Sermon: Second Sunday after Christmas A
Jeremiah 31:7-14
Psalm 84
Ephesians 1:3-19
Matthew 2:1-12
Preached at St John’s Lancaster
Have you ever stopped to think what you might have in common with three Zoroastrian philosophers, a Jewish carpenter, a young mother and baby, a dour but hopeful Jewish prophet, and murderously Machiavellian King? This question has the distinct sound and feel of the first line of one of those internet jokes that seem to flood my in-box, but it is far from a joke, because it reminds us all of God’s great love towards us, and of our responsibility to respond appropriately to that love.
The three philosophers are better known to us as the three kings, or three wise men. They were not Jews, but in all probability were followers of the prophet Zoroaster, a Persian prophet of the late sixth century BC. His teachings are recorded in the “Zend -Avesta,” and are based in the worship of the good god Ormazd, who is engaged with his followers in a great struggle between light and darkness. There are still Zoroastrians today in the Iranian exile community. Most of them in their homeland have, like their Christian neighbors, been killed, marginalized, or forced to flee. These philosophers were noted for their knowledge of the heavens, which they used to predict the future and to advise rulers, and they were very aware of the sacred writings of the peoples of their world. They saw a new star in the east, perhaps a comet or a conjunction of the planets, and as they compared it to their sacred writings, they came to believe that it was a harbinger of the birth of a king. And so they came to Judea looking for him.
Without doubt, one look at Herod confirmed all they had heard about him. He was a cruel and manipulative man- a man who would stop at nothing to centralize and protect his power. And so it would have come as no surprize that after they had found the child where the prophets had said he would be, they presented their gifts and “departed to their own country another way, having been warned in a dream.” The Scriptures had predicted that when Messiah came into the world as a bright and shining star that “Kings of the Earth should attend to his rising.” And so the prophesies were fulfilled in these three wise kings from Persia. Their experience seems so far removed from our own, but is it?
Joseph was just another carpenter from a small town occupied by the Romans, another town of no account. In a later age of equally dominant Imperial thought it might have been described as “south of Brownsville and east of Dover,” or merely as “beyond the pale.” But the Bible tells us that Joseph was a just man, and one who listened to God. And so he “got up” on more than one occasion and took the child, and his mother, first to Bethlehem, and then into Egypt, and then into Israel, and then into Galilee, to a city called Nazareth, “that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, namely that He shall be called a Nazarene.” And so through this simple and just man, the protector of the Holy Family, the prophesies were fulfilled. His experience seems so far removed from our own, but is it?
Mary and her son seem to be the pawns in this story. Moved about by forces beyond her control, supplied and protected by men sent in accordance with the prophecies of God. Hunted by a murderous tyrant, and forced to relocate time after time in her child’s formative years, her humility and trust in God never flagged. She remains for us today “Our Lady,” that one human being who perhaps more than any other teaches us what it means to walk humbly with the Lord our God, and to trust him every step of the way, even when our understanding is incomplete. She is what we hope to be, what we ought to be, and so often fail to be. Perhaps she is the easiest to relate to of all the characters in this account.
And so the question remains, what do we have in common with these people? St. Paul addresses the issue when he writes to the Church at Ephesus,
Ephesians 1:3-12 (King James Version)
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
You see, before the foundations of the world were laid, God had a plan for the salvation of his creation. In his abounding love, He knew that the freedom with which he endowed us would be misused and misunderstood. He knew that we would fall. It was the price of making us free. But freedom was the way he chose to show his love to all creation. It was as if he thought, “If after life’s vicissitudes and difficulties, they will willingly respond to my love, and learn to share that love with each other, forgiving each other and living together successfully as my people, then all creation will see the beauty of my character and know the wonder of my love.”
But back to the question at hand. “ What do you and I have in common with these people?” Like them, before the foundations of the world were laid, God knew your name, and had a plan for involving you in the outworking of his plan for the salvation of mankind, indeed of all creation. You are as it were “predestined” for this work. Like Jeremiah, the dour prophet of Israel, we are called to sing aloud the fact of God’s love in our own lives, that the people among whom we live and work might know that God is in the process of gathering in his people, from every nation, that his creation might be made whole and reflect that love and purpose and joy and peace that is his glory. It is our vocation. It is our destiny.
But what of Herod? How does he fit into this question? Herod is a tragic example of what happens to one who rejects the possibilities of oneness with God. Like all of the others in today’s lessons, and like us, he was given the gift of freedom by a loving God. But instead of that holiness of God which shines forth in love and purpose and joy and peace, he chose power and pride and control over others and at their expense; and he forfeited his own soul.
Today, God calls you and me, all of us here, to live into that vision of wholeness illuminated by the lives of the wise men, Joseph, Mary, the Babe, and Jeremiah. He calls us to be “just” like Joseph, to be obedient and submissive like Mary, to use our minds and our skills for the accomplishment of God’s plans like the wise men, to proclaim to all by word and example the reality of God’s love in Jesus Christ like Jeremiah, and ultimately to be willing to sacrifice ourselves for others for the sake of the kingdom of God, like Jesus. We are called to have these things in common with these men and women of faith. It is our destiny. Unfortunately, some among our species will choose like Herod to misuse their freedom and walk another way. But let us so live our lives that everyone we meet might see the wholeness of God in us, and be drawn to the service of Jesus, our Lord and our Saviour, our Brother and our Friend. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. AMEN.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
On Becoming Christian
Sermon Christmas Eve 2010
Isaiah 9:2-7
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-20
Preached at St. John’s
Tonight we, with Christians all over the world come together to hear again the old, old story; which is as fresh and new as the first time it was told. Into a world filled with uncertainty, hardship, want, injustice, and aloneness, our Heavenly Father sent his only Begotten Son to show every man and woman and boy and girl the depths of his love for us. As it is written, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Tonight, we assemble in this holy place, so full of the sounds and symbols and smells of our faith, to believe and to rejoice that Jesus of Nazareth, born in a stable in Bethlehem some two millenia ago, is in reality the long awaited one who has saved his people from their sins.
It is still a world filled with darkness in so many ways. Our brothers and sisters in the Sudan face almost certain war after the plebescite scheduled for the first of the year. Our young men and women face danger half a world away and there seems to be no end in sight. Unemployment hovers at over 9%. But the fact remains that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Things did not change overnight in the Roman or the Jewish world when Jesus was born. But on that night there was enkindled a hope of that which was coming into the world. The shepherds understood that much, and they came to adore him. The Bible tells us that his mother remembered the details of that night and hid them in her heart. Not many days later the wise men welcomed him as the object of their quest, and thus fulfilled the prophesy that kings would come to his rising.
