like during those days of Noah? Are you going to turn off the audible alarm?
Well, in this time between His First and Second Coming, Jesus does not leave us unprepared. In fact, here you are! Just by being here, in the Lord’s House, Christ is preparing you for His coming!
Yes, we wait for the Lord’s return at an hour we do not expect. But we don’t have to wait for His presence! The Kingdom of God is even now in our midst through His Word and Sacrament! You see, each time we meet at His Divine Service, we confess our sins and receive His forgiveness. We remember what Christ alone has done for us. He conquered sin, death, and the devil for you! Through His atoning suffering and death, by faith in Him, we have life! Jesus came in our flesh to give everyone who clings to Him as Lord: forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation!
As Emmanuel – God with us – Jesus died to the punishment that our sins deserve and rose to life, so we would be restored to His Kingdom!
Without warning, on that Last Day, the Son of Man – the Savior from sin – will also be the Son of Man of our salvation! Amen!
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +
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