11-17-24 “The Signs of A New Life”

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“The Signs of A New Life”

I’d like to start with something funny. A Wisconsin couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they had spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier. Due to their hectic schedules, it was difficult for them to coordinate their travel plans. So, the husband left for Florida on Thursday, while his wife planned to fly down the following day. The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an email to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in her email address and sent the email without realizing his mistake.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned home from her husband’s funeral. He had been a Baptist minister who was called home to glory after a heart attack. The widow decided to check her email, expecting condolence messages from family and friends. But after reading her very first email, she screamed and fainted. The widow’s son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen, which read:

To: My Loving Wife
Subject: I’ve Just Arrived

I know you’re surprised to hear from me. They have computers here, and you’re allowed to send emails to loved ones. Since I’ve just arrived, I thought I’d send you a message. Everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then! Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.

P.S. Sure is hot down here!!!

What surprised the widow? Was it that her husband seemed to send her an email from hell? Or was it the suggestion that she would join him tomorrow? What if we all knew exactly when we were going to die? What if we all knew when the end of the earth would come?

The good news is that no one knows when these things will happen—only God knows. That is the grace of God. Even though we don’t know when the end will come, we do know when the beginning of new life is near. We can anticipate the arrival of a new baby. We know the seasons to plant seeds and when we can expect them to sprout.

Has anyone noticed signs of new life in their plants? I sometimes meditate each morning while looking at my houseplants. How beautiful they are, with new leaves appearing day by day! It is a mystery of life. One day, while observing my houseplants, I noticed that the soil in one cactus pot looked different—the soil was pushed up and cracked. I smoothed it out to make it flat again. Three days later, it was pushed up once more. I thought to myself, “What is this? Did a mouse come in and dig it up?” I carefully smoothed it out again.

Then, a few days later, I was very surprised. From that very spot, a new sprout was emerging.

I don’t know where that seed came from, but it must have been mixed into the soil. How hard it must have been for that seed to push through the soil and begin a new life! And since it was in a cactus pot, I hadn’t even watered it much. How difficult it must have been to sprout under such conditions! And yet, life was beginning to emerge from that soil. Without realizing it, I had been flattening the soil over and over, unknowingly hindering the beginning of new life.

What comes to mind when you read today’s scripture? Some of you might think of “signs of the end of the age,” while others may see it as “a new beginning of life.” Jesus and his disciples are about to leave the temple after witnessing the widow’s offering. Jesus had warned them, “Beware of the scribes,” who exploited poor widows. At that time, religious leaders were forcing people to give offerings to build a new temple, feeding their own greed. Jesus used the widow’s offering to teach a lesson. However, the disciples didn’t fully understand his point.

As they left the temple and admired the grand building, they said to Jesus, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” Jesus responded, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” The disciples then asked, “When will this happen?” and “What signs will come when this is fulfilled?”

Jesus told them what they should expect: “Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he,’ and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.”

According to Jesus, we may still see wars, disasters, earthquakes, and famines in the world. However, these are not signs of the end but of the beginning of birth pains. Just as birth pains signal that a new life is coming soon, today’s scripture reminds us as Christians of the coming of a new kingdom—a kin(g)dom where the poor and widowed are no longer exploited, where material wealth holds no value, and where Jesus has prepared a place for us.

Some people think that Christians should not experience hardships in life. If they do, others may question their faith in God. However, as we read in today’s scripture, Christians sometimes suffer through natural disasters, illness, or family issues. This is not due to a lack of faith; these things simply happen. For example, Job suffered greatly without any wrongdoing. He was blameless, upright, and sincere in God’s eyes, yet he suddenly lost his health, children, wife, and wealth. His suffering continued one hardship after another until he encountered God Almighty (Job 42:5).

God does protect His people, but that doesn’t mean we won’t face challenges. God never promised to remove all obstacles from our path. Instead, He promised, “I will be with you.” For instance, the faithful Daniel and his friends were thrown into the blazing furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:19-26). Then the king said, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” and his advisors replied, “Yes, certainly.” But the king exclaimed, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” This is God’s promise: He will be with His people. Even when we face difficulties, God is with us.

In today’s scripture, we see the truth: “There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.” We might go through hardships that feel like the end of the world, but they are “the beginning of the birth pangs.” In other words, this pain can signal the birth of something new.

Christians stand for hope, resurrection, and new life in Jesus Christ. As Jesus showed us, death is not the end but the beginning of new life. We practice dying to our old selves and living anew through baptism, confirmation, repentant prayers, and our daily lives. Through baptism and confirmation, we Christians have died in Christ and are reborn in Him. The Apostle Paul confessed, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). May we live in this hope! Thanks be to God. Amen!