“The insanity of the Christian doctrine of redemption really doesn’t fit at all into our time. Nevertheless there are learned, educated men, occupying high positions in public life, who cling to it with the faith of a child. It is simply incomprehensible how anybody can consider the Christian doctrine of redemption as a guide for the difficult life of today.”
Joseph Goebbels, German Minister of Propaganda in the Nazi era, wrote those words, outlining Adolf Hitler’s thoughts on the clergy and his plans to eliminate from the German heart the worship of a humble Christ who sacrifices Himself in favor of the Nietzchean ideal of strength, the “will to power.”
True, mentions of “Nazis” or “Hitler” are generally signs that an argument has deteriorated beyond hope of redemption—but this topic of redemption remains an object of scorn and derision in our own troubled times. Sincere belief in God is deemed incompatible with “learned, educated men,” and belief in the Christian doctrine of redemption will get you labeled as a child or insane.
Yet this is what Jesus points us toward, in the Gospel reading for this Second Sunday in Advent (Luke 21:25-36). “There will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity…Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
“Your redemption draws near.” Redemption is popularly thought of as a comeback, like in sports or politics, often involving a rehabilitation of reputation. The other popular idea of redemption is performing an act of heroism or going on a quest to atone for your past. Think Darth Vader throwing the emperor to his death, and reconciling with his son; despite his evil, he’s redeemed by his heroic death. One of my favorite movies, The Mission, features a warrior who kidnaps natives in South America and sells them as slaves. After he kills his own brother, he ends up seeking redemption by going with a Jesuit priest back to the natives he once enslaved, dragging his armor and sword in a bag that becomes increasingly heavy. When the armor and sword is eventually cut, it tumbles down a hill. He’s done his penance, he’s redeemed.
It’s a beautiful story, but not the Christian meaning of redemption. The redemption that God offers you is not done by your heroic act. It is not done by your penance. You don’t accomplish your redemption. “Your redemption draws near,” Jesus says, meaning, it draws near to you, from the outside. Someone else is doing it. “The only thing that a man can contribute to his own redemption,” said William Temple, “is the sin from which he needs to be redeemed.”
Redemption in the ancient world meant being bought out of slavery. Or to be released from death in exchange for renouncing your faith. You can see this at work in the shocking news from the pastor dubbed the Vicar of Baghdad, Andrew White. In a recent message he described soldiers of the Islamic State capturing a group of Christian children. They would be spared if they converted to Islam. “No,” they said. “We love Yeshua.” And so they were executed.
Why would they turn down this redemption? Because they looked for a better one, the redemption of Yeshua, Jesus, who would save them not for a time but for eternity. The writer to the Hebrews says, “[Some] were tortured, not accepting deliverance (redemption), that they might obtain a better resurrection” (11:35).
I don’t think we can understand our Lord’s deliverance until we come to grips with our own death, as well as the darkness of our own intentions and motives. C.S. Lewis said, “No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good.” Who does God judge, according to our first reading today? The arrogant.
That’s dealing with the First Commandment, “You shall have no other gods.” Idolatry is not only found among the worshippers of fraudulent religions. Arrogance is to set yourself not only above other people but above God Himself. In Ps. 19, the word “arrogant” is translated “presumptuous”: “Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me.” What sins have dominion over you, rule you? What are you presuming by your choice to sin?
Are you not saying, “God will forgive me”? Would you commit adultery by saying, “My wife will forgive me”? Would you neglect to feed your children, saying, “I will ask forgiveness later”? Why then do you presume upon God’s forgiveness? Beware, lest what you call repentance is actually an excuse to keep on serving yourself above all.
“Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day”—the Day of Judgment—“come on you unexpectedly.” This is complacent living, “as if the Last Day were still a thousand years away” (Spangenberg). The Word of God is clear: we are to live not for the cares and concerns of this life—that is, occupied with how much we can get—but we are to live in light of that Day.
St. Paul in today’s Epistle describes this new life of the Christian as living in harmony with each other – a musical term. The notes sometimes move in different directions, but all serving the greater purpose of the song. What brings discord, dissonance? Arrogance, pride. Without getting too technical, the beauty of music is resolved tension, as discord is released. Christ redeems us freely, without any merit or worthiness in us, and this we also do, living in harmony, resolving tension—discord—with others by forgiveness.
The atheist philosophy is right: “The insanity of the Christian doctrine of redemption really doesn’t fit at all into our time.” For our time is given over to greed and selfishness, a world where erotic liberty trumps religious liberty, where some police, and our government, show disdain for human life, and the love of many grows cold. In this world, power and privilege rule, and the Christian doctrine of redemption is no path to worldly success.
But you, dear Baptized child, are loved by God. You don’t live for power or pride, for you have been redeemed, and that outside of yourself, not with gold or silver, but with the holy and precious blood of Jesus, as of a lamb without spot. The insanity of the Christian doctrine of redemption really doesn’t fit at all into our time, but it is the only solution for our time, and for the remaining time of your life.
So rejoice and be glad, daughter of Zion, child of God, for your redemption draws near, outside of you. Love your neighbors, live in harmony with others, and wait quietly for Christ your redeemer. Rejoice and be glad, for your redemption does not depend on you but Jesus, who has done everything already.