Reflection: "Are We There Yet?"Advent is a time of waiting - waiting for our Lord to come.
Let me ask: “Who’s ever been on a long car trip with, or as, young children?” We all know that the most common question is: “Are we there yet?” Young children aren’t very good at waiting, are they? They easily lose the excitement of the destination, with the boredom of the trip. The Israelites weren’t very good at waiting, either. As they waited for their messiah, their resolve and love for God wavered, sometimes disappearing altogether. They strayed from the ways of God despite the many messengers sent to remind them of the covenants, or agreements, made with their forefathers. The rules of these were simple: the people keep their end of the bargain and God would look after them. Sounds easy – but God made humans with free choice, and we often make choices that aren’t pleasing to God. Journeys do involve a fair bit of waiting, but it can also be a fun time. During Advent, we’re preparing ourselves to celebrate the birth of Jesus in that stable in Bethlehem, so long ago. Getting into a place like Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, has been a difficult process over the last few decades. It’s in the Palestinian controlled West Bank and people who visit from nearby Jerusalem, in Israel, have to get off their bus and walk a block or so, under the gaze of heavily armed soldiers, before boarding a bus on the Palestinian side. Of course, passports are scrutinised, and people are questioned regarding the reason for wanting to visit Bethlehem. If getting to Bethlehem physically seems challenging, it’s nothing compared to getting to Bethlehem spiritually. At least that’s what John the Baptist would have us understand, because at Advent there is no getting to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, without first passing through the check point manned by John the Baptist. And John is certainly not merrily waving everyone in. On the contrary, as the Gospel of Luke tells it, John is taking names and checking passports. His first inhospitable greeting to the gathered throngs who have come for him to baptise them in the Jordan is, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" He seems to be saying, "Do you really think that coming to the river for a quick baptism will save you from God's judgment? You'd better think again." Then after this unnerving opening, John launches into a sermon where he stresses the people's need for absolute, no holds barred, repentance because judgment is on its way and anything short of total repentance is not enough. So, what counts as total repentance? In response to his preaching, John must undoubtedly have seen many demonstrations of half-hearted repentance - the kind we’re also capable of. Maybe we, like the people in John's day, tell ourselves that our half-hearted repentance for wrong-doing is adequate, maybe even ok - if we simply feel a little badly about what we’ve done, or left undone, then that’ll do. But John is saying that simple sentimentality is insufficient and it's not a mark of full repentance. Maybe we think that our church identity gives us extra credit points and ought to protect us from God's wrath. But John says otherwise - that trying to depend on one's heritage doesn't demonstrate full repentance. What matters most, John says, is how your rubber hits the road - what you do, and how you live. God doesn’t need people who are just church members, but ones who are believers - not talkers, but doers. And when John's little riverside congregation hears this alarming word, they begin to ask him for more clarification. Some in the crowd ask, "What then should we do?" and John responds in effect, by saying: "Share with one another. If you have two coats give one to someone who has none. If you have more food than you need give some away to someone who is hungry." In other words, demonstrating repentance in one's life will involve generosity. You must be generous, says John. The tax collectors in the crowd were also not clear and they shouted, "Teacher, what should we do?" Tax collectors in John's day paid the Roman overlords for the privilege of collecting tolls and tariffs and customs fees. They extorted as much money as possible from the populace to recoup their initial outlay, making a profit - and John says to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed." In other words, a demonstration of repentance will be absolute honesty and dependability, John says. The questions and answers were beginning to make the soldiers in the crowd a little worried, because they asked, "And what should we do?" These soldiers had a right to be nervous, as their compensation for working under the Romans was not lavish. Their pay was small, but custom allowed that they might extort a bit of money from the population while the authorities turned a blind eye. Thus, John responded to the soldiers, "Be satisfied with your wages." In other words, a demonstration of repentance will be an end of grasping greediness, followed by the adoption of contentment. Generosity, integrity, contentment: signs of a life that has undergone total repentance...proof that faith is more than talk. No one in those crowds at the Jordan River, who had come for baptism by John, seemed to escape John's demand for them to live a better life. No easy outs, no short cuts, no excuses. No matter who came, John could see potential for improvement in their lives. I wonder if that’s why John drew such large crowds. It can't have been his appearance, his charm, his polish, or his winning smile. It must have been something else. People must have kept coming to John because he asked something significant of them. He asked them to see themselves and their lives' potential in a new way. Even Paul, when writing to the Christian converts in Philippi, exhorts them to rejoice in the Lord always and to let their gentleness be evident to others. He reminds them that the Lord is near. Of course, Paul is referring to the second coming, not the birth that we’re celebrating at Christmas. As I’ve been pointing out over the last few weeks, the 2 events are intertwined and we must be mindful that, while we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we must also be preparing for his return, because we don’t know when it will be. By bringing everything in our lives before God, Paul reminds us that the peace of God, which transcends all our understanding, will guard our hearts and minds – IN JESUS CHRIST. Jesus is the conduit between us, here on earth, and God. Do you remember Him saying that “No-one comes to the Father, except through me.” John says: “the Messiah is definitely on the way” and he’s awed by the majesty and mystery of the coming OF THE Holy One. He claims that he is not even worthy to untie the thongs of the Messiah's sandals, a task which a common servant would be asked to do. All John's exhortations to the crowds are also for us and they’re just his way of trying to help us to be ready to step into the presence of greatness, the greatness found in Bethlehem, without the self-consciousness of any misdeeds and wrongdoings clinging to us, in readiness for the Messiah's coming.. “Let the past go” John says, “be rid of it, repent of it, lay it down and take up new lives, worthy of the one whose presence you seek.” As we prepare to celebrate his birth over 2,000 years ago, we must be living our lives as if he will walk in the door behind us today, so are YOU ready for his return? Even though I’ve still got work to do in my life, I still look forward to his coming with excitement, anticipation and I certainly pray that you do, as well. Pastor Rick
1 Comment
Lena Beryl Blok
10/12/2021 06:47:57 pm
Thank you Rick, for another good sermon for Advent.
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