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“Thieves and Angels” 2 Peter 3:8-15 December 6, 2020 Rev. David Hutchinson

There are thieves who do good, and there are angels who fall.

At least according to the Bible - - in the second letter from Peter.

In chapter two of Second Peter, it says that “God did not spare the angels when they sinned - - but cast them into hell”. / So apparently some angels - - sin. / And when they sin - - they fall. / Which is not so good for either those fallen angels - - nor for us - - if we are taken in by them.

Then in the next chapter of second Peter it says that the “Day of the Lord” will come like a “thief in the night”. / We don’t know when God will come to put everything right - - and so when it does it might surprise us - - like a thief tries to do. / But if this so called “thief” is bringing God into the world - - rather than robbing us - - that seems like a good thing.

A thief who brings God’s judgment into the world.

And a fallen angel who sins.

Two images from the New Testament letter of Second Peter.

Both of these are images of judgment - - this thief and this angel.

The thief brings God’s judgment into the world.

Good - - - finally, finally, finally triumphs over evil.

And the fallen angel - - brings - - destructive false sinful words - -

- - and then is judged by God.

And NEITHER this thief - - NOR this ANGEL - - STARTED out this way.

Presumably - - the angel started out good and up in heaven.

That’s where an angel would fall FROM. 2

And any thief has to rob somebody - - to be called a thief.

But here - - this thief - - is an image - - for what God is doing.

Could it be - - that even thieves and angels - - can change their ways?

Maybe…

While you think about that - - let’s look more closely at the second letter of Peter in the

Bible. / It was written a LONG time ago - - to people who had very different assumptions about the world - - and about God - - than most of us today. / Whether we believe in God or try to follow Jesus - - or not - - the world is different - - and we think differently about God.

Back then - - one of the main concerns of this letter - - was God’s judgment.

How does it work?

When will it happen?

Why does it take so long?

Do we have time to repent and change?

And so on…

At the time it was written many followers of Jesus believed - - that Jesus would return very soon - - and set things right. / What we call the “second coming” of Christ - - was something they believed would happen very SOON. / God had come into the world in Jesus as a tiny baby - - and then been killed - - and then rose. / AND - - Jesus as the Christ - - was to come into the world AGAIN - - because things were STILL not right. / Jesus life and death - - were NOT ENOUGH - - to fix the mess. / But - - SOON - - they believed - - all would be made right by God - - in Christ - - through the second coming.

That was the ORTHODOX belief:

That Jesus was going to return SOON! 3

The problem that Peter faced was that a whole BUNCH of people were saying that the second coming was NOT going to happen soon. / After all - - it had already been YEARS since

Jesus died - - and NOTHING! / So Peter must be WRONG!

The UN-orthodox belief was that the second coming of Christ was - - delayed.

TO which Peter responds:

A thousand years are as a day - - and a day as a thousand years - - to God.

Look at verse 8 of chapter 3.

So it’s NOT that Jesus forgot - - or is not coming - - or is DELAYED.

Instead - - it IS that - - WE are not PATIENT enough.

And WE - - don’t really understand TIME - - form God’s point of view.

What we SHOULD do - - according to Second Peter - - is be THANKFUL for the TIME we DO have - - and that for US it SEEMS like a long time. / Because that means there is

STILL time to REPENT - - and to CHANGE - - and to HEAL - - and to TRY.

God’s justice IS - - JUST around the corner!

And the fact - - that WE think it’s not - - is actually a BLESSING.

It’s - - not a reason to complain!

It’s an OPPORTUNTTY - - to change.

That is - - unless you think you have NOTHING that needs changing.

Unless you think it’s only the OTHER people - - who need to change.

Are you - - just sitting around WAITING for God to JUDGE the world?

And EXPECTING - - that YOU will come out great?

If that IS you - - BEWARE!

That’s the message of 2 Peter. 4

So to change gears for just a minute - - does anyone else LOVE the “Grinch”?

Dr. Seuss classic story about the town of “Whoville” - - stars - - the Grinch. / The

Grinch who stole Christmas - - but in fact - - who turns out NOT to actually steal it. / The

Grinch comes to Whoville - - as a thief in the night. / No one expects him. / Even little Cindy

Loo Who - - who gets up in the night for a drink - - is so conditioned by her parents NOT to expect a thief in the night - - that she is taken in by him when he claims to be Santa Clause.

The Whos down in Whoville were preparing for a huge Christmas celebration complete with social presence - - instead of social distance. / There are lots of decorations - - and food - - and presents under the tree.

But the Grinch - - claimed to hate Christmas - - and decided to try to steal it.

And on Christmas morning - - nothing was left.

Not even a crumb - - for a mouse.

Nothing - - except - - music.

Nothing - - except - - hope.

Nothing except - - voices crying out in song - - in the wilderness.

The Whos wake on Christmas morning - - and discover that all their decorations food and presents have been stolen - - and instead of filing lawsuits - - they join in song.

Instead of focusing on what they do NOT have - - they see what they have.

One never knows - - if or when a thief in the night might come.

And no one knows - - when Christ will return.

But - - it might be sooner than you think!

And if the letter of Second Peter in the Bible is right - - soon is relative.

To God - - days and years - - all bend together. 5

To God - - the question is not WHEN will you learn to love - - the question is: DO you?

And if you do NOT - - will you take the opportunity of THIS day - - and change?

Angels can fall.

And thieves - - can turn to doing good.

That’s what our faith is all about: change - - and hope.

So this Advent time - - can be a time of patience.

Maybe we can have patience - - with our world.

Patience - - with ourselves.

Another word for the orthodox belief at the time of second Peter was “Adventism”.

Adventism was the original faith of the early believers.

Adventism was the hope and expectation that God is just around the corner.

Christ - - is coming into the world to set things right - - and SOON!

And this expectation - - ironically - - leads to words about patience.

But for Peter - - it is God’s patience with us!

According to N. T. Wright - - in his commentary on this text:

“God’s patience - - is OUR opportunity”.

The end of the world - - is still a few minutes - - or hours away…

God has been - - amazingly patient.

And that’s good news for us sinners!

Don’t wait - - don’t waste your opportunity!

What do you hope for - - or want to change?

Anything?

If we imagine that God just wants to BURN everything up at the end - - then who cares?! 6

BUT - - God - - intends to RENEW the heavens and the earth.

That’s what it says in Isaiah.

That’s what it says in the book of Revelation.

What we do in this present time - - matters!

Imagine your house on Christmas night.

Imagine a break in.

How would it affect you?

Would you hear the Christmas story differently?

Jesus is coming into the world - - again.

Jesus first appeared as a baby in a manger.

And NO ONE - - was ready!

King Herod and the shepherds and the inn keeper were all surprised at how it happened.

If Jesus returned THIS Christmas - - would anyone be ready - - yet?

Would the world listen?

Would we…?