This Week’s Reflection: “The Second Coming”
My father was a gracious individual but could be blunt at times. Just weeks before his death, I asked him if he expected to see Cathy (his wife of 64 years who died 7 months ahead of him) when he died. It wasn’t unusual for me to ask such questions of him, since we often talked theology. My question was prompted, in part, by the comments people make when a loved one journeys on, and especially the notion that they have now joined their departed loved ones in heaven. In clear language, Unk (my father) responded to me by asserting that “that’s not what our theology tells us — those that have gone before us are at rest and will rise when Christ returns.” I recall being a bit taken aback by his comments and asked him if that is what he truly believed — it seemed less than comforting. Then he winked at me and said, “you know, sometimes we tell ourselves things just to feel better, but death remains a great mystery.” It was a conversation I never forgot. 

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey, 49 CE

So, the Second Coming — what to make of that? Paul’s language in 1 Thessalonians is helpful. As with many books of the Bible, context is truly key. This letter, according to most scholars, is the oldest book of the New Testament, probably written in the early 50s CE, roughly 20 years after the crucifixion. As part of his second missionary journey in 49 CE, Paul and his companions traveled throughout the Roman Empire, in this case to the Macedonian city of Thessaloniki. As was often the case, Paul (and companions Sylvanus and Timothy) were writing to the Thessalonian Christians on many matters of faith to follow-up their earlier visit. Specifically in this passage, Paul is addressing their fear that believers who had died would not share in glory of Christ’s return (verse 13). He assures them that those who have died will be ushered into heaven first, followed by those still alive (verses 14-18), and that all will be with Christ forever.

It is worth noting three things here. First, the notion of our God taking human form and dying a brutal death on the cross and rising again has divided believers since the time of those first-generation Christians. In fact, in the earliest centuries of the Church’s formation, there were those who sought to guard the divinity of Christ — called Docetists — who believed that Jesus, because he was divine, only seemed to die. The Apostles’ Creed, in fact, was written directly in opposition to those who questioned Christ’s humanity — you may want to look at the Creed again. Second, Paul’s language in this passage indicates that he believed Christ would return in his lifetime — a common belief among our earliest Christian ancestors. Amazingly, there were those alive when Paul was writing that had actually witnessed the crucifixion AND may have been among the hundreds of people that saw Christ, post-resurrection! And, let me now circle back to my initial question in the introduction — WHY we spend so little time talking about Christ’s second coming. My sense, based on what I have learned, and especially Luther’s skepticism about the book of Revelation, is that we are wary of getting caught up in predictions regarding the return of Christ. Jesus, in fact, is clear on this point when he tells his followers: “About that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36). Further, our emphasis on God’s grace perhaps precludes us from coming down too harshly on the notion of eternal damnation — just a thought. Finally, in spite of the mysteries surrounding many aspects of our faith, let us lean in on the assurance of Christ’s return, and let that awe-inspiring hope guide our approach to life. Barbara Rossing, professor of New Testament and the environmental ministry coordinator at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, offers this terrific commentary:   

Early Christians definitely thought they were living at the brink of the end of the world. Love of neighbor and hospitality to strangers was early Christians’ surest response to life on the brink of the end-times. They gathered and worshiped God. They ministered to the poor. They visited prisoners. They broke bread together, they sang hymns. Early Christians nurtured community. By their lifestyle of love and welcome, early Christians resisted the claims of the empire. People around them marveled at their joy and boldness. To look for the coming of Christ, and to live in urgency, means to share God’s love for the world. “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as in heaven” is what Jesus taught us to pray. It is not a prayer to take us away from earth but rather a prayer that God’s reign will come to earth — and that it will even come through us, as Martin Luther explained in the 16th century.