That God would break into human history demonstrates for all time that he who made the heavens and the earth has an interest in us, in you and in me. The great things of our lives and the small details that charm us most are all of interest to him. Because you see, he is our Heavenly Father, and he cares and yearns for us as we do for our own children. On this night, he offers us his love, and invites us to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Whatever burden you may carry this night, know that God has proved his love for you, and bring that burden to this his holy altar. The procedure is simple. After this homily, we will have the opportunity to stand and declare our belief that Jesus is the Christ. The Scriptures tell us that to confess and believe that Jesus is who the Bible says he is, and that he has accomplished what the Bible says he accomplished, appropriates for us the mercies of God’s grace. Then we will kneel and bring him all of our needs in the prayers of the people. As we remember the needs of our community, church, and world, envision in your mind and heart your own needs. Perhaps a loved one is in harm’s way, or you face some serious physical problem that consumes you. Perhaps finances have been tight, and the pressure of it all is eating at you. Perhaps one you love does not return your feelings of affection and trust. Tell God about your need, in specific detail, and ask for his strength, wisdom, and comfort. And boldly and in faith, ask him to meet your needs. After the prayers, we will pray to God the general confession, which acknowledges to God our own failures and acknowledges our need of him. Imagine in your hearts eye those things which you have thought or said or done, or left undone, which have harmed others, hardened your own heart, and disappointed your loving Heavenly Father. Tell him from the bottom of your heart that you are sorry. He will accept and forgive you. And then come forward to the holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If you have been baptized, receive this gift of Gods enabling grace gladly, and know that as the bread and the wine touches your lips, God gives you a direct infusion of his saving and healing grace. It is as if a syringe of his mercy has been dispensed to you at that moment. If you have not been baptized in the Name of the Holy and Blessed Trinity, come forward in faith, and cross your arms over your chest. We will pray that God will extend the grace of this life-giving sacrament to you this day, and then see me after the service, and we will arrange for you to learn more about the Faith, and to be baptized at an appropriate time.
Tonight, on this festival of the birth of our Lord, God the Father offers us that same love that he offered to all the people of the world so many years ago in Bethlehem. He waits for us this night to bring him all of our needs through these simple acts of faith that I have outlined. Come to the manger this night, and find that peace and love which pass all understanding. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Isaiah 9:2-7
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-20
Preached at St. John’s
Tonight we, with Christians all over the world come together to hear again the old, old story; which is as fresh and new as the first time it was told. Into a world filled with uncertainty, hardship, want, injustice, and aloneness, our Heavenly Father sent his only Begotten Son to show every man and woman and boy and girl the depths of his love for us. As it is written, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Tonight, we assemble in this holy place, so full of the sounds and symbols and smells of our faith, to believe and to rejoice that Jesus of Nazareth, born in a stable in Bethlehem some two millenia ago, is in reality the long awaited one who has saved his people from their sins.
It is still a world filled with darkness in so many ways. Our brothers and sisters in the Sudan face almost certain war after the plebescite scheduled for the first of the year. Our young men and women face danger half a world away and there seems to be no end in sight. Unemployment hovers at over 9%. But the fact remains that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Things did not change overnight in the Roman or the Jewish world when Jesus was born. But on that night there was enkindled a hope of that which was coming into the world. The shepherds understood that much, and they came to adore him. The Bible tells us that his mother remembered the details of that night and hid them in her heart. Not many days later the wise men welcomed him as the object of their quest, and thus fulfilled the prophesy that kings would come to his rising.
That God would break into human history demonstrates for all time that he who made the heavens and the earth has an interest in us, in you and in me. The great things of our lives and the small details that charm us most are all of interest to him. Because you see, he is our Heavenly Father, and he cares and yearns for us as we do for our own children. On this night, he offers us his love, and invites us to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
Whatever burden you may carry this night, know that God has proved his love for you, and bring that burden to this his holy altar. The procedure is simple. After this homily, we will have the opportunity to stand and declare our belief that Jesus is the Christ. The Scriptures tell us that to confess and believe that Jesus is who the Bible says he is, and that he has accomplished what the Bible says he accomplished, appropriates for us the mercies of God’s grace. Then we will kneel and bring him all of our needs in the prayers of the people. As we remember the needs of our community, church, and world, envision in your mind and heart your own needs. Perhaps a loved one is in harm’s way, or you face some serious physical problem that consumes you. Perhaps finances have been tight, and the pressure of it all is eating at you. Perhaps one you love does not return your feelings of affection and trust. Tell God about your need, in specific detail, and ask for his strength, wisdom, and comfort. And boldly and in faith, ask him to meet your needs. After the prayers, we will pray to God the general confession, which acknowledges to God our own failures and acknowledges our need of him. Imagine in your hearts eye those things which you have thought or said or done, or left undone, which have harmed others, hardened your own heart, and disappointed your loving Heavenly Father. Tell him from the bottom of your heart that you are sorry. He will accept and forgive you. And then come forward to the holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If you have been baptized, receive this gift of Gods enabling grace gladly, and know that as the bread and the wine touches your lips, God gives you a direct infusion of his saving and healing grace. It is as if a syringe of his mercy has been dispensed to you at that moment. If you have not been baptized in the Name of the Holy and Blessed Trinity, come forward in faith, and cross your arms over your chest. We will pray that God will extend the grace of this life-giving sacrament to you this day, and then see me after the service, and we will arrange for you to learn more about the Faith, and to be baptized at an appropriate time.
Tonight, on this festival of the birth of our Lord, God the Father offers us that same love that he offered to all the people of the world so many years ago in Bethlehem. He waits for us this night to bring him all of our needs through these simple acts of faith that I have outlined. Come to the manger this night, and find that peace and love which pass all understanding. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Hearing God
Sermon Advent 4A
Preached at St. Johns Lancaster
Isaiah 7:10-16
Ps 80
Romans 1:1-7
Mt 1:18-25
Years ago in France, there was a young girl who said that God communicated with her in miraculous ways. She inspired a nation, was hailed as a saint by those who could use her politically, and burned as a heretic by those whose power she threatened. Many today maintain that Joan of Ark was indeed a saint, but had we been alive then, what might we have said? Several hundred years before the visions in France, a young girl in Roman Palestina said that an angel appeared to her. Her Aunt also said she had dreams, and her uncle lost his voice for a season after an alleged encounter with a heavenly being. Her betrothed also claimed an angelic visit, recorded in today‘s gospel lesson. Several hundred years before that series of claims, the prophet Isaiah broke forth in a semi-estatic utterance which neither he nor anyone else fully understood, and again, based on the political and economic agendas of his hearers, they named him either saint, heretic, or crazy man. It all raises a very significant question for you and for me as we approach this Christmas season. How does God speak to us? While most of us hear today would count all of the individuals I have mentioned as saints, what would you say if your sister, or your neighbor’s son, or the elderly person down the block made the claims made by the players in today’s Scripture lessons? This morning, I hope that we can examine for a few minutes how God has communicated with his people in the past, and how we might exp[ect to hear his voice today.
