Scripture: 1 John 2:21-22; Matthew 18:21-35 Series: 2020
An Evensong sermon on 1 John 2:21-22 paired with the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35). Pruitt unpacks the Greek meaning of ‘antichrist’ (anti- simply means ‘against,’ as in antidote) to argue that being an antichrist is not just other people’s problem; like the forgiven-then-merciless servant, we can each turn from grace to villainy. Using pop-culture heroes (Star Wars, zombie movies, Two-Face’s line from The Dark Knight), he notes everyone imagines themselves the hero, but faith lets us admit both the bad we’ve done and what we’re capable of. The remedy: God is love with no darkness, and following through and telling the truth, in big things and small, is itself an act of faith and a sign of God’s presence.
Illustrations: playing-hunter-promise, group-project-flake, star-wars-luke-skywalker, zombie-movies-collapse, two-face-dark-knight, antidote-etymology
November 15
Children’s Message
Playing Hunter Playing with other kids. An agreement that we are going to play together. If I said I was going to play, and then I didn’t, would that be any fun? If you have a group project and someone says they are going to do it and they don’t, is that fun? One of the ways to follow God is simply to do what we say we are going to do. This is what John tells his friends and this is what God tells us. And when we fall short, to admit it, repent, and there will be mercy.
1 John 2:21-22
Star Wars, Luke Skywalker, anyone can be a hero but you get to a point when it is not going to happen. Then there are Zombie movies
What if everything collapses and I can be a hero?
Most of us see ourselves as heroes and not as villains.
Matthew 18:21-35
This is how we are supposed to understand antichrist here
Antichrist is a very different word in English than it is in Greek. Anti- is a prefix that just means “against”.
Being anti is not necessarily negative. An antidote comes from the Greek anti and didonai, which means to give. So an antidote is something given against.
An antichrist is one against Christ. What does that mean? First, we must realize that we can be antichrist’s. It is not just other people. In the same way, that we must realize that sin is not just other people. Like the unfaithful servant, we can be forgiven one day and turn around and be without mercy the next.
As Two Face says in The Dark Night, “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” It can happen to us. That is the sin of this world. Faith allows us to admit the bad things we have done but also what we are capable of. And yet, it doesn’t end there.
So what does John offer for us? We have been given the Truth that God is love and in him there is no darkness at all. We have shown that Jesus is the way and the truth and the light.
Following through is a sign of God’s presence and God’s love. Telling the truth is an act of faith. Telling the truth about big things, but also little things.
You know the truth. God is love. You don’t need to lie. You don’t need to be someone you are not.