FIRST READING Isaiah 11:1-10
1There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2And 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 the fear of the Lord. 3And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 4but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. 6The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. 9They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 10In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples — of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
PSALM Psalm 72:1-7
1Give the King your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the King’s Son; 2That he may rule your people righteously and the poor with justice; 3That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, and the little hills bring righteousness. 4He shall defend the needy among the people; he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor. 5He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, from one generation to another. 6He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, like showers that water the earth. 7In his time shall the righteous flourish; there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.
SECOND READING Romans 15:4-13
4For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” 10And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” 12And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
GOSPEL Matthew 3:1-12
1In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” 4Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
REPENT YOUR WAY TO A MERRY CHRISTMAS
Several years ago, a young couple traveled to the offices of an Adoption Society in England to receive a baby. They’d been on the waiting list a long time and in that time, they’d been interviewed, their backgrounds checked and their living situation analyzed. Everything about them had been thoroughly scrutinized. Now at last, their dreams were to be fulfilled. But, as they would soon learn, their day of happiness was another’s pain.
Arriving at the offices of the Society, they were led up a flight of stairs to a waiting room. After a few minutes, they heard someone else climbing the stairs. It was the young student mother whose baby they were to adopted. Outside the waiting room door, the young mother was met by the lady responsible for the adoption arrangements and taken into another room. Our friends overheard a muffled conversation and a few minutes later, footsteps on the stairs as the young mother left. As she left, they could hear the convulsive sobbing of the distraught young mother until the front door of the office was closed. Then, there was silence.
A few moments later, the lady in charge, took them into the next room. Laying there, in a little crib, was a six-week-old baby boy. On a chair beside it, was a brown paper bag containing a change of clothes and two letters. One of these, addressed to the new parents, thanked them for providing a home for her baby and acknowledged that under the terms of the adoption, each would never know the other’s identity. Then the young mother added one request. Would they allow her little son to read the other letter on his eighteenth birthday? She assured them that she had not included any information about her identity. Happy to comply, the couple entrusted that letter to a lawyer and one day the young man will read the message which his mother wrote on the day when, with breaking heart, she parted with him. It makes me wonder, what does someone say in a case such as this?
As I considered this story, it caused me to ponder the question, if I had to condense all I feel about life and love into a few precious words what would I say? I don’t believe it would be an occasion for trivia. I doubt I’d be concerned with economics, politics, the weather, the size of my house or the type of car I drive. At such a time, I believe I would want to dwell on the facts, the understandings of what life was all about and the things that were absolutely vital. It would be a time when getting to the point would be essential. And considering our reading from Matthew, maybe this is how John the Baptist felt about the message he was called to share.
In our gospel reading for this morning, we read about John and the message he was called to preach. John appeared in the desert in the same tradition as that of the ancient Hebrew prophets. His attire was typical of God’s messengers before him, like Elijah, and his diet consisted of those things typically eaten by the poor. And like the prophets of old, I believe he knew the time of his ministry was limited. This, I believe, is evidenced by the fact that in his burning message he had no time for peripheral matters. He knew there wasn’t any time for playing Trivial Pursuit, nor was he prepared to splash about in the shallow end of the pool.
John knew that the promised Messiah was coming and that he’d been sent to prepare the way. What he had no way of knowing was that soon, the sword of Herod’s guard would flash and his tongue would lie silent in the grave. John knew his message was important and one of urgency, so he called out to all who came out to hear him. Among those faithful that traveled to the desert to hear this prophet of God, were also some superficial people from Jerusalem.
A few of those who came were intrigued by this strange phenomenon of a wild man preaching repentance. They were fascinated by the frivolous things, such as his dress, his diet and his fierce and dramatic oratory. They wanted to interview him and then tell all their friends about their remarkable experience. “Who are you?” they asked. His answer was of course direct: “I am not the Christ.” “Are you Elijah?” “No!” “Then who are you?” they persisted. They had their questions about who he was, but the message he preached was clear. It’s a message that was just as important then as it is now. Prepare for the coming of the Messiah: Repent.
There comes a moment when the preacher longs for his hearers to lose sight of everything, except his message. “Don’t be distracted by my accent. Don’t look at my clothes. Don’t get hung up on my style. Don’t read the biographical details for my University pedigree. All I’m asking is that you listen to the message that I’m sending. Repent! This was the first component of John’s message; one that John felt was vitally important. But there are two other elements to his message; essential ingredients that we need to look at as well.
While John’s message called people to repentance, there’s something else that’s also essential before repentance is effective; guilt and contrition. One of the towering marks of this age is the absence of guilt. Look around and I doubt that there are very many people who would deny that fact. And sadly, some and more than we’d like to admit too, are pleased that guilt has been dethroned. But the good news is, that there are others who see this lack of guilt as a bad sign. And because there seems to be this absence of guilt in today’s society, it makes it very difficult to talk about repentance. We must concede that if there’s no feeling of guilt, then the need for repentance is greatly minimized, if not altogether eliminated. Combine that with the fact that many people also feel that words like repentance and contrition are concepts that belongs to yesterday.
To our modern minds, repentance and contrition is equated with sackcloth, ashes and mourner’s benches. Some see repentance and remorse as something that we feel only if we get caught. But repentance and regret is far more than simply blurting out “I’m Sorry” when caught cheating the IRS or on our spouse. Nor is repentance merely turning over a new leaf. I must admit, that one of my favorite times of the week is Sunday after the worship services. The pressure of the week has been lifted and it’s like starting all over again. It’s like pulling up a blank document on the computer. It’s a great feeling. But repentance is far more than just starting over again. Repentance is more than simply mindless reciting, with everyone else, our prayer of confession each week. True repentance, with contrition, is the turning back, the reversal of course, the deep desire to not repeat the sinful mistakes of the past.