First and foremost, God speaks to us in the Bible, the Holy Scriptures, the Word of God written. Jesus believed that, and so did Paul. In fact, most of the patriarchs and prophets and apostles spoke freely about the law of God and quoted freely those scriptures which had been revealed by the time they wrote. Anglicanism has always taken a direct and minimalist view to this primary form of illumination. If the scriptures say clearly that we ought to do something, then we ought to do it. If they say we sould not do something, then we ought not to do it. Whenever anyone tries to build elaborate arguments to prove that the scriptures are for or against something that they are not specifically for or against, we probably ought to thoughtfully ignore the person and the argument. In the same way, when someone works very hard to discredit the scriptures, or to re-interpret them in some new way, especially if that way endorses current social or ethical practices in the world at large, we probably out to respectfully ignore that person and that argument as well. God gives us three types of law in the Old Testament. The Ceremonial law of worship and sacrifice is a prophetic foreshadowing of the coming of the Christ, and as the book of Hebrews shows us, it is completed in him. It is no longer binding on Christians. That is why we do not sacrifice animals and have seders here at St. John’s. The legal code of ancient Israel was meant to demonstrate for us how the tenents of the law might be applied in every area of our life, and to show us what ethical and behavioral holiness is all about. In short, they were meant in a particular setting to demonstrate to us something of the character of God and of his Messiah. But their purpose is fulfilled in Christ’s coming, and that is why we don’t stone unruly children or witches. The moral law however, is binding on all people in all places and for all time. It is unchanging, and it helps us to order our ways and to understand the true nature of Christian holiness, which is the outgrowth of love for God and man. And so we look for God’s guidance in the Bible.
Sometimes, God speaks to a person directly, like he did to the people in today’s lessons. Perhaps in a dream, or with a vision or by means of a voice. It is not the norm, but it does happen. It is more likely that a follow of God might sense some urging of a conscience fine tuned by God’s Holy Spirit and by regular reading of the Bible; or perhaps a gentle nudge or leading, and inexplicable feeling whereby “his Spirit bears witness with our own that we are indeed the children of God.” But how do I know that such a communication is not in the words of Ebenezer Scrooge, “a bit of undigested potato”, or worse, a sign of mental illness or excessive fatigue, or some other misleading cause? The first test is that God is one and eternal. He is the same “yesterday, today, and forever.” God will never tell you anything that contradicts what he has already told you in the Bible. If your “leading” does not stand the test of Scripture, it is not of God. A second check on the validity of some unexpected or ecstatic experience would be its distinguishing characteristics. Is it compatible with love? Revenge, or schemes for power or dominance are not of God, because they are not of love, and “God is love.” This check might be expanded to say, “is this leading compatible with God’s revealed character.” God might use some very bad things to draw us closer to himself, for he works in and through all things to dispense his mercy and love to his people, but he is never the author of evil. You can take it to the bank that God inspires no-one to an act of terrorism, and it is equally true that he inspires no one to a spirit of revenge against that terrorism, be it individual or national. Both terror and revenge are the products of hate, and God, as we have established, is love.
At this point, it would be good to say a word about the odd, strange, and curious. God is not limited by our understandings of what might be proper or expected. It is true that he often works through the human intellect which is a true manifestation of the image of God. Scientific and mathematical reality, rightly understood, can open to us the way of God in many ways. But, we should be very careful about dismissing a message because we think the messenger or the delivery method is not to our taste or our likeing, or to our understanding. God speaks how he will and through whom he will. A the dreams of a young girl in France or Palestina might just as well please him as a dissertation by a PhD in Biblical literature or a favorite preacher. To speak in Battalion terms, he is the Colonel, and he makes the calls. Let us wait for God in humility, knowing that his choice of messenger or delivery might be very normal and expected, or very bizarre and unexpected.
Finally, we should say a word about divine providence. God often confirms what he means us to hear by means of opened or closed doors of opportunity. This is not to say we should assume that a bit of opposition means that we have misread God’s will for us. The Bible says we will meet with opposition, sometimes even from our own families. But it is to say that where God calls, he enables, and he makes a way. Through diligent prayer, study of the Scriptures, fellowship with God’s people, receiving Holy Communion, and regular participation in all of the many means of Grace, God will give us hearts to discern and know his will, with strength and opportunity to accomplish the same. It is an inexact science, but it is based on the promise of God, and on the firm assurance that he will give us all of the wisdom and resources we need to accomplish the mission he has for each of us.
And so in conclusion, as we consider the examples of Isaiah, Joseph, Mary, and so many other of the saints of God through the ages, let us open our hearts in this holy time to hear God’s message to us as a people and as individuals. He loves you, and is not in the habit of hiding things from you that you need to know or understand. Trust him day by day, and live your lives in the knowledge that God wishes his best for you as he employs you to manifest his grace and his love to a world in need. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Preached at St. Johns Lancaster
Isaiah 7:10-16
Ps 80
Romans 1:1-7
Mt 1:18-25
Years ago in France, there was a young girl who said that God communicated with her in miraculous ways. She inspired a nation, was hailed as a saint by those who could use her politically, and burned as a heretic by those whose power she threatened. Many today maintain that Joan of Ark was indeed a saint, but had we been alive then, what might we have said? Several hundred years before the visions in France, a young girl in Roman Palestina said that an angel appeared to her. Her Aunt also said she had dreams, and her uncle lost his voice for a season after an alleged encounter with a heavenly being. Her betrothed also claimed an angelic visit, recorded in today‘s gospel lesson. Several hundred years before that series of claims, the prophet Isaiah broke forth in a semi-estatic utterance which neither he nor anyone else fully understood, and again, based on the political and economic agendas of his hearers, they named him either saint, heretic, or crazy man. It all raises a very significant question for you and for me as we approach this Christmas season. How does God speak to us? While most of us hear today would count all of the individuals I have mentioned as saints, what would you say if your sister, or your neighbor’s son, or the elderly person down the block made the claims made by the players in today’s Scripture lessons? This morning, I hope that we can examine for a few minutes how God has communicated with his people in the past, and how we might exp[ect to hear his voice today.
