Annually September 29
Rev. 12:7-12, Psalm 138:1-5, John 1:47-51
Today’s readings are about the victory of good over evil. Sometimes we need to be reminded of that. God’s good in all of creation will prevail. There are times when it doesn’t look that way and individually we can become uncertain if not discouraged because of everything we see or hear is happening around us.
There was a choice of readings this morning and I chose the one from Revelation because it talks about the fight between good and evil in really graphic terms. “War broke out in heaven.” That’s a pretty dramatic picture. No doubt you’ve seen great artwork that depicts St. Michael vanquishing the devil. This is the story that leads to those images.
It is so important that we hear what is being said. The victory is with those who believe in Jesus and share his life. Revelation was written around 95AD, after persecutions by Nero, as a reflection on those hard times. It is apocalyptic literature, which means it is written about the end of the world. Therefore, it is trying to say that in the end, literally the end of time as we know it, God’s reign will prevail.
But it is not written as a document of history or a prediction of actual events in the future. It is written to help people, then and now, better understand the source of their salvation. We are saved because of Jesus and because we believe in him and all he stood for.
What attracted me to this reading were these lines. “They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; love for life did not deter them from death.” The angels beat Satan because Jesus died on the cross and all the people who believed in him. I think there is no greater line in the Gospels than, “love for life did not deter them from death.” What is it that conquers evil? The love for life that is not deterred by the fear of death. Things may not look good but we should be able to be undeterred from the love of life because even death doesn’t matter. That is the lesson of the resurrection. We have the evidence of the risen Christ that goodness wins. Even if someone or some group or natural disaster literally pummels us to death, the good wins. That is what Christianity is all about. God is so much a part of life that it is good and no evil can destroy it.
But remember this is not a history document. It is not a blueprint for world events. The Bible is about what we might easily call spiritual reality. We need to remember that spiritual reality is the deep down inside of us reality. We are the spiritual beings that scripture stories are trying to describe. The battle against evil is going on inside of us. That’s why the Psalm says, “When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me.” Whatever is going on around us isn’t the issue. The question is, are we still loving life and unafraid of death? Are we still following Jesus? Life is good. Do we still live that way? If we are, then we will be what Revelation describes, “Therefore, rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them.”
Remember Jesus in our Gospel reading today? Jesus recognizes Nathaniel even though he hadn’t met him before and Nathaniel is so impressed he declares Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is somewhat amused by Nathaniel’s enthusiasm. Jesus tells Nathaniel that there is much more to come. He will see, “the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” That message isn’t just for Nathaniel. It is for all of us. We who believe in Jesus and share his life have the heavens open to us and we dwell there every time the love of life is not deterred by the fear of death.
