The Rapture has fascinated Christian imaginations since the late 1800’s when an Australian pastor developed the idea.  The thought is that at some point in time, God will take all the good people up to heaven while the bad people will remain on earth as it falls to ruin, prey for the myriad apocalyptic disasters mentioned (or even hinted at) in the rest of the bible.

Today’s New Testament passage is one of the foundational texts for this particular line of thought.  “Two will be in their field: one will be taken and one left behind.”  In fact, Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins named their 16-book premillennial series “Left Behind” after this very verse.

But one large problem is never mentioned by those promoting a Rapture theology.  In the verse before, Jesus sets up this passage by talking about Noah and the flood.  Did you notice how Jesus framed it?  …the flood came and took them all away.”  Who was taken away?  Not Noah and his family, but the wicked of the world.  Noah and his family were the ones left behind.  So with Jesus’ own words the whole thought falls apart.

Add to this the other passages they quote from Revelation and we see the whole Rapture collapsing for lack of a foundation.  Revelation, rather than talking about God taking His people away, speaks of the redemption of this world that sin has taken hostage.  God will redeem this world, creating a New Heaven and a New Earth with a New Jerusalem coming down out of the sky, a symbol of redemption and resurrection.

So before we write off this world as a lost cause that is just going to burn up anyway, let’s re-read our apocalyptic literature throughout the scripture and realize that God’s call is always to redemption, to making right what sin has made wrong, of re-creation.  And we get to join Him in that work!  Hallelujah!

The Pharisees are the only group Jesus ever treated as enemies.  Tax collectors, zealots for Israel, fishermen, prostitutes, widows, lepers, the lame, Roman soldiers… all of these He treated with respect and even friendship.  But the teachers of the law, the scribes, and the Pharisees received nothing but wrath on a collective basis.  Yesterday and today, we’ve read about the primary issues Jesus has with them.

Hypocrisy – acting one way while living another.  Jesus’ focus on the inward motive, emotion, and beliefs rather than the outward actions stood directly against the teaching of the Pharisees who focused almost solely on the externals.  This led Jesus to regularly call them hypocrites, literally “actors” who are playing a part different from who they really are.

Reputation – seeking the acclaim of others.  Everything they do, from the way they dress to the way they speak to the titles they require, are for human praise rather than God’s.

Seeking converts rather than disciples – Alan Hirsch, speaking at the Midwinter Conference, said that when we begin with a false foundation of faith, then the more devout we are to that foundation, the further away from the Truth we are.  It would be better to be an atheist than devoted to a wrong foundational belief.  The Pharisees are not only devoted to a wrong foundation, they are seeking converts to that same set of faulty beliefs.

Worldliness – they claim money is more important than worship, financial stewardship is more important than stewardship of their talents and time, and that anyone who disagreed with them is a false prophet and should be beaten or even killed.

And so Jesus proclaims that however pretty their external behavior, their inside is unclean, dead, and filled with greed and self-indulgence.

“Humans judge others by their behaviors, but judge themselves by their intentions.”  As uncomfortable as this chapter may be to read, it is an important call to evaluate your inner life, your attitudes toward others, and your motivations rather than your intentions or even your outward behavior.