First and foremost, God speaks to us in the Bible, the Holy Scriptures, the Word of God written. Jesus believed that, and so did Paul. In fact, most of the patriarchs and prophets and apostles spoke freely about the law of God and quoted freely those scriptures which had been revealed by the time they wrote. Anglicanism has always taken a direct and minimalist view to this primary form of illumination. If the scriptures say clearly that we ought to do something, then we ought to do it. If they say we sould not do something, then we ought not to do it. Whenever anyone tries to build elaborate arguments to prove that the scriptures are for or against something that they are not specifically for or against, we probably ought to thoughtfully ignore the person and the argument. In the same way, when someone works very hard to discredit the scriptures, or to re-interpret them in some new way, especially if that way endorses current social or ethical practices in the world at large, we probably out to respectfully ignore that person and that argument as well. God gives us three types of law in the Old Testament. The Ceremonial law of worship and sacrifice is a prophetic foreshadowing of the coming of the Christ, and as the book of Hebrews shows us, it is completed in him. It is no longer binding on Christians. That is why we do not sacrifice animals and have seders here at St. John’s. The legal code of ancient Israel was meant to demonstrate for us how the tenents of the law might be applied in every area of our life, and to show us what ethical and behavioral holiness is all about. In short, they were meant in a particular setting to demonstrate to us something of the character of God and of his Messiah. But their purpose is fulfilled in Christ’s coming, and that is why we don’t stone unruly children or witches. The moral law however, is binding on all people in all places and for all time. It is unchanging, and it helps us to order our ways and to understand the true nature of Christian holiness, which is the outgrowth of love for God and man. And so we look for God’s guidance in the Bible.
Sometimes, God speaks to a person directly, like he did to the people in today’s lessons. Perhaps in a dream, or with a vision or by means of a voice. It is not the norm, but it does happen. It is more likely that a follow of God might sense some urging of a conscience fine tuned by God’s Holy Spirit and by regular reading of the Bible; or perhaps a gentle nudge or leading, and inexplicable feeling whereby “his Spirit bears witness with our own that we are indeed the children of God.” But how do I know that such a communication is not in the words of Ebenezer Scrooge, “a bit of undigested potato”, or worse, a sign of mental illness or excessive fatigue, or some other misleading cause? The first test is that God is one and eternal. He is the same “yesterday, today, and forever.” God will never tell you anything that contradicts what he has already told you in the Bible. If your “leading” does not stand the test of Scripture, it is not of God. A second check on the validity of some unexpected or ecstatic experience would be its distinguishing characteristics. Is it compatible with love? Revenge, or schemes for power or dominance are not of God, because they are not of love, and “God is love.” This check might be expanded to say, “is this leading compatible with God’s revealed character.” God might use some very bad things to draw us closer to himself, for he works in and through all things to dispense his mercy and love to his people, but he is never the author of evil. You can take it to the bank that God inspires no-one to an act of terrorism, and it is equally true that he inspires no one to a spirit of revenge against that terrorism, be it individual or national. Both terror and revenge are the products of hate, and God, as we have established, is love.
At this point, it would be good to say a word about the odd, strange, and curious. God is not limited by our understandings of what might be proper or expected. It is true that he often works through the human intellect which is a true manifestation of the image of God. Scientific and mathematical reality, rightly understood, can open to us the way of God in many ways. But, we should be very careful about dismissing a message because we think the messenger or the delivery method is not to our taste or our likeing, or to our understanding. God speaks how he will and through whom he will. A the dreams of a young girl in France or Palestina might just as well please him as a dissertation by a PhD in Biblical literature or a favorite preacher. To speak in Battalion terms, he is the Colonel, and he makes the calls. Let us wait for God in humility, knowing that his choice of messenger or delivery might be very normal and expected, or very bizarre and unexpected.
Finally, we should say a word about divine providence. God often confirms what he means us to hear by means of opened or closed doors of opportunity. This is not to say we should assume that a bit of opposition means that we have misread God’s will for us. The Bible says we will meet with opposition, sometimes even from our own families. But it is to say that where God calls, he enables, and he makes a way. Through diligent prayer, study of the Scriptures, fellowship with God’s people, receiving Holy Communion, and regular participation in all of the many means of Grace, God will give us hearts to discern and know his will, with strength and opportunity to accomplish the same. It is an inexact science, but it is based on the promise of God, and on the firm assurance that he will give us all of the wisdom and resources we need to accomplish the mission he has for each of us.
And so in conclusion, as we consider the examples of Isaiah, Joseph, Mary, and so many other of the saints of God through the ages, let us open our hearts in this holy time to hear God’s message to us as a people and as individuals. He loves you, and is not in the habit of hiding things from you that you need to know or understand. Trust him day by day, and live your lives in the knowledge that God wishes his best for you as he employs you to manifest his grace and his love to a world in need. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Godly Anticipation
Sermon for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year A
Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalm146
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11
Preached at St. John’s Lancaster
Remember when you were a child waiting for Christmas? Sometimes the excitement just got to be too much. For years, my dad was a volunteer firefighter in the town where we lived. Every December, he would buy the bulk candy for distribution at the annual visit of Santa Claus to our town and store it in our attic until the day arrived. We kids were given strict orders to stay out of the attic, but sometimes, when my cousin Brian and I were the only ones at home, the temptation was just too great. I’m sure dad knew what we did in spite of our most serious attempts to cover up our pilfering. But at the age of 6 or 7 it was just so exciting. Who could stand to wait?
Today’s propers speak of a time of wonderment and excitement for us Christians. Isaiah employs an image that must have been extremely powerful to a people with a history of desert wanderings. “Waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.” We humans can survive for a while without food if we are relatively healthy. But water is a different story. What a powerful and profound picture the prophet paints for us. The day is coming when Messiah shall come, and those things that we cannot live without will be given to us in abundance. Imagine what this will mean in your own life. A cure for cancer will flow forth in the midst of a disease ridden world. The cure for crippling arthritis will appear as might streams in the desert to refresh the people of God. Where once the dry and constant discouragement of Parkinson’s, of dementia, and family strife was all we could see; now the life giving intervention of God will bring us wholeness and reconciliation. What a transformation it will be.
