What’s The Worst That Can Happen?

Reverend Philip Stringer

Luke 21:5-19

LET US PRAY: O merciful Father in Heaven: You give the knowledge of your saving help -- a comfort to your people. Feed our hearts with your Holy Word, and make our hearts instruments of your glory, today and all days. AMEN

Murphy’s law -- If anything can go wrong, it will. We often think of this when examples of the absurd derail plans or cause the unexpected.

When I have time, the traffic lights are always green. But when I’m in a rush, I seem to catch every red light.

But what Murphy’s Law is really saying is that if it is possible for something to happen, given enough time and no change in the circum- stances, it will eventually happen.

Role a die enough times, and sooner or later, you will get a sequence of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

When Jesus was with his disciples outside of the temple, he gave them a lesson in Murphy’s Law. Someday, nothing will be left of this temple.

When we hear Murphy’s Law, we think about things going wrong. But Jesus’ interest isn’t in pointing out what has gone wrong or can go wrong or will go wrong. Ultimately, Jesus wants us to know what is going right -- and turning our attention toward what is going right is what changes our lives from fear and despair to hope and joy.

[Story about “what’s the worst that can happen?”]

We all have stories like that, don’t we. It happens so much that we have a phrase for moments like that: “Famous last words.”

What is the worst that can happen? Sometimes it’s funny. But some- times it’s not.

Ask that question about a balloon that’s been filled with frosting -- it’s fun to imagine.

Ask that question about the lives of your loved ones, and it’s not.

Ask that question about your health, your marriage, your job, politics, the environment.

All of our worst fears are an answer to that question: “What’s the worst that can happen?”

When Jesus told his disciples that the Temple would be destroyed, it was a message that spelled out in their minds that their worst nightmare would come true — Because the Temple -- as the focus of their worship and the place where God touched earth -- its destruction meant the end of hope according to everything they knew.

That’s what we call an “attention getter.” The sort of news that draws all of your attention -- the sort of news that can shape the way you live. But Jesus doesn’t want them to live with a fatalistic view of the future. Instead, he wants them — and us — to reorient our view of today; to put our attention on what is right, not what is wrong.

We have a tool shed in our backyard that is about the size of an outhouse. If I lean in real far I can just reach the back of the shed without stepping into it — and that’s what I do . . . because there are lots of wasps nests hanging from the roof — and when I reach . . in . . . real . . slow, the wasps guarding their nests slowly turn and follow my every move. What’s the worst that can happen?! I can imagine them attacking — so I gingerly grab a rake and back away from the door . . .

Do you know what it is like to live in fear? To shape your daily actions and to make your choices based upon what you fear?

A child is afraid that a parent won’t approve, so she spends her life trying to earn their respect.

Or a couple is afraid they won't have enough money to retire the way they want, so they become miserly with their income to the extent that in their old age they shiver through the winter while effectively sitting on a big pile of money because they’re “saving it for a rainy day.”

When you know there’s trouble ahead -- or you’re afraid there could be -- it’s smart to make plans and to prepare. From other stories about Jesus in the gospels, I think it’s pretty safe to say that Jesus also thought it was important to plan ahead for trouble. Today what he tells us is that it is especially important to do that planning in light of something bigger than our problems -- God’s love.

Paul tried to convey that lesson to a group of Christians who had lost their way. There was trouble in Thessalonica. The people had heard the good news that Jesus would return -- and they believed it. That doesn’t sound like such a problem, does it?

Except that they expected it to happen in their lifetime -- and so they reasoned:

since everything's going to fall apart anyway…

and Jesus is going to carry them away from it all…

… what’s the point of making any plans?

Why get married?

Why get a job?

Why contribute anything to society?

Why care about anything at all?

….. It’s all going to end anyway.

We could draw the same conclusions today. And especially when we are frustrated by matters of the world and the environment, it would be tempting to walk away -- “I’ve had it. I give up.”

Paul knew that even temporary things have value and meaning. For example: You have value and meaning! The good news isn’t simply that Jesus will carry you away from this world, but that he gives meaning to your life in this world now. The meaning that we receive in the gospel is that we may live and move to the glory of God. Instead of merely enduring this moment, we have this gift of time in which we can do what we are created to do.

Martin Luther was asked once what he would do if he knew the world was about to end. And he answered, “I would plant a tree.”

Why? Because that’s what God created us to do. God calls us to be co-creators with God. Our fears get in the way of that purpose. To stop planting trees because the world is going to end is to let the affairs of this world have a higher authority than the authority of God.

Jesus encourages us to not let the changing circumstances of this world sway us from shaping our lives around the Good News of God’s love. And the reason isn’t simply to understand the future, but to reinterpret the present; to see that the present moment is a holy moment, even if buildings are falling, governments are shaken, and health is failing.

Jesus pointed out that the temple would fall, that wars and disasters and all sorts of terrible things will happen — because that is the way of this world — but none of that changes the truth of God’s sovereignty — none of that derails God’s plans for you.

He told the disciples that their own families would attack them, their people and religious leaders would reject them, and they will even be killed.

What’s the worst that could happen? Plenty -- and it will. Nothing they can see will last.

But what we have that WILL last -- and what is NOT temporary -- is what we receive in God’s grace. We are loved with a love that fills us and the present moment with meaning -- regardless of what the moment is like.

With nearly everything in life, we can ask ourselves the question, “what is the worst that could happen?” But not with grace. “The worst that could happen” simply doesn’t apply to God’s grace. It is THE BEST that could happen -- and it has. And it does. And it will forever.

Paul recognized that the worst that could happen isn’t the destruction of the temple or the fall of governments or even the end of the world. The worst that could happen is that, like the idlers of Thessalonica, we live without meaning and without faith that God is filling the present moment with meaning.

The worst that could happen is that we live without faith in the best that HAS happened.

When bad times come -- and they will -- we should do our very best to abide by Jesus’ words; to live lives of faith and hope that proclaim the eternal power of God’s love to overcome all that is wrong.

We should do our very best. And even so -- remember that if something can go wrong, it will. We should do our very best -- but we know that sometimes we won’t. We know that sometimes we will forget. Sometimes our fears will get the better of us and we will not have faith. That is the worst that can happen -- and it will.

But here is the gospel: The best that can happen is greater than the worst that can happen. God will not stop loving you. God will not give up on you. God will not stop showing grace to you. That cannot happen.

There is good news here for you today. Reach into your painful memories -- What is the worst that has happened to you in your life?

(pointing to altar) Jesus comes with the best today to overcome it with love.

What is the worst thing that you have done in your life? Today, Jesus comes with the best for you. He comes with the grace of God to restore you -- to heal you -- to comfort and encourage you — and to fill you with purpose in this moment.

The best that can happen has. And does. And will forever.

Come. It is time to celebrate the feast of the lamb. The world did the worst to him. But the lamb who was slain now reigns in love.

AMEN