The Golden Ass

I discussed previously – HERE and HERE – how Jesus presents himself as a good, merciful, and loving King of a coming kingdom that’s inclusively for everyone at the beginning of Luke 17. This turns out to be pretty striking, because the passage can be easy to read as though Jesus is saying the opposite (making it easy to imagine a harsh God whose wrath is to be appeased, a demanding judge)!

Harold Camping's Prediction for The End of the World

This week’s lectionary passage picks up at Luke 18. In prayer this week, however, I got to wondering about the rest of Luke 17. So, keeping in mind the way Jesus binds us to himself and one another in obedient love through the rest of the first part of the chapter, I went and looked back at it.

The end of Luke 17 sounds like one of those "end times" passages. But, Jesus is not helping us predict and thus foreclose our knowledge of the end of the world. We are not being comforted with such knowledge and control. Instead, Jesus is telling us we can trust him when the shit hits the fan. So, as we go through here, keep in mind this ongoingly-discussed image of community bound to one another in a figure head who we trust...

20 Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.”
22 Then he said to the disciples…

Here, I simply noticed that, to answer the question, he had something different to say to the Pharisees than to his disciples. He was bound in different relation to one and the other. In addition, considering the nature of his relationship to his audience, he seems to be cryptically saying: “Quit bothering to speculate about the future. It’s already here standing in front of you answering your question.”

22 Then he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 They will say to you, ‘Look there!’ or ‘Look here!’ Do not go, do not set off in pursuit.

This seems to suggest that he, in comparison to the cryptic nature of what he had to say to outsiders, was giving inside information to those to whom he was bound in closest relationship. Jesus is telling his closest friends not to be tempted to listen to those foreign voices who he is not here addressing. “Look, when you hear everyone else getting all hysterical about a possible or apparent Messiah bringing the kingdom, don’t bother. Don’t pay that nonsense any mind. I’m right here with you."

In my mind, then, as I’m reading this, I’m also starting to question how I’ve read these verses my whole life. If Jesus just told the Pharisees that the kingdom was right in front of them in his very person, then perhaps this isn’t about “the end times” that only Jesus, of all people, would presumably know about? That's how we normally read verses like this. If that’s way I grew up reading such verses isn't right, then what other “inside information” is Jesus giving? I’m connecting what he says here to: “It’s better for you that I depart” (John 16: 7), and “I am with you always to the end of the Age” (Matt. 28: 20).

In other words, to quote The Big Lebowski “in the parlance of our times": “Trust me Dude; don’t freak out when the Nazis threaten to cut off your johnson.” To that point, he doesn’t say, “I WILL be with you.” He says, “I AM with you.” “Before Abraham was, I am.” He's basically telling his disciples they can trust him.

24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25 But first he must endure much suffering and be rejected by this generation.

Wait. “He must endure much suffering and be rejected by this generation.” This sounds like he’s talking about a specific event of his own life!? Now I’m starting to feel convinced that this set of Nostradamus Jesus verses aren’t what I thought they were! Also, please note that the phrase “rejected by this generation” sounds like he’s continuing his running theme of binding relationship to a particular community of people. Or, in this case, unbinding.

Also remember that the question he’s answering is WHEN the kingdom of God is coming. “When I suffer and am rejected.” Wait. Jesus, what!? Whose kingdom comes when they are rejected!? That makes no damn sense! Whose foolish king is one who’s rejected by his foolish subjects? That’s pretty striking.

Let’s try, however, to suspend our disbelief. Let’s move past the utter foolishness for a second. We haven’t gotten to the end of the story, so that’s about all we can do, right? So where does that leave us disciples in relation to the leaders of Israel!? Or of America? Or of our church? Who would reject the Messiah! He’s THE MAN! What kind of idiots would reject THE DUDE!? What’s going on here?

26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking, and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed all of them. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed all of them 30 —it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

Screenshot of the Ending to "A Serious Man"...


So, if the running theme is more primarily about bound or unbound, relationship to a community of people – attachment or detachment - than about prediction of “the end times,” then…then what? Does that mean he’s not telling us to remain on high alert for lightening in the sky like Harold Camping? I wonder what happened on May 21!? It does look like Camping was right about the whole judgment thing, though. Jesus references two stories about judgment, so those might be clues.

If “Judgment Day” being on May 21st doesn’t mean that we should stay home and read our inductive bible studies while watching Christian TV broadcasts up until that day in 2011, then maybe the relationships to which God binds us in Himself to his community are pretty important. Maybe those who reject him, those who unbind themselves in relation to himself and his community…they’re being judged? Wait a second…

Then who is he to be enacting this communal judgment of God!? Who are you to tell ME what to do, Jesus! I’m my own person! This is my personal, individual bible study you’re interrupting! I have Free Will!

Well, I mean, he HAD just told the Pharisees that the kingdom was among them in his very own person.

31 On that day, anyone on the housetop who has belongings in the house must not come down to take them away; and likewise anyone in the field must not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it. 34 I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left.”

OK, so, review. We’re talking about when the kingdom will come. So, how again is this not one of those "end times" passages? We’ve come to two basic points of discussion in response. For one, we’re talking about being rightly bound relationships of justice and covenant love and in Jesus. Hence the sense of urgency in verse 31. So, by extension, we’re talking about judgment of those outside of that binding love in abundant grace. Also, the judgment will somehow strikingly happen when Jesus “suffers many things and [is] rejected.” I guess that makes sense, though, since one who rejects is clearly no longer bound in relationship to the one rejected. Just ask the women who don’t want anything to do with me, lol.

What verses 31-35 seem to evoke, then, is the mysterious nature of what it means to cleave to or decleave from this binding relationship. Being "taken and left" is language of being bound and unbound in relationship. “But, she was showing sings of interest. What happened? This is so confusing! Where did she go?"

Who wants to be bound to one rejected? That requires a lot of love, support, and trust. More than what most people exhibit in the face of such “peer pressure,” that’s for sure! And, it’s about more than just social pressure and acceptance, too. In an honor and shame culture, life and death are at stake in honor and insult. Whoever remains bound to one who the authorities reject is probably walking on thin ice. “Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it.” It presents quite a challenge and question before my tossing heart. This is starting to sound more difficult than “believing” in the right doctrines. It's starting to sound like predicting and thus foreclosing our knowledge of the "end times" is the very opposite of what Jesus is saying to us here. We are not being comforted with such control and power.

So, in the light of this evocative mystery of trust, in light of such a difficult question presented before the heart of humans when it had just become abundantly clear that only idiots would reject THE DUDE, it makes sense that the next thing out of the confused disciples’ mouths is a question:

37 Then they asked him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”

They THOUGHT they had this question answered.

Peter said to him, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples. – Matthew 26: 35

It’s easy for me to think I have it answered, too. So, I ask one more time: “Where, Lord?” I doubt I’m much less confused than they. It might not be where I think. “Occasions for stumbling are BOUND to come…” (Luke 17: 1).