The Gospel lesson speaks even more directly to those times in our lives we would just as soon avoid. John the Baptist, John the Bold, had possessed a faith which was the encouragement and admiration of Israel. But then came his imprisonment, and what must have been a growing realization that he would soon be executed. In the midst of the mental and physical darkness of that filthy dungeon, his faith began to waver. He sent word to his cousin Jesus, whom he had proclaimed to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, “are you the one, or do we wait for another?” Sometimes, in the darkness of our lives circumstances seem to conspire to break our spirits and discourage us beyond measure. And then comes to us that still small voice of God. “Remember the blessings and evidences you have seen of my love. The time is not yet, but do not doubt your senses or your memory. I am coming for you, and that very soon.”
Whether an ancient Hebrew nomad living in a dry and arid land, or a fiery prophet of God undergoing a real time of personal doubt and discouragement, the message of the Scriptures, the message of God, remains the same. “Look forward with expectation, for the fulfillment of the promise is at hand. I will never leave you nor forsake you. I am with you always, even unto the end of the world!” In the words of St. James, the brother of our Lord, “Be patient, beloved, until the coming of the Lord.” All of our lives are a mixture of wonderment and tragedy. “The rain of God’s blessing falls on the just and the unjust.” and “into every life, a bit of the rain of trial must fall.” Through it all, we are called to be patient. Like the farmer or gardener in the springtime, we are called to enter the fields with expectation every morning, wondering what the new day will bring. First the seed in the ground, and then a few days later the blade, and then the growth of spring and finally the ripening and harvest of late summer.
In the midst of our attempts at being patient, St. James suggests some very practical things that may help us as we await the Lord’s appearing in the midst of lives that can be less than ideal and very unpredictable.
1. Take strength in the fact that our Lord’s coming is near. Faith is defined in the Book of Hebrews as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” I hope with all my heart that waters shall break forth in the desert, and that cancer will be cured, and that people will learn to live together in peace, and that every child born might have a long, prosperous, and contented life, filled with purpose and belonging. None of those things have happened yet. But the evidence is there that they may well come to pass when Jesus returns, which he has not yet done. When he was here on earth, he gave us a taste of the first fruits of what will one day be. The sick were healed and the dead were raised and the hungry were fed. A Roman soldier demonstrated an act of kindness to the mother of a condemned Jewish criminal, and revolutionary terrorists laid down their swords to preach the gospel of peace. And Jesus walked among us and after he had laid down his life a sacrifice for my sins and for yours, he took it up again by the power of love, God’s love for every one of us. Yes, the evidence is there, even though I have not yet seen the fulfillment of the promise. And so I take strength in the fact that our Lord’s coming is near. At times, like St. John, I may have doubts and experience that weakness which is common to all mankind, but at the end of the day, I find hope in the fact that our Lord’s coming is near.
2. St. James also tells us not to grumble against each other as we work to be patient. Sometimes it is very hard to maintain a positive outlook, but that is the admonition of the Scriptures. It makes sense. No one likes to be around a negative grumbler for very long. For a while they might be entertaining, or even inspirational, but in the end, a grumbler is tiring and drags down everyone around them. Charlene Rowley sent me a little item about dogs this week which maintained that dogs are so wonderful because they wag their tails so much more than they wag their tongues. I am reminded of the admonition from the movie Bambi that “if you can’t say something good- don’t say nuthin at all.” It is still good advice. Participating in negativity on a regular basis sets us up for yet another bad day, and directs our attention away from Jesus and into ourselves. It is a form of idolatry that can, and so often does, consume us. And remember: negativity breeds negativity. If the radio and TV shows, the books you read, and the people you hang out with are negative, the chances are that you will be negative too. Avoid such company. Fill your life with light and beauty and peace, and your heart will come to reflect your surroundings. We can not pick all of our associates and associations, but most of us can do a better job than we have done heretofore.
3. St. James tells us to remember the example of the prophets, who kept their eyes on the prize and often suffered for the sake of the Kingdom of God, but maintained an attitude of patience and expectation through it all. It is a terrible thing to feel alone. We have all known someone who really came to believe that they were so special, so different, that no-one knew the depths of their suffering. Sometimes it was as if they were addicted to the rush of feeling bad. Well, as the stories of God’s people throughout the ages show us, none of us are really that unique. There is nothing that happens in our lives, for good or for ill, that is not common to man. By God’s grace, others have survived and remained faithful, and by God’s grace so shall we. Might we always remember that a loving heavenly Father has surrounded us with so great a cloud of witness in his saints that we might be encouraged by their lives, even as we live our own. As James says in the verse following today’s second lesson, “We count them happy which endure.” God will give you strength, even as he gave them strength, so be patient, until the coming of the Lord.
4. Finally, in a verse which finishes the paragraph from which our second lesson is drawn today, James says “above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea and your nay, nay; lest ye fall in condemnation.” In other words, as you go about being patient, be yourself. Don’t try to live up to anyone’s expectations but God’s. If someone doesn’t like who you are, they are not going to like you any more because you try to be who they think you should be. They will merely despise you because you have submitted partially to their control. Don’t put on airs either. It only lands you in debt and bad company. Believe me, I speak from experience. If you can’t learn to be happy with who God made you and calls you to be, nothing in the world will ever make you happy. This is not to say that it is ok to wallow in our sins. God expects an honest and ongoing attempt at obedience, but it is to say that true contentment is found only as we patiently live into the role that God has chosen for us in this life, knowing that in the life to come, we shall live with Him forever.
In the remainder of this Holy Advent season, in the midst of life’s joys and vicissitudes, walk with patience, and with hope, the road that God places before you. And may you so live in this life, that you may never be afraid to die, and in the world to come, you may have life everlasting. AMEN.
Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalm146
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11
Preached at St. John’s Lancaster
Remember when you were a child waiting for Christmas? Sometimes the excitement just got to be too much. For years, my dad was a volunteer firefighter in the town where we lived. Every December, he would buy the bulk candy for distribution at the annual visit of Santa Claus to our town and store it in our attic until the day arrived. We kids were given strict orders to stay out of the attic, but sometimes, when my cousin Brian and I were the only ones at home, the temptation was just too great. I’m sure dad knew what we did in spite of our most serious attempts to cover up our pilfering. But at the age of 6 or 7 it was just so exciting. Who could stand to wait?
