Endurance

Sermon by Pr. Sharai Jacob on the Second Sunday in Advent + Saturday, November 15, 2025

I normally have to work much harder to connect our Gospel reading to the world we live in. But this week, it feels almost written for our current time!

I hear friends and neighbors saying, “I’m normally not an alarmist, but do you think [this or that] is possible?” 

Empires only last so long, are we living in a crumbling empire? Where are people actually being disappeared to? Is ICE sending them home or to some kind of concentration camps or is this human trafficking? Will we ever have another election? Should I leave the country? How would I even go about doing that and when?

Maybe you’ve been asking yourself similar questions? I certainly have. I often steer away from ideas like these when I can - they often do more harm than good. But our Gospel reading today seems to tackle them head-on.

When I read today’s text, I felt a creeping dread. We are supposed to expect that bad things are going to happen, that the worst answers to all those questions are or will be true. We should expect that our safety nets and systems of power will fail. If that’s true, then what hope is there?

Maybe Jesus is pushing us to focus on exactly that: where are we looking for hope? Luke’s text was written after the destruction of the temple. So our reading is actually looking back to a traumatic event, and searching for meaning. Jesus is telling the disciples to remind themselves that human achievement is impermanent, fragile, and certainly not eternal. Not so that they would feel discouraged or fearful. But so that they would understand that while these systems and safety nets may be effective temporarily, the only real eternal power is God’s power. 

If we do what Jesus seems to be saying, if we accept that the worst is likely to come our way. Then there are difficult choices to be made. How will we respond, and where will we find rest, safety, hope? Before we answer these questions Jesus pulls us into yet another disturbing scene. A courtroom scene where the persecuted are offered an opportunity to testify.

But Jesus tells us we should choose not to prepare a defense! What a ridiculous strategy!? Who would show up to court with no preparation, no plan to defend themselves? 

Jesus says that he will give us the necessary words and wisdom. God will be present at our hearing and will make an argument for our innocence that no one could dispute. 

But even God’s perfect defense, results in persecution and death. Because the truth is hated in a corrupt courthouse, and this opportunity to defend ourselves was never a legitimate search for justice. By the time this trial takes place, we know that our systems and safety nets are broken, corrupt, crumbling.

We are not expected to be capable of eloquently and expertly winning our case. We are not expected to make a great and anxious effort to map out all possible arguments and counter arguments before the hearing. It would have been a waste of effort. So, what are we expected to do? Just sit by and watch as a corrupt court hands out corrupt judgements? As systems of protection become systems of violence?

The courthouse scene ends as Jesus explains that even though they will put some of us to death, “not a hair on your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.” This seems like another confusing contradiction. Being put to death really sounds like more than just the hairs on my head will perish…

But this is another push for us to recognize what is eternal and what is impermanent. For Jesus and for all of us because of Jesus, Death is impermanent. Because of God’s Grace, we may die, but our souls will not perish, our souls will live in eternity. 

And beyond this odd contradiction, Jesus is saying that Endurance is the virtue here. Not the eloquence of our defense at court. Not flashy shows of power or expertly planned safety nets. Even earthly victory, and defeating our enemies comes second to Endurance. 

We started with a temple. A should represent God. But this temple was built by Herod. Herod was supposed to rule over and serve his people, the Judeans, while also serving and reporting to the Roman Rulers. Of course the Romans and the Judeans would never agree on anything, so Herod was trapped in a tug of war between them. Herod built this temple as a symbol of power, authority, and control – probably because he lacked all of those things in his position. 

Whether it’s a temple, or a company. A government system, or a career goal. All human achievement is impermanent. When we see the results of human wealth and power, its horrors and its conveniences, we may be tempted to think that they will always be there. The rich will always be rich, the powerful will always have power, the status quo will always remain the same.

Jesus says: assume instability, assume that these things will crumble, assume that these systems are flawed. And endure. 

As we see more and more clearly the evidence of imperfect human power, as the facade of control fades away, let us be reminded of the eternal, enduring presence of God. Let these crumbling temples turn our minds towards what is neverending.

God’s eternal presence calls us to act against injustice. Calls us to stand in community. Calls to stand with the oppressed. No matter whether we feel prepared, God’s presence with us gives us just what we need. Our role is to hold the line. Come what may, we will endure together.