By the Rev. Robert Blezard
Revised Common Lectionary reflection, Proper 27, Year C
November 9, 2025
Key verse: For I know that my vindicator lives and that in the end he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God. -Job 19:25, 26
Amid the over-the-top preoccupation with “end times” in some Christian circles, this week’s lessons can help us refocus on the questions that really matter. Instead of asking, “When is Christ coming again?” we should ask, “How are we living? Are we faithful stewards of our faith, our time, our relationships, our health and our intelligence? Do we really trust God?”
This week helps set the table for the celebration of Reign of Christ Sunday, November 23, which not only closes out the church year but also remembers that Jesus’ returning will culminate the divine plan for God’s people. This week’s lessons might lay the groundwork for further rational exploration – maybe a sermon series -of the “end times” fervor as Reign of Christ Sunday approaches.
In the reading from 2 Thessalonians, it’s clear that Paul is addressing issues similar to today’s. The culture is abuzz with rumors, theories and speculation that Jesus’ return is imminent. People are confused and scared. In response, Paul offers advice that we are wise to consider as well. As some Christians raise alarms and incite fear with dubious claims, Paul tells us not to be “quickly shaken or alarmed” (v. 2) and “let no one deceive you” (v. 3). Events that precede the second coming will take place as the Divine One orchestrates, but God’s people are simply to trust God and live faithfully: “Stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught” (v.15).
Stewarding our lives of faith means putting trust in God’s timing, God’s workings and God’s purposes, even if we do not know — and cannot know — their precise details. We are to keep calm and stay focused on our mission. A preacher today could not only urge a similar response to the current end-times frenzy, but also remind God’s people that the Thessalonians’ stir over the “imminent” second coming occurred 2,000 years ago. Will Christ come again tomorrow? Or 2,000 years from now? It’s out of our hands. A good sermon might end with the kind of encouragement that concludes our Epistle reading: “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word” (v. 16, 17).
The passage from Job also reinforces that we steward our lives best by keeping absolute faith and trust in God, following God’s instructions as best we can, certain that everything will turn out in the end — even if it’s in the afterlife. To set the context, Job is a righteous man whose days have been marked by one tragic loss after another. In pondering the age-old question, “Why do bad things happen to good people,” Job expresses certainty that he will receive vindication and justice. His faith and trust in God remains rock solid despite his personal misfortunes.
Speaking to a universal human condition, the Job passage can give hope and comfort to all who do their best to live with faithfulness and integrity yet nonetheless experience deep pain and hardship. A preacher could point out that our lives include inevitable and sometimes-unjust suffering, but we express our faith, trust and hope in God by living right, knowing that doing so has its own reward.
While exploring in this week’s lessons the theme of right living and what awaits us in the afterlife, a sobering nugget from the Gospel reading can slip by unnoticed. Answering the Sadducees’ question about marriage in the world to come, Jesus comments that “those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and the resurrection from the dead” (Luke 20:35) will not marry. The notion that some will fail to be judged worthy of eternal life casts a shadow on modern progressive notions that champion universal salvation.
Jesus’ comment should not invite fear of damnation, but rather promote alertness and self-reflection. Like the timing of Jesus’ second coming and the events that precede it, who will and will not enter eternal life is not for any of us to know. The point of preaching faithful stewardship of our lives is not to cause people to fear hell but to be encouraged by mercy of God and to thank God “for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13).
In worship
“Preppers” is the term given to people who are making plans and executing strategies in expectation that civilization will soon face a catastrophe, such as war, economic disaster, famine or governmental collapse. To “prep” they may take steps such as fortifying their homes, taking themselves “off the electrical grid” and stockpiling essentials such as money, food, water, weapons and fuel.
Invite your congregation to imagine they are prepping for the “end times” — Jesus’ second coming. Providing them with index cards (perhaps inserted into the bulletins), invite congregants to list what actions they would take and how they would live their lives differently if they knew Jesus they was coming next year.
Collect the responses and use them in some educational way. Perhaps they could be displayed on a bulletin board or prominent wall of the church for all to see. Selected responses could also be discussed in a sermon for Reign of Christ Sunday, when the second coming is in focus. Or, they could be used in a temple talk or Bible study. What ideas people may express could stand in contrast to what the Bible tells us: Be aware, live right, have faith in God and trust the Almighty’s ways.
With youth and children
In a children’s message, ask them who they trust. Answers may include parents, grandparents, teachers, pastors, etc. Pose a hypothetical question to them. When their grandmother (or parent, etc.) serves them a meal, do they trust that the food will be good for them? Ask them why. The answers will probably center on the love the adult caregiver has for them. Our loving adults always has their best interests in mind.
Invite them to see that God loves us that much and more, and that’s why we can always trust God and God’s instructions to be good for us, even if we don’t fully understand.
Previous reflections for Proper 27C:
2019 – ‘What if’ we’re simply missing the point?
2013 – Focus
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