If you are looking for Sunday's sermon, I didn't preach. Our Sunday School children led the service and they did a great job. It was a very 'meat and potatoes' Christmas service, hearing the why of Christmas and the reality of Christmas.
I missed not preaching, was going to talk about Joseph's God-fearing nature, but I'll save that for 2013 when the lesson rolls around again.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Latin lessons
On the way home from church Wednesday night, Jacob said that he and Matthew and Mommy were talking about heaven and angels that morning. Jacob asked me what angels were made out of. I told him that God created them out of nothing. He said, "Out of nothing!" And I said, "Yeah, God created them ex nihilo."
I taught him a Latin phrase and he repeated it several times and said, "Teach me another aladdin phrase." (I said it was Latin.)
So I thought of another one to teach him that would be easy to memorize and significant. The phrase was simul justus et peccator. He did a nice job repeating it and understanding it.
This morning I taught him the invocation and the kyrie.
Interesting.
I taught him a Latin phrase and he repeated it several times and said, "Teach me another aladdin phrase." (I said it was Latin.)
So I thought of another one to teach him that would be easy to memorize and significant. The phrase was simul justus et peccator. He did a nice job repeating it and understanding it.
This morning I taught him the invocation and the kyrie.
Interesting.
Info for Dec. 19 worship
Hymns
357 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (will be broken into two parts: verses 1-4 and 5-7
367 Angels From the Realms of Glory 1,2,5
359 Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming 1,2
356 The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came (If you want, google the version done by Sting. Hauntingly awesome!)
364 Away in a Manger 1-2 children, 3 all
379 O Come All Ye Faithful 1,3
380 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing 1
388 Go Tell It On The Mountain 1,3
370 What Child Is This 1,2
350 Come, Thou Precious Ransom Come
360 All My Heart Again Rejoices 1,5,6
392 God Loves Me Dearly
387 Joy To The World
{Lots of hymns I know, but it will be a joy to sing these hymns that are familiar and new.)
Scripture Lessons
Isaiah 7:10-17
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-25
Prayer of the Day
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reing with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
357 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (will be broken into two parts: verses 1-4 and 5-7
367 Angels From the Realms of Glory 1,2,5
359 Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming 1,2
356 The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came (If you want, google the version done by Sting. Hauntingly awesome!)
364 Away in a Manger 1-2 children, 3 all
379 O Come All Ye Faithful 1,3
380 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing 1
388 Go Tell It On The Mountain 1,3
370 What Child Is This 1,2
350 Come, Thou Precious Ransom Come
360 All My Heart Again Rejoices 1,5,6
392 God Loves Me Dearly
387 Joy To The World
{Lots of hymns I know, but it will be a joy to sing these hymns that are familiar and new.)
Scripture Lessons
Isaiah 7:10-17
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-25
Prayer of the Day
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reing with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sermon for Advent 3
Third Sunday in Advent
Dec. 12, 2010
Matthew 11:2-15
Before your face
In the name of our adventing Lord Jesus, amen. For the most part, we prefer to be non-confrontational, but there are times when it is necessary for us to be in the face of someone else. It is certainly uncomfortable, it is a time when the situation could spiral out of control, but you know that you are often put into a position where you have to say the uncomfortable thing, when you have to do something that draws attention to you.
It seems that John the Baptist spent his life being an ‘in your face’ kind of prophet. And look where it got him- prison. And he would stay in prison until his head was separated from the rest of his body. Being an ‘in your face’ kind of prophet did not turn out very well for him. A prophet recruiter would have a hard time pointing to John the Baptist as the example and getting young folks to sign up.
I think we could make a reasonable guess that John was depressed. After being a famous rock star of a prophet, John was now left alone in prison. He was in a tough jam and he wanted to know if all of his work had been in vain. Was I right or was I wrong? Disciples of John took that question to Jesus, and Jesus responded.
John, your eyesight is fine. There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. Use your eyes and look around you. There are people walking around today who used to be crippled. There are former lepers who are enjoying their place at the dinner table. The deaf hear the sound of birds and the whining of little children…and they delight in it all. The blind see the good and the bad. And they rejoice. All those that were down and out are now the up and in. Open your eyes. Look around. See, observe, pay attention.
The people went out to see a prophet, and they saw one. They heard one. They experienced one, as John baptized all those who came, who repented for the forgiveness of their sins. The people received what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear.