Today’s propers speak of a time of wonderment and excitement for us Christians. Isaiah employs an image that must have been extremely powerful to a people with a history of desert wanderings. “Waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.” We humans can survive for a while without food if we are relatively healthy. But water is a different story. What a powerful and profound picture the prophet paints for us. The day is coming when Messiah shall come, and those things that we cannot live without will be given to us in abundance. Imagine what this will mean in your own life. A cure for cancer will flow forth in the midst of a disease ridden world. The cure for crippling arthritis will appear as might streams in the desert to refresh the people of God. Where once the dry and constant discouragement of Parkinson’s, of dementia, and family strife was all we could see; now the life giving intervention of God will bring us wholeness and reconciliation. What a transformation it will be.
The Gospel lesson speaks even more directly to those times in our lives we would just as soon avoid. John the Baptist, John the Bold, had possessed a faith which was the encouragement and admiration of Israel. But then came his imprisonment, and what must have been a growing realization that he would soon be executed. In the midst of the mental and physical darkness of that filthy dungeon, his faith began to waver. He sent word to his cousin Jesus, whom he had proclaimed to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, “are you the one, or do we wait for another?” Sometimes, in the darkness of our lives circumstances seem to conspire to break our spirits and discourage us beyond measure. And then comes to us that still small voice of God. “Remember the blessings and evidences you have seen of my love. The time is not yet, but do not doubt your senses or your memory. I am coming for you, and that very soon.”
Whether an ancient Hebrew nomad living in a dry and arid land, or a fiery prophet of God undergoing a real time of personal doubt and discouragement, the message of the Scriptures, the message of God, remains the same. “Look forward with expectation, for the fulfillment of the promise is at hand. I will never leave you nor forsake you. I am with you always, even unto the end of the world!” In the words of St. James, the brother of our Lord, “Be patient, beloved, until the coming of the Lord.” All of our lives are a mixture of wonderment and tragedy. “The rain of God’s blessing falls on the just and the unjust.” and “into every life, a bit of the rain of trial must fall.” Through it all, we are called to be patient. Like the farmer or gardener in the springtime, we are called to enter the fields with expectation every morning, wondering what the new day will bring. First the seed in the ground, and then a few days later the blade, and then the growth of spring and finally the ripening and harvest of late summer.
In the midst of our attempts at being patient, St. James suggests some very practical things that may help us as we await the Lord’s appearing in the midst of lives that can be less than ideal and very unpredictable.
1. Take strength in the fact that our Lord’s coming is near. Faith is defined in the Book of Hebrews as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” I hope with all my heart that waters shall break forth in the desert, and that cancer will be cured, and that people will learn to live together in peace, and that every child born might have a long, prosperous, and contented life, filled with purpose and belonging. None of those things have happened yet. But the evidence is there that they may well come to pass when Jesus returns, which he has not yet done. When he was here on earth, he gave us a taste of the first fruits of what will one day be. The sick were healed and the dead were raised and the hungry were fed. A Roman soldier demonstrated an act of kindness to the mother of a condemned Jewish criminal, and revolutionary terrorists laid down their swords to preach the gospel of peace. And Jesus walked among us and after he had laid down his life a sacrifice for my sins and for yours, he took it up again by the power of love, God’s love for every one of us. Yes, the evidence is there, even though I have not yet seen the fulfillment of the promise. And so I take strength in the fact that our Lord’s coming is near. At times, like St. John, I may have doubts and experience that weakness which is common to all mankind, but at the end of the day, I find hope in the fact that our Lord’s coming is near.
2. St. James also tells us not to grumble against each other as we work to be patient. Sometimes it is very hard to maintain a positive outlook, but that is the admonition of the Scriptures. It makes sense. No one likes to be around a negative grumbler for very long. For a while they might be entertaining, or even inspirational, but in the end, a grumbler is tiring and drags down everyone around them. Charlene Rowley sent me a little item about dogs this week which maintained that dogs are so wonderful because they wag their tails so much more than they wag their tongues. I am reminded of the admonition from the movie Bambi that “if you can’t say something good- don’t say nuthin at all.” It is still good advice. Participating in negativity on a regular basis sets us up for yet another bad day, and directs our attention away from Jesus and into ourselves. It is a form of idolatry that can, and so often does, consume us. And remember: negativity breeds negativity. If the radio and TV shows, the books you read, and the people you hang out with are negative, the chances are that you will be negative too. Avoid such company. Fill your life with light and beauty and peace, and your heart will come to reflect your surroundings. We can not pick all of our associates and associations, but most of us can do a better job than we have done heretofore.
3. St. James tells us to remember the example of the prophets, who kept their eyes on the prize and often suffered for the sake of the Kingdom of God, but maintained an attitude of patience and expectation through it all. It is a terrible thing to feel alone. We have all known someone who really came to believe that they were so special, so different, that no-one knew the depths of their suffering. Sometimes it was as if they were addicted to the rush of feeling bad. Well, as the stories of God’s people throughout the ages show us, none of us are really that unique. There is nothing that happens in our lives, for good or for ill, that is not common to man. By God’s grace, others have survived and remained faithful, and by God’s grace so shall we. Might we always remember that a loving heavenly Father has surrounded us with so great a cloud of witness in his saints that we might be encouraged by their lives, even as we live our own. As James says in the verse following today’s second lesson, “We count them happy which endure.” God will give you strength, even as he gave them strength, so be patient, until the coming of the Lord.
4. Finally, in a verse which finishes the paragraph from which our second lesson is drawn today, James says “above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea and your nay, nay; lest ye fall in condemnation.” In other words, as you go about being patient, be yourself. Don’t try to live up to anyone’s expectations but God’s. If someone doesn’t like who you are, they are not going to like you any more because you try to be who they think you should be. They will merely despise you because you have submitted partially to their control. Don’t put on airs either. It only lands you in debt and bad company. Believe me, I speak from experience. If you can’t learn to be happy with who God made you and calls you to be, nothing in the world will ever make you happy. This is not to say that it is ok to wallow in our sins. God expects an honest and ongoing attempt at obedience, but it is to say that true contentment is found only as we patiently live into the role that God has chosen for us in this life, knowing that in the life to come, we shall live with Him forever.
In the remainder of this Holy Advent season, in the midst of life’s joys and vicissitudes, walk with patience, and with hope, the road that God places before you. And may you so live in this life, that you may never be afraid to die, and in the world to come, you may have life everlasting. AMEN.
Preparing for the Kingdom of God
Sermon for the Second Sunday of Advent Year A
Isaiah 11:1-10
Psalm 72
Romans 15:4-13
Matthew 3:1-12
Preached at St. John’s Lancaster
Advent is a time of preparation; but preparation for what? Different people might answer that question in different ways. One might look forward to holiday visits with children and grandchildren. Another might prepare for the most profitable retail shopping season of the year. A third might anxiously prepare for the most wonderful gifts to be opened after Santa Claus makes his annual visit. But John the Baptist had something different in mind. He was preparing for the Kingdom of Heaven to come, and he was sent by God to help others prepare as well.