In John Steinbeck’s story “The Wayward Bus” a dilapidated old bus takes a cross country shortcut on its journey to Los Angeles, and gets stuck in the mud. While the drivers go for assistance, the passengers take refuge in a cave. It’s a curious company of people and it’s obvious that the author is attempting to get across the point that these people are lost spiritually as well as literally. As they enter the cave, the author calls the readers’ attention to the fact that as they enter they must pass a word that has been scrawled with paint over the entrance. The word is repent. Although Steinbeck calls that to the readers’ attention, it’s interesting that none of the passengers pay any attention to it whatsoever. All too often this is our story. Yet, John the Baptist calls out for us to take our sinning seriously. Why? Because God does.
Repentance isn’t just about changing our minds, or feeling sorry for something that we’ve done, or even making bold resolves that we’ll never participate in certain conduct again. Repentance means a sincere turning away, in both the mind and heart, from self to God. It involves a change of mind that leads to action–the turning away from a sinful course, to God. What John the Baptist wanted his audience to hear was: Turn your life toward this one called the Messiah. This action isn’t negative or down-faced. Rather, it’s an action that breaks the chains of oppression and death that hold us back.
Recently I had a pastor share something one of his parishioners told him after a sermon during Advent; he said, the problem with John the Baptist is that he takes all the fun out of Christmas. My thought was, he couldn’t have been further from the truth. I submit to you that it’s this weird eccentric, called the Baptist, who puts the joy back into Christmas. John is the one who calls us not to Christmas the way it is, but to Christmas the way it’s meant to be. Christmas isn’t about the presents under the tree. Christmas is about God’s gift of salvation given in the person of Jesus the Christ. First, John called his hearers prepare for the coming Messiah and to repent with a contrite heart. John then called for everyone in his audience to share the message.
In Luke 3:10 we read that a crowd approached John and asked him: “What shall we do then?” In other words, what is expected of us now. To this John responded: “He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; he who has food, let him do likewise.” Sharing is so basically fundamental to our faith, that anyone who has somehow failed to grasp this principle, will miss a major thrust of this Advent Season.
One of my favorite Christmas stories is O’Renry’s short story, The Gift of The Magi. You may be familiar with it. It’s a story about a desperately poor young couple living in New York around the turn of the century. Neither had enough money to buy the other a gift, so they each secretly went out and sold something of worth. He sold his prized pocket watch to get her a braid for her long hair. When he presented it to her she removed her scarf to reveal that she had cut her hair and sold it to purchase a chain for his pocket watch. The message of the story is obvious. It isn’t what you give that’s important, but the sharing spirit of love in which it’s given. One of the messages of Advent is that we’re called to be a sharing people. Not just at one special season of the year, but to live a life of sharing.
In the latter part of the 17th century, German preacher August H. Francke founded an orphanage to care for the homeless children of Halle. One day when Francke desperately needed funds to carry on his work, a destitute Christian widow came to his door begging for a ducat–a gold coin. Because of his financial situation, he politely but regretfully told her he couldn’t help her. Disheartened, the woman began to weep. Moved by her tears, Francke asked her to wait while he went to his room to pray. After seeking God’s guidance, he felt that the Holy Spirit wanted him to change his mind. So, trusting the Lord to meet his own needs, he gave her the money.
Two mornings later, he received a letter of thanks from the widow. She explained that because of his generosity she had asked the Lord to shower the orphanage with gifts. That same day Francke received 12 ducats from a wealthy lady and 2 more from a friend in Sweden. He thought he had been amply rewarded for helping the widow, but he was soon informed that the orphanage was to receive 500 gold pieces from the estate of Prince Lodewyk Van Wurtenburg. When he heard this, Francke wept in gratitude.
In sacrificially providing for that needy widow, he had been enriched, not impoverished. We need to be clear. What enriched his life wasn’t that he received all these gold pieces, it was that he had shared with someone less fortunate. The abundance of gold which followed, only confirms the deep meaning of the act of sharing. “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. John answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.” Repent. Share. And the third point in John’s message was serve.
In the verses following our gospel lesson, (12-14) we learn that tax collectors came to John to be baptized and said to him: Teacher, what shall we do? And he said to them: Collect no more taxes than is appointed to you. Soldiers also came and asked: And what shall we do? And he said: Rob no more and do not make false accusations. In other words, whatever your vocation or task is in life, do it ethically to the best of your ability.
If you’re a tax collector, be an honest tax collector. If you’re a soldier, be a good soldier and not a cruel, corrupt one. In whatever vocation you’re called, do it as if doing it for God. (Col. 3:23a) Christian service isn’t reserved for a missionary in a foreign land. I agree, it’s a whole lot easier to go to a faraway land than it is to go next door. We’re called to serve God in whatever situation we find ourselves; in the home, at work, in the market place, in school, by doing the best we can for God wherever we are.
John was a great man and he preached a great message. His message was simple: repent with a contrite heart, share and serve. It’s the same message we need to hear as we prepare this Advent season for the returning Savior. And although John was a great man, Jesus is an even greater man and He delivered an even greater message. John’s message was one of glad chidings. Jesus’ message was one of glad tidings. There were differences in style. But John laid forth the fundamentals.
Someone once asked the late Vince Lombardy what the secret was to his coaching career. He responded: To keep my team prepared, I had them constantly concentrate on the fundamentals. As faithful disciples, we too must concentrate on the fundamentals of our faith to be prepared for Jesus’ coming: Repent, share and serve.
Amen