But John may have had some difficulty seeing clearly. It’s sometimes hard to see what is right in front of you. I want to see the forest but I can’t because there are too many darn trees in the way. When you are in a tough jam, and prison counts as one, it’s hard to see anything positive. Your vision is blurry because when you open your eyes, they are filled with angry tears, rejected tears, lonely tears, tears of disappointment, sadness, hopelessness, despair, gloom, doom, fear. It is hard to see what is right in front of your face. John couldn’t see what, or who, was in front of him. John needed to be reminded of the work he had done. John needed to remember the One he prophesied about, the One he himself had baptized in the Jordan River.
John had received his marching orders from the Lord, and he spoke- prepare the royal highway, the king is drawing near. Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. You brood of vipers- who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? John was given the task of calling people out on their sins, announcing that the long-expected Jesus was here, and John received in return words of hate- Who are you to tell us we’re doing something wrong!
John did what he was supposed to do- “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.”
The messenger is sent to be an ‘in your face’ character, to get you ready. John did his work. Pastors and people have been doing it ever since. They, our parents who taught us the Lord’s Prayer even though we didn’t know what was going on, our Sunday School teachers who worked with us in our elementary years, that coach who was so instrumental in our lives, the professor who took the time to challenge us and teach us and guide us, they have been in our face because we needed it.
Parents correct and guide, chasten and discipline, and they rarely get thanked at the time. If any thanks comes their way, it is when the child is grown. That’s okay. It’s not the parent’s job to be liked. It’s the parent’s job to parent the children that have been given to them.
There is a lot before our faces. Are we willing to see, observe, what is before our face? Rising gasoline and fuel oil prices make us nervous. Jobs are available, but they pay $7 or $8 an hour and with a mortgage and a family and all the typical expenses, a person would need to work 27 hours a day to live on that wage. You see the miles increase on your vehicle and repairs are becoming more frequent and more costly. Do we see the warning signs? Your children are scattered by miles and across time zones and it’s hard to be away, especially now in the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Year’s extravaganza. Your body…well, let’s just say, the old gray mare ain't what she used to be. What we see with our eyes, and what we hear with our ears, there is a lot that is distressing and depressing.
What is before the face of God’s Church? A community surrounds us that needs God’s call to repentance for the forgiveness of their sins, but do we know how to engage them? People who are hurting across all levels are in need of the healing that comes through life with God. Abusers need to be confronted. The greedy must be reined in. The powerful must be told not to trample on the weak. The hypocrites must have a mirror held in front of their faces.
But there are so many people to help, so many people in need, so many people who need to hear the Word of God and be held accountable. We’re a tiny group, small group, with little influence, clout, or power. How can we get anyone to open their eyes and see what is before their face?
We cannot do any of it if we trust and rely only on our own devices. John the Baptist didn’t preach to the crowds about salvation based on works, based on being good, based on buying off God. John pointed the people to the Messiah, who was before their face, and said, “The Messiah is coming.” John would very soon say, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Your sins. Yours too. Mine. All of them. The Lamb takes your sins, takes your punishment, and your death. Sin is nothing more than death in disguise. And the Lamb gives you His life. He gives mercy, forgiveness, hope that is real, not hope in nothing but hope in something- hope in the Trinity, hope in the Name of God that is placed upon you and sealed through Baptism. All of that is before our face. All of that is what we take into our lives as we engage the world around us that is such great need of life and light and love.
John the Baptist was an ‘in your face’ prophet. He was making us ready for an ‘in your face’ Messiah. What is more ‘in your face’ than God on the cross? What is more ‘in your face’ than the true body and blood of Jesus on the altar? What is more ‘in your face’ than honestly acknowledging your sins and screw ups and then being told that you are forgiven for the sake of Jesus Christ!
We are confronted today with the good news of Jesus Christ. Rejoice! Be jubilant. Open your eyes and see what is before your face- the living Lord who is coming to be with you. Jesus is before your face. Rejoice. SDG
Dec. 12, 2010
Matthew 11:2-15
Before your face
In the name of our adventing Lord Jesus, amen. For the most part, we prefer to be non-confrontational, but there are times when it is necessary for us to be in the face of someone else. It is certainly uncomfortable, it is a time when the situation could spiral out of control, but you know that you are often put into a position where you have to say the uncomfortable thing, when you have to do something that draws attention to you.
It seems that John the Baptist spent his life being an ‘in your face’ kind of prophet. And look where it got him- prison. And he would stay in prison until his head was separated from the rest of his body. Being an ‘in your face’ kind of prophet did not turn out very well for him. A prophet recruiter would have a hard time pointing to John the Baptist as the example and getting young folks to sign up.
