Sermon: Hold Fast
We come again this morning to that strange and – for many – that scary book of the Bible – the Revelation to John. Lectionary readings from Revelation come around only once up every three years, and only for six Sundays in the Easter season. We’ve heard some of them in these past few weeks. Each year though I find that I can’t let them just go by without preaching at least one sermon on these readings. Sure enough, three years ago, in May 2004, I preached on this same text. Maybe you can guess the title of that sermon. It had to do with Revelation – and a series of novels that were very popular in the late 90’s and early 2000’s? Anybody remember? Right - “Left Behind” – though my title had a question mark at the end. In that sermon I questioned the basic premise of these novels, and lifted up what I believe is a larger and a more faithful word that we can gain from this book of Revelation Today the sermon title is different. Today the title is “hold fast.” Last summer I learned if you want to say these words in a correct historical way, you would say them with a bit of a Scot accent – “hold faaast” – just soften the “a” a bit – “hold faaast.” Last summer, thanks to all of you, when Judy and I traveled to Scotland we visited Dunvegan Castle – which is on the Isle of Skye, up in the Highlands of Scotland. Dunvegan Castle has been the home of Clan MacLeod – (you can’t get more Scot than that) for nearly 800 years - one of the few castles still maintained directly by a clan family. Part of the tour included a video narrated by the 29 th Chief of Clan MacLeod - whose name, can you guess, is John MacLeod. Sadly he died just this past February – and his son Hugh is now the 30 th chief of Clan MacLeod. In his presentation John MacLeod told us that the motto of Clan MacLeod is “hold fast.” This motto lifts up togetherness and unity as a clan – but most of all it speaks of hope. It was this hope in family and clan which held Clan MacLeod together during the awful clan wars of Scotland in centuries past. It is a hope that hangs on and hangs tough even when everything else seems to be falling apart. “Hold fast.” This motto of Clan MacLeod is likewise the larger message of the book of Revelation – of the entire book – and certainly in today’s reading. Here John says “hold fast.” “Hold fast – because soon God is going to restore the whole of creation. Hold fast – because soon there will be a new heaven and a new earth – and a new, restored, beautiful beyond all imagination - a New Jerusalem. This hope-filled vision of the New Jerusalem stood in stark contrast to the visible reality of the current Jerusalem, and the real life situation for Christians in general. John wrote this book, we believe, during the later part of the first century. This was a brutal time of persecution of Christians – when many were arrested, sent into exile, and even executed because of their faith. The Emperor Domitian was on the throne – he was known for burning Christians on high crosses in the Coliseum, to provide light for the evening events, and as a deterrent to any others who would become Christians. Just a few years before he came to power, in the year 77 AD, Jerusalem was totally sacked, and the Temple was destroyed. The place where God’s dwelt on earth? Gone – in ruins. Imagine the devastation of that reality. Imagine the fear and utter frustration and hopelessness of our ancient sisters and brothers in the faith. But then here comes John – saying “hold fast” – no matter how bad it gets - hold fast. God is soon going to restore the creation – there will be a new heaven and a new earth – and even a New Jerusalem. Hold fast for that – hold fast in your faith – for your final destination, in life or in death, will be this New Jerusalem. Picture this New Jerusalem – even though it was in ruins at the time. This New Jerusalem is “adorned as a bride for her husband” – it has “the glory of God – and a radiance like a rare jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal.” In the verses we skipped John describes the city – 1,500 miles in length and width – and that’s a big city – in other words it is larger and more grand than Jerusalem ever was, and more beautiful than any Roman city will ever be. For nothing dirty or unclean or evil will be in this city – unlike the current situation – so hold fast – this is what is coming. This city will have 12 foundations – each one adorned with a different precious gem. And there will be 12 gates – gates that will never be shut. And I suspect some you know about the gates – they are made of another precious jewel – anybody? Pearls – right – each gate is a single pearl. And that’s a big pearl – imagine the clams that gave up those pearls? And the streets – anybody? They are made of Gold – clear as glass. The vision of God new heaven and new earth also has a river of the water of life – bright as crystal – with a tree of life – remember the Garden of Eden? – the tree of life - with 12 kinds of fruits – and the “leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” What a vision – a hope-filled, longed for vision - in such stark contrast to the current state of affairs, and the current devastation of Jerusalem. “Hold fast” – John says, “because this is what God has in mind to do – this is what God is bringing about” – for the believer’s of that time – and for us as well. In our day, we do not face the severe persecution of these early believers. Yet still we know the taste of destruction and disease - we glimpse the realities of war and hate and death - long before death should come. For some of us these harsh realities come very close. So this encouragement is for us as well – we too are urged by John to hold fast, no matter what. Fortunately we are helped in our efforts here because of what I would call glimpses of this vision here in Revelation - glimpses which encourage us to hold fast, even in the midst of our own struggles, and the larger struggles of the world. I was very encouraged last week when I learned of the recent historical meeting in Northern Ireland, between The Rev Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness - who forged a historic compromise in that troubled land. After years of war and riots, with over 3,700 people killed, the Protestants and the Catholics, the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fean have agreed to share power in a new Northern Ireland government – and we hope and pray it will last a very long time. I found this particularly hopeful when I remember one of my fellow classmates at seminary, who lived right next to me in Hodge Hall – his name was David Templeton. A short, thin, bearded man, older than the rest of us – he was a Presbyterian pastor, from Northern Ireland, studying at Princeton Seminary for a second Masters degree. After graduation he went back to Northern Ireland, to serve in a local parish and work for peace. About ten years later we learned that David was killed, beaten to death because of this social justice stands in Northern Ireland, in the cause of peace and reconciliation. I do believe David glimpsed that peace - and I suspect he held fast to his faith even up to his most untimely death. And David is a reminder to me - and I hope to you - of the need to hold fast to what is right, to hold fast to this vision of what God intends for us - seen here in this vision in Revelation – to hold fast even when the going gets rough. A week ago Saturday I was listening to “A Prairie Home Companion” with Garrison Keeler. It was the poetry show, and among those he quoted was Wendell Berry – one of our Kentucky treasures. Keeler spoke one line from a Wendell Berry poem: “Be joyful – though you have considered all the facts.” I wasn’t sure how to interpret that, so I looked up the whole poem, and found it is from his book “The Country of Marriage,” and the poem is titled Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front. The whole poem is wonderful – and in light of this scripture lesson today it is also a word of encouragement to hold fast. He begins with several enticing, but ultimately deceptive bits of modern advice, advice that will ruin your life – and then he says this – and I’m reading just a few verses: “…So, friends, every day do something that won't compute. Love the Lord. Love the world. Work for nothing. Take all that you have and be poor. Love someone who does not deserve it… …Expect the end of the world. Laugh. Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful though you have considered all the facts… (and the very last stanza is this:) Practice resurrection.” Isn’t that wonderful? “Practice resurrection.” Practice resurrection by holding fast to this hope. Practice resurrection by living your life in the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ – in the hope of the restoration yet to come, of the new heavens and the new earth and the new Jerusalem – a restoration that we can glimpse even now – a restoration that we can all work towards in our own lives and families, and communities. Hold fast – Practice resurrection – until the day this vision becomes the full reality for you, and for me – and for all the world. And all God’s people said. Amen. |