The kingdom of heaven is that long awaited day when God would break into the world in a way which had been foretold by the prophets of old. As the ancient carol says, Isaiah t’was foretold it. “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day, there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” When Jesus Christ was born into this world, the beginning of the fulfillment of that prophesy was fulfilled, and its fulfillment goes on today, and every day until our Blessed Redeemer returns in glory.
You see, since the coming of Jesus, everything has changed. The world is indeed turned upside down, and will never be the same again. Old things are passed away, behold, all things are made new. John, by the power of God’s revelation, knew these things; and he was commissioned by God to proclaim the time of preparation to them, and to us.
The Bible makes it very clear that our entry into the kingdom of God, our salvation if you will, is completely God’s gift to us. St. Paul in his letter to Bishop Titus (2:11) makes it clear that it is the grace of God which brings salvation to us. It is the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf which brings us salvation. Jesus is explicit about that when he says at the institution of the Holy Communion (Mt:26-28) “This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Perhaps the most explicit statement of this great truth of our faith is made by Archbishop Paul in his letter to his beloved friends at Ephesus, (Ephesians 2:8-9) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
If then our salvation is a free gift of God, procured for us by Jesus even while we lived as slaves to sin, and if we can do nothing to earn it, why does St. John the Baptist, the forerunner, call us to repent? Why does he demand in such clarion terms that we be sorry for our offences against God and man, and reform our ways?
First, a gift has a giver, but it also has a recipient. Have you ever given anyone a gift that they did not open, or even acknowledge? It might have been something quite wonderful, but because it was not accepted and acted upon, it was of no use to anyone. Think of Salvation, or membership in the Kingdom of God, as the Lord’s gift to us. It is there, and it is a reality whether we accept it or not. But to benefit from it, to be a part of it, we must accept it. In the words of St. Paul, (Romans 10:9) “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” The act of faithful belief is the act of acceptance a loving God has decreed for entrance into his kingdom.
Second, and this is where the process really gets interesting if you are a student of human psychology. Do you remember the fable of the ant and the grasshopper. The ant worked diligently all summer to store his winter’s food. The grasshopper played and did as he pleased, but never worked to lay in the winter’s supply of necessities. When cold weather came, the ant was vindicated by his survival, and the grasshopper’s foolishness was evident to all who saw his corpse. The Grasshopper didn’t put victuals aside because he really didn’t believe he would need them. Most people who don’t respond to God’s gift of salvation don’t fail to do so because they are bad and nasty people. They just don’t really think they need to do so. Perhaps they are well intentioned agnostics or even principled atheists who see no evidence for God. They help their neighbors and are kind to animals, but they see no need of God in their lives. Many others are simply too busy, often doing good and necessary things for people they love deeply. But there just isn’t time for God. I’ll admit that there are some folks who are just nasty and brutish, but I’ve not run into very many of them in my 56 years. To respond to God’s gift of love, to enter the kingdom of God, we humans need to see a need for doing so. That is basic psychology. And that is where repentance comes in. The kingdom of God promises us a time when the foolishness and corruption of human government will be replaced by the everlasting rule of the true King of Heaven. It promises us eternal peace and harmony. It promises us a world of plenty and hope and deliverance from all which has the capacity to kill or destroy. It represents in its ultimate fulfillment the triumph of God over selfishness and greed and sin of every kind. And it will put our guilt and shame over those past acts which have so complicated our lives as far away from our memories and our relationships as the east is from the west. If we really see a need for a renewed world like God promises, then we also eventually will come to see that most of the mess in this current world is of our own doing. We have neglected our responsibilities to our neighbors and ourselves. We have failed to tend this garden in which God placed us. We have sought to control others for our own benefit. We have been lazy, and lustful, and disrespectful. We have expected others to do our work for us and been satisfied with our ignorance. Perhaps all of us have not done all of these things, but as a species, we are guilty as sin, and all of us have had a hand in at least a few of the things I have mentioned. When I realize my yearning for “the kingdom of God” with all its blessings. When I humbly acknowledge that my mistakes and attitudes have had a hand in making a world so unlike the kingdom of God. Then the natural human response to such a realization must be repentance, which is little more than genuine and heartfelt grief, followed by changed attitudes and behaviour. Grief is a natural human psychological response to the realization that I am responsible to some degree for spoiling this wonderful place where God has put us, and that I am responsible to some degree for the divisions that exist between me and some of the people around me, people who were created by God to be my sisters and brothers, and my fellow pilgrims on the road to the Kingdom of Heaven. And so John only asks of us that which is so natural to us all, that we be sorry for those things we have done which have served to spoil this garden of God’s delights which we call our world and our relationships with others.
But there is a second step to repentance. Has anyone ever told you they were sorry, but you knew it was a lie, a social convention designed to smooth ruffled feathers and escape some temporary unpleasantness? What would have convinced you that the persons grief and sorrow was real? I daresay the only thing that would have worked is if they changed their behaviour and stopped doing that thing which had been so offensive in the first place. Without a real effort at changed behaviour or attitude, the words “I’m sorry” ring with a hollow cynicism.
Saint John the Baptist was sent by God to tell you and me that the Kingdom of God’s reign has broken into this world, And that it is in the very real process of being established, with or without our help. God offers it to all of us as a free and unmerited gift, just because he loves us. But he is a gentleman, and will not force any of us to receive this great gift he offers. It is his hope, and this is the Baptist’s message, that you, and I, and everyone else in the world will rejoice that the beginning of the Kingdom is upon us. It is his hope that we will look around us and see the need for what he offers. It is his hope that you and I will recognize that we have all done things in the course of our lives that have hindered the establishment of the Kingdom temporarily, and have hurt people we ought to love. It is his hope that we will be so sorry for these unthinking and cruel actions and attitudes that we will cry out in grief, ask his help, and do better in the days to come. And finally, as we live into this reality which is the Kingdom of God, it is his desire that we see with a new clarity the wonder and truth of the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for each of us, and that we will with joy confess public ally that Jesus is Lord of our lives, and believe with all our hearts that God has raised him form the dead to proved the truth of it all. AMEN.