I think we could make a reasonable guess that John was depressed. After being a famous rock star of a prophet, John was now left alone in prison. He was in a tough jam and he wanted to know if all of his work had been in vain. Was I right or was I wrong? Disciples of John took that question to Jesus, and Jesus responded.
John, your eyesight is fine. There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. Use your eyes and look around you. There are people walking around today who used to be crippled. There are former lepers who are enjoying their place at the dinner table. The deaf hear the sound of birds and the whining of little children…and they delight in it all. The blind see the good and the bad. And they rejoice. All those that were down and out are now the up and in. Open your eyes. Look around. See, observe, pay attention.
The people went out to see a prophet, and they saw one. They heard one. They experienced one, as John baptized all those who came, who repented for the forgiveness of their sins. The people received what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear.
But John may have had some difficulty seeing clearly. It’s sometimes hard to see what is right in front of you. I want to see the forest but I can’t because there are too many darn trees in the way. When you are in a tough jam, and prison counts as one, it’s hard to see anything positive. Your vision is blurry because when you open your eyes, they are filled with angry tears, rejected tears, lonely tears, tears of disappointment, sadness, hopelessness, despair, gloom, doom, fear. It is hard to see what is right in front of your face. John couldn’t see what, or who, was in front of him. John needed to be reminded of the work he had done. John needed to remember the One he prophesied about, the One he himself had baptized in the Jordan River.
John had received his marching orders from the Lord, and he spoke- prepare the royal highway, the king is drawing near. Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. You brood of vipers- who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? John was given the task of calling people out on their sins, announcing that the long-expected Jesus was here, and John received in return words of hate- Who are you to tell us we’re doing something wrong!
John did what he was supposed to do- “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.”
The messenger is sent to be an ‘in your face’ character, to get you ready. John did his work. Pastors and people have been doing it ever since. They, our parents who taught us the Lord’s Prayer even though we didn’t know what was going on, our Sunday School teachers who worked with us in our elementary years, that coach who was so instrumental in our lives, the professor who took the time to challenge us and teach us and guide us, they have been in our face because we needed it.
Parents correct and guide, chasten and discipline, and they rarely get thanked at the time. If any thanks comes their way, it is when the child is grown. That’s okay. It’s not the parent’s job to be liked. It’s the parent’s job to parent the children that have been given to them.
There is a lot before our faces. Are we willing to see, observe, what is before our face? Rising gasoline and fuel oil prices make us nervous. Jobs are available, but they pay $7 or $8 an hour and with a mortgage and a family and all the typical expenses, a person would need to work 27 hours a day to live on that wage. You see the miles increase on your vehicle and repairs are becoming more frequent and more costly. Do we see the warning signs? Your children are scattered by miles and across time zones and it’s hard to be away, especially now in the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Year’s extravaganza. Your body…well, let’s just say, the old gray mare ain't what she used to be. What we see with our eyes, and what we hear with our ears, there is a lot that is distressing and depressing.
What is before the face of God’s Church? A community surrounds us that needs God’s call to repentance for the forgiveness of their sins, but do we know how to engage them? People who are hurting across all levels are in need of the healing that comes through life with God. Abusers need to be confronted. The greedy must be reined in. The powerful must be told not to trample on the weak. The hypocrites must have a mirror held in front of their faces.
But there are so many people to help, so many people in need, so many people who need to hear the Word of God and be held accountable. We’re a tiny group, small group, with little influence, clout, or power. How can we get anyone to open their eyes and see what is before their face?
We cannot do any of it if we trust and rely only on our own devices. John the Baptist didn’t preach to the crowds about salvation based on works, based on being good, based on buying off God. John pointed the people to the Messiah, who was before their face, and said, “The Messiah is coming.” John would very soon say, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Your sins. Yours too. Mine. All of them. The Lamb takes your sins, takes your punishment, and your death. Sin is nothing more than death in disguise. And the Lamb gives you His life. He gives mercy, forgiveness, hope that is real, not hope in nothing but hope in something- hope in the Trinity, hope in the Name of God that is placed upon you and sealed through Baptism. All of that is before our face. All of that is what we take into our lives as we engage the world around us that is such great need of life and light and love.
John the Baptist was an ‘in your face’ prophet. He was making us ready for an ‘in your face’ Messiah. What is more ‘in your face’ than God on the cross? What is more ‘in your face’ than the true body and blood of Jesus on the altar? What is more ‘in your face’ than honestly acknowledging your sins and screw ups and then being told that you are forgiven for the sake of Jesus Christ!
