Sermon for the The Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year C (5-18-25)

I hope everyone ate their Wheaties this morning, because we're going to be focusing on our reading from Revelation. For those who have spent any time in this most fascinating - if not troubling, even terrifying - conclusion to our holy scriptures, you'll understand why thoughtful preachers tread very carefully into it from up here. And conversely, you'll know why it's a favorite to be used as a bludgeon by irresponsible preachers. After all, fear is quite an effective motivator.

But at least a handful of you are looking back at today's passage, though, and thinking "well this doesn't seem so bad. It's kind of lovely, actually." This vision of a mystical, perfect new creation. Where God is present in a concrete real way. Where there's no more suffering, no more sadness, no more pain - and most importantly - no more death. And you'd be right. It is a lovely image, and it's no small reason why we draw heavily from this passage in our funeral liturgy. 

I think for no small number of people in the world today whether they be seeking a new home in the face of inescapable poverty or violence, whether they still continue to carve out space in this society to be seen at all - to exist at all. Whether they be trapped in cycles or addition, or rage, or grief, or hopelessness. For no small number of people - and for the whole of this fragile Earth itself, I'd wager - this vision of a new heaven and a new Earth is an especially lovely vision. Especially right about now.

But if you've ever taken even a brief tour though Revelation you'll know that nice visions of utopian futures are not all that's on offer. Actually, a large majority of the Revelation to John depicts a lot of horror and turmoil. And more than anything, a lot of divine judgement. 

It would seem that the framers of the lectionary - our roadmap through the scriptures - may have wanted us to detour around judgement today. Because just where this passage of hope and promise ends today, the very next verses read:  "Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Uh oh. This is a pretty broad list. Am I to understand that those lies I've flirted with over the years are going to exempt me from this new creation? Were all of those fundamentalists actually right when they told me that my love of Harry Potter would be at the risk of my own condemnation? How does all of this actually work?

Unsurprisingly, the judgement found in Revelation has taken the main stage of the Christian imagination - especially to those who insist on attempting to read all scripture literally. Which is - by the way - a very recent development in relation to our long history of Christian study and teaching. And I say attempt to read it literally because - with any level of intellectual honesty - we have to admit that you really can't read all of scripture literally and expect it to make any sense or be of any help ultimately.

But whether you take the illustrations of divine judgement literally or figuratively, we have to admit that judgement is a key factor in this book. And it accompanies the idyllic visions of a new creation in nearly lock step. Considered in a certain way, I want to offer up a little insight into why I think all of this is ultimately Good News.

Anglican theologian Fleming Rutledge in her recent tome The Crucifixion really gets to the heart of how I believe we can consider the justice of God in a faithful and honest way. She writes: “In our world, something is terribly wrong and it must be put right. If, when we see an injustice, our blood does not boil at some point, we have not yet understood the depths of God. It depends, though, on what outrages us. To be outraged on behalf of oneself or one’s own group alone is to be human, but it is not to participate in Christ. To be outraged and to take action on behalf of the voiceless and oppressed, however, is to do the work of God.”

What this view of God's sense of justice shows me, at least, is that judgement isn't as much of a punishment for bad things done or good things left undone - but that it's a litmus test for who will actually want to be part of this new creation. Because while I hope everyone here can understand why an existence where there is no more crying, or pain, or struggle, or competition, or inequality, or strife, or discontentment, or even death - while I hope all of us can see why we would want to be part of that reality, I'm sure we can all picture at least one person who - for one reason or another - might say: no thanks. Especially if this new creation has a clear and undeniable picture of who will, in fact, be God. (Hint - it won't be any of us. And that's very, very Good News)

The free will that our Creator baked into us - the very thing that both allows us to love God in a real way, but also run from God's love in a real way - is eternally stitched into the very fabric of our souls. God's not going to take it back. In fact, God became one of us in Christ Jesus to show exactly how much God wants us to be together in this new creation. In this renewed reality where heaven and earth are new and are also one.

But God has standards for this new, just, loving reality. And that, my friends, is really the best news this morning. What will not be invited into this new creation is the malice, and selfishness, and deceit, and fear, and pain that so sadly afflicts creation this day. I believe that the choice will be clear: do you want to stay here, rooted in all this death if it means you can be your own God? Or do you want to come do a new thing? Be part of a new creation? One choice will look like judgement, and the other will look like life. But make no mistake: the choice is ours to make.

So, if you're still a bit leery John's fever dream of a Revelation, I hope you'll consider taking another look. Despite some confusing and concerning parts, there's truly beautiful imagery and a clear message that God's love will win, and that we are warmly invited into the celebration.

Amen