“ADONAI ATONES BY ABSORBING THE ABOMINABLE”
Saint Matthew 24: 15-28
3rd Last Sunday: 8 November Anno Domini 2020
Fr Jay Watson, SSP
The Lord Christ knows all about the “abomination of desolation.” He assumes His Disciples understand what He speaks to them. The “12” are His Disciples; you are His disciples in this place and time. The Lord knew all about it when He gave utterance to Saint Daniel that it might be recorded and preached to the Hebrew Saints during the Babylonian captivity and later during the return to Judaea. And as Christ assumed the “12” were familiar with the Prophet’s prophecy, He desired His, soon be Evangelist, Apostle Saint Matthew, to record it for all The Church of all times: “whoso readeth, let him understand.” Do you? Do we?
Historians, Church “Fathers,” Biblical Scholars, Lutheran exegetes, and pastors, do not all agree with unanimity exactly what the “abomination of desolation” means.
We do know what desolation means: barren, lonely, forsaken, desert-like, inhabitable, and empty; the antithesis and opposite of fertile, fecund, life-giving, and, well, Eden: Garden like.
We do know what abomination means: foul, perverse, blasphemous, evil, filthy, and horrible: Hell like.
The abomination of desolation, whether it’s heathen gentiles profaning the sacred Temple in Jerusalem, whether it’s the placement of pagan statutes, ensigns, or other false gods in the “face” of The Blessed Trinity, it is Satan presuming to banish The Lord from lifting up His countenance upon His people. It is darkness banishing light. It is death vanquishing life. And yes, it certainly, as Christ goes on to explain, tied in with the Roman assault on Judea and Jerusalem in the year 70 A.D.
But if this text is only a prophesy of The God/Man Christ, about what was to come near the end of the 1st century, then, frankly, it’s an interesting but no longer relevant fact. We’re done here this morning, let’s move on.
But the word of The Lord endureth forever. Christ is the same yesterday (30 AD), today, and forever. He is the one who defeats, not the abominable snowman—monster of the Himalayas, but the abominable dragon—monster of fire that burns with brimstone and sulfur. I suppose a Yeti could be defanged, but I believe, teach, and confess that the snake has had its infernal skull crushed.
In these last dark and terrible times—fake pandemics, real diseases, corruption, senseless wars, tyranny, despotism, starvation, loss of religious liberties, and possibly mass arrests and executions in the years to come—do not let any idols hold you in a place that needs to be abandoned. You love your homes and neighborhoods; your communities and places of gathering. But when the devil’s hordes begin their assault flee into the mountains. Flee to “The” mountain which is Calvary in your own congregation: Augsburg! Flee, or rather, gather, around the Holy Chalice and the Holy Host. Don’t lose your life for mammon, things in the house, in the field, in the wardrobe, but be guided by The Holy Spirit to that place where The Word of Christ feeds, houses, and clothes you!
Your tribulations, if you are granted the Grace to be in the actual “final days” before Jesus’ Second Advent, will be great, greater than the fall of Rome, Europe’s Black Death, or the Great War and World War II. But your tribulation will not be as great as the Fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, nor the greatest tribulation of all—Christ’s battle with Satan on the Hill of Golgotha. As your God/Man hung between earth and sky, suffering, sweating, bleeding, gasping for breath, slowly and agonizingly dying—the desolation, your sins, blackened his eyesight and his life. There on the crucifix the desolation appeared to overwhelm the Messiah. There on the tree of death, all that was abominable seemed to triumph. But you know. You believe. You have been given faith to hold tight the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead—for you—for your forgiveness and salvation! The days were shortened for the sorrowing, despondent, and grief-stricken Disciples. The Lord of Life took back His life on the Third Day—on Sunday. And for all His elect’s sake your days are “shortened” in that you will be given no temptation that you are not able to bear; you will always be given the way out and over by being given The Word, The Word, The Word. The Word made Flesh Who had His earthly life shortened by whip, thorns, and nails.
In the current unpleasantness dear Saints; in the coming persecutions, if any man says to you, here, here, is your answer, your solution, believe it not. For there will arise false leaders, “physicians,” scientists. There will come to you, traitorous religious types and false prophets. These fake and false comforters and phony protectors may even show you great signs and wonders: peer-reviewed tests and media sanctioned polling and “evidenced” based fact-finding. They, Satan and his minions, seek to deceive you and to cause you to leave the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church; to abandon the Word, to go without The Sacrament.
God for you is not outside—outside the Church. God for you is not within the secret desires of your heart or the confused desires of your mind’s ego. Believe only The Word of The Lord!
Wheresoever the flesh is, The Body and Blood of Christ is, there are you my fellow eagles.
We are gathered by The Holy Ghost and placed at the Altar of Jesus. The coming of The Son of Man is now!
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
Email the webmaster.Contact Augsburg Lutheran Church: (913) 403-6194