Isaiah 11:1-10
Psalm 72
Romans 15:4-13
Matthew 3:1-12
Preached at St. John’s Lancaster
Advent is a time of preparation; but preparation for what? Different people might answer that question in different ways. One might look forward to holiday visits with children and grandchildren. Another might prepare for the most profitable retail shopping season of the year. A third might anxiously prepare for the most wonderful gifts to be opened after Santa Claus makes his annual visit. But John the Baptist had something different in mind. He was preparing for the Kingdom of Heaven to come, and he was sent by God to help others prepare as well.
The kingdom of heaven is that long awaited day when God would break into the world in a way which had been foretold by the prophets of old. As the ancient carol says, Isaiah t’was foretold it. “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day, there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” When Jesus Christ was born into this world, the beginning of the fulfillment of that prophesy was fulfilled, and its fulfillment goes on today, and every day until our Blessed Redeemer returns in glory.
You see, since the coming of Jesus, everything has changed. The world is indeed turned upside down, and will never be the same again. Old things are passed away, behold, all things are made new. John, by the power of God’s revelation, knew these things; and he was commissioned by God to proclaim the time of preparation to them, and to us.
The Bible makes it very clear that our entry into the kingdom of God, our salvation if you will, is completely God’s gift to us. St. Paul in his letter to Bishop Titus (2:11) makes it clear that it is the grace of God which brings salvation to us. It is the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf which brings us salvation. Jesus is explicit about that when he says at the institution of the Holy Communion (Mt:26-28) “This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Perhaps the most explicit statement of this great truth of our faith is made by Archbishop Paul in his letter to his beloved friends at Ephesus, (Ephesians 2:8-9) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
If then our salvation is a free gift of God, procured for us by Jesus even while we lived as slaves to sin, and if we can do nothing to earn it, why does St. John the Baptist, the forerunner, call us to repent? Why does he demand in such clarion terms that we be sorry for our offences against God and man, and reform our ways?
First, a gift has a giver, but it also has a recipient. Have you ever given anyone a gift that they did not open, or even acknowledge? It might have been something quite wonderful, but because it was not accepted and acted upon, it was of no use to anyone. Think of Salvation, or membership in the Kingdom of God, as the Lord’s gift to us. It is there, and it is a reality whether we accept it or not. But to benefit from it, to be a part of it, we must accept it. In the words of St. Paul, (Romans 10:9) “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” The act of faithful belief is the act of acceptance a loving God has decreed for entrance into his kingdom.
Second, and this is where the process really gets interesting if you are a student of human psychology. Do you remember the fable of the ant and the grasshopper. The ant worked diligently all summer to store his winter’s food. The grasshopper played and did as he pleased, but never worked to lay in the winter’s supply of necessities. When cold weather came, the ant was vindicated by his survival, and the grasshopper’s foolishness was evident to all who saw his corpse. The Grasshopper didn’t put victuals aside because he really didn’t believe he would need them. Most people who don’t respond to God’s gift of salvation don’t fail to do so because they are bad and nasty people. They just don’t really think they need to do so. Perhaps they are well intentioned agnostics or even principled atheists who see no evidence for God. They help their neighbors and are kind to animals, but they see no need of God in their lives. Many others are simply too busy, often doing good and necessary things for people they love deeply. But there just isn’t time for God. I’ll admit that there are some folks who are just nasty and brutish, but I’ve not run into very many of them in my 56 years. To respond to God’s gift of love, to enter the kingdom of God, we humans need to see a need for doing so. That is basic psychology. And that is where repentance comes in. The kingdom of God promises us a time when the foolishness and corruption of human government will be replaced by the everlasting rule of the true King of Heaven. It promises us eternal peace and harmony. It promises us a world of plenty and hope and deliverance from all which has the capacity to kill or destroy. It represents in its ultimate fulfillment the triumph of God over selfishness and greed and sin of every kind. And it will put our guilt and shame over those past acts which have so complicated our lives as far away from our memories and our relationships as the east is from the west. If we really see a need for a renewed world like God promises, then we also eventually will come to see that most of the mess in this current world is of our own doing. We have neglected our responsibilities to our neighbors and ourselves. We have failed to tend this garden in which God placed us. We have sought to control others for our own benefit. We have been lazy, and lustful, and disrespectful. We have expected others to do our work for us and been satisfied with our ignorance. Perhaps all of us have not done all of these things, but as a species, we are guilty as sin, and all of us have had a hand in at least a few of the things I have mentioned. When I realize my yearning for “the kingdom of God” with all its blessings. When I humbly acknowledge that my mistakes and attitudes have had a hand in making a world so unlike the kingdom of God. Then the natural human response to such a realization must be repentance, which is little more than genuine and heartfelt grief, followed by changed attitudes and behaviour. Grief is a natural human psychological response to the realization that I am responsible to some degree for spoiling this wonderful place where God has put us, and that I am responsible to some degree for the divisions that exist between me and some of the people around me, people who were created by God to be my sisters and brothers, and my fellow pilgrims on the road to the Kingdom of Heaven. And so John only asks of us that which is so natural to us all, that we be sorry for those things we have done which have served to spoil this garden of God’s delights which we call our world and our relationships with others.
But there is a second step to repentance. Has anyone ever told you they were sorry, but you knew it was a lie, a social convention designed to smooth ruffled feathers and escape some temporary unpleasantness? What would have convinced you that the persons grief and sorrow was real? I daresay the only thing that would have worked is if they changed their behaviour and stopped doing that thing which had been so offensive in the first place. Without a real effort at changed behaviour or attitude, the words “I’m sorry” ring with a hollow cynicism.
Saint John the Baptist was sent by God to tell you and me that the Kingdom of God’s reign has broken into this world, And that it is in the very real process of being established, with or without our help. God offers it to all of us as a free and unmerited gift, just because he loves us. But he is a gentleman, and will not force any of us to receive this great gift he offers. It is his hope, and this is the Baptist’s message, that you, and I, and everyone else in the world will rejoice that the beginning of the Kingdom is upon us. It is his hope that we will look around us and see the need for what he offers. It is his hope that you and I will recognize that we have all done things in the course of our lives that have hindered the establishment of the Kingdom temporarily, and have hurt people we ought to love. It is his hope that we will be so sorry for these unthinking and cruel actions and attitudes that we will cry out in grief, ask his help, and do better in the days to come. And finally, as we live into this reality which is the Kingdom of God, it is his desire that we see with a new clarity the wonder and truth of the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for each of us, and that we will with joy confess public ally that Jesus is Lord of our lives, and believe with all our hearts that God has raised him form the dead to proved the truth of it all. AMEN.
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