We are confronted today with the good news of Jesus Christ. Rejoice! Be jubilant. Open your eyes and see what is before your face- the living Lord who is coming to be with you. Jesus is before your face. Rejoice. SDG
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Worship info for our Wednesday and Sunday services.
Wednesday, Evening Prayer, 7pm
Hymns
344 On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry
392 God Loves Me Dearly
877 God Who Made the Earth and Heaven
Scripture Lessons
Isaiah 11:1-10
Romans 15:4-13
Matthew 3:1-12
Sunday, Dec. 12 Third Sunday in Advent, 10am
Hymns
669 Come, We That Love the Lord
338 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus (These first two hymns are our opening hymns. Both ask for someone to come. We are invited and we invite the Lord to come among us.)
334 O Lord, How Shall I Meet You
346 When All The World Was Cursed
797 Praise the Almighty
Scripture Lessons
Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalm 146
James 5:7-11
Matthew 11:2-15
Prayer of the Day
Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Hymns
344 On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry
392 God Loves Me Dearly
877 God Who Made the Earth and Heaven
Scripture Lessons
Isaiah 11:1-10
Romans 15:4-13
Matthew 3:1-12
Sunday, Dec. 12 Third Sunday in Advent, 10am
Hymns
669 Come, We That Love the Lord
338 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus (These first two hymns are our opening hymns. Both ask for someone to come. We are invited and we invite the Lord to come among us.)
334 O Lord, How Shall I Meet You
346 When All The World Was Cursed
797 Praise the Almighty
Scripture Lessons
Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalm 146
James 5:7-11
Matthew 11:2-15
Prayer of the Day
Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Sermon for Advent 2
Second Sunday in Advent
Dec. 5, 2010
Matthew 3:1-12
In whose days?
In the name of our adventing Lord Jesus, amen. The great, and greatly odd, narrative of John the Baptist will be our text this morning.
I’ll cover the ‘odd’ first- wearing camel’s skin doesn’t seem so strange. People have been wearing animal skins for a long time. But when other kinds of fabric are available, when you might be the only person in a crowd not wearing something made of cotton, you might stand out. Eating locusts is certainly odd, maybe something frat boys do on a bet, but not a mainstream diet by any regards. Eating honey is normal. A peanut butter and honey sandwich is a very tasty treat. The dress and diet of John the Baptist is unusual, and it might be what people remember the most.
So we got that out of the way. John may have dressed and ate like a freak show, but he didn’t rely on a gimmick. He wasn’t seeking his fifteen minutes of fame. He wasn’t auditioning for a reality show. John the Baptizer, John the Baptist, John the miracle child of ancient Zechariah and barren Elizabeth, this John was the forerunner of Christ. This John was the last of the Old Testament prophets- prophets like Amos, Joel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel. This John was given the Word of God to proclaim and he proclaimed it. He used the Word of God like a road grader, to make the rough places smooth, to build up the valleys, to bring the hills down.
No gimmicks, no fads, no bait-n-switch…just the Word of God.
In those days John appeared in the Judean wilderness, doing what his ancient colleague Isaiah had said would happen. A voice would cry out in the wilderness, “Prepare! Make ready! The Lord is on the way.” And in those days, Jesus was just behind John. They were separated by about 6 months as best we can figure, and we can figure pretty well from Biblical and historical sources.
John appeared in the wilderness and the people went out to find him- from Jerusalem, all Judea, and from all the region around the Jordan River. They went to hear a very harsh message. They did not get their itch scratched. They flocked to John and he told them to repent. John told them to be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. John exposed their sins, revealed their flaws and their warts. John looked at the emperor and declared, “Hey, you’re buck naked.”
The people went out to see and hear John. And John gave them the what-for. That’s not so strange. From time to time it is refreshing to hear someone tell us that we are not as good as we believe we are, to look at our perception and then match it up with reality. So the people that went out to hear John had been hearing the Word of the Lord in their local synagogues. Rabbis had been teaching them the Law of the Lord, and the people confessed how they messed things up. They confessed to John their spiritual rebellion, their spiritual adultery, their spiritual waywardness. The people also confessed their physical rebellion, how they had rebelled against mom and dad, ignored their teaching, how they had been warring against their siblings, had been plotting the downfall of the neighbor who has more than them. The people confessed their physical adultery too, how they had not kept the marriage bed pure, how they had left their first love in search of something better, something different, something unholy, not good, sinful. The people also were given the opportunity to admit their physical waywardness, how they no longer went up to the temple to offer their prayers and praises. They kept themselves from the public worship services, no longer regarding the Sabbath Day as a glorious gift from God.
