Amen

Passage: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-24

The life of God’s people is defined by the experience of waiting. The patriarch of Israel, Abraham, waits most of his life for a son. His waiting is prompted by a promise God makes to Abraham at the beginning of their journey together:
I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. (Genesis 12:2-3)

Abraham and his wife, Sarah, eventually have a son. But they don’t get to see the rest of God’s promise fulfilled. This is also true of the Israelites whom God rescues from slavery in Egypt. Most of them spend 40 years trekking toward the Promised Land, only to die in the wilderness. The author of Hebrews points out that none of the notable characters of the Old Testament get to witness all the good things God says he has in store for them. He says,
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. (Hebrews 11:13)

In one of his letters to the church in Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul encourages his friends to keep the faith. They are simply one generation in countless who have shaped their lives in anticipation of “the Day of the Lord” – the moment when God brings his redemption plan to complete fulfillment. Paul says the same things Jesus says to his disciples: “Watch; wait; and don’t settle. Don’t give in to the darkness of fleeting pleasure and momentary gratification. Hold out for the better thing God has in store. It will be here before you know it.”

I’m reminded of one Christmas Eve when I was a kid. My family was staying at my grandmother’s condo. I restlessly sat through an interminable evening of holiday dinner, hot chocolate and fruitcake and conversation. I finally got tucked into bed and thought I’d never go to sleep. After all, we wouldn’t open our stockings and gifts until Christmas morning. Would it ever get here? Even as I thought it my eyelids got heavy. I blinked. When I opened my eyes, I heard my mom and dad and grandma’s soft voices in the kitchen. The clink of dishes. Were they cleaning up? Then I smelled my grandma’s Christmas morning coffee cake. That’s strange – why would she be making it tonight? I got up and wandered out to the living room. There were the stockings. The table set for breakfast. It was Christmas morning. It had arrived before I knew it.

Paul and Jesus’ other apostles have their eye on the prize. They live restlessly, unwilling to settle for temporary fixes. Yet they also live with peace, knowing that their reunion with the Savior will be worth the wait. Hold out for better, says Paul. In all circumstances give thanks, because God is with you. Never stop praying. Never lose hope.

The conclusion of the Catechism addresses the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer:
Q: What does that little word "Amen" express?
A: Amen means, “This is sure to be!” It is even more sure that God listens to my prayer, than that I really desire what I pray for.

The deepest desire of every human heart is Shalom – the restoration of all things. The Day of the Lord is the day that Christ returns and makes all things the way they were meant to be. Our longing for greater security; deeper intimacy; personal advancement; justice and peace – this is a longing for that which is broken in our world to be healed. God promises to bring ultimate healing. When we seal our prayer with the word Amen, we declare our conviction that if God said it, he’ll do it. Receive the blessing with which Paul concludes 1 Thessalonians:
May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it! Amen.