All of that was very good, people taking their medicine. It might not have tasted good, but it was necessary. You don’t take medicine because of the taste. You take medicine because you’re sick- stuffy head, a fever, a cough, achy, miserable. People went to John because they were sin-sick.
But they weren’t the only ones. Along came the Pharisees and Sadducees. These people were healthy, hale and hearty. They had no sins to repent of. These folks were the ones who diagnosed the spiritual malady in everybody else. They came and John did not receive them kindly, calling them snakes, vipers.
Or maybe he did receive them kindly, because John liberally gave them what they needed.
“Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father!” Big, fat, hairy deal. God can make children of Abraham out of these stones.
Lineage doesn’t count. Intelligence doesn’t matter. Wealth and health don’t matter either. Being good doesn’t go very far. These self-righteous Pharisees were told the Biblical truth that their sinful identity was known and that they were as rotten as everybody else.
The axe is at the root of the tree. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. And not just any fire, but the unquenchable kind.
Right on John! Preach it brother! This is the true Advent message of repentance. Let them know how bad they are. Just don’t preach it to me. Ignore and overlook my self-righteousness, my sins.
In those days the people went out to see and hear John. In these days, John the Baptist still hits a bulls-eye as he wields the Word of God with truth and power. Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
We hear the voice of John cry out and it is our name that we hear. John holds up a mirror and the horrific reflection is ours. One of our confessional pieces states the truth this way: ‘we poor sinners confess unto You that we are by nature sinful and unclean and that we have sinned against You by thought, word, and deed. Wherefore we flee for refuge to Your infinite mercy, seeking and imploring Your grace for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ We sin…a lot…often…throughout the course of our day.
We are spiritually rebellious, chasing after the god du jour. We are physically rebellious, warring with our families over petty things, silly jealousies, and our perverse pleasures. We are spiritually wayward, trading in a healthy piety for the illusion of making our own justification, of earning our own salvation by what we do and how much we do. We are physically wayward as well, again by chasing after the desires of our sinful hearts and traveling down paths that only lead into darkness, danger, and death. Spiritually adulterous and physically adulterous describe who we are too. There is no flash, no heat, no spark to our religion. Let’s look for the exciting, for the trendy, for the fad. We leave the substantive behind for the shallow. We leave God behind because sometimes I leave the Sunday service feeling bad. The hymns didn’t make me feel good. Let us remind ourselves…that’s okay. Christianity is real, because Christ is real. Our life, our faith life, they have their ups and downs. There is triumph and tragedy, very often in the course of the same day! And we leave our spouses behind, as we chase after what is exciting, new, fresh. We leave the substance of our marriage vows in the dust as we chase after the shallow relationships that are all about what makes me feel good.
We repent, not because it is fun, but because we need to. We repent because of what follows. “I announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” All of our sins are forgiven…removed…taken from us because of Christ’s work on the cross, begun in the manger, prophesied by John.
John the Baptist gets us ready for Jesus the Messiah. We anticipate the marvel of the manger and know that standing in the background is the cross of Calvary.
In these days, our days, the days of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Advent call of repentance is given to us. We welcome that call for it helps us make ready our hearts, our lives for the blessed reality of our redeemer Jesus. Repent and know that all your sins are forgiven for the sake of Jesus. SDG
Dec. 5, 2010
Matthew 3:1-12
In whose days?
In the name of our adventing Lord Jesus, amen. The great, and greatly odd, narrative of John the Baptist will be our text this morning.
I’ll cover the ‘odd’ first- wearing camel’s skin doesn’t seem so strange. People have been wearing animal skins for a long time. But when other kinds of fabric are available, when you might be the only person in a crowd not wearing something made of cotton, you might stand out. Eating locusts is certainly odd, maybe something frat boys do on a bet, but not a mainstream diet by any regards. Eating honey is normal. A peanut butter and honey sandwich is a very tasty treat. The dress and diet of John the Baptist is unusual, and it might be what people remember the most.
So we got that out of the way. John may have dressed and ate like a freak show, but he didn’t rely on a gimmick. He wasn’t seeking his fifteen minutes of fame. He wasn’t auditioning for a reality show. John the Baptizer, John the Baptist, John the miracle child of ancient Zechariah and barren Elizabeth, this John was the forerunner of Christ. This John was the last of the Old Testament prophets- prophets like Amos, Joel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel. This John was given the Word of God to proclaim and he proclaimed it. He used the Word of God like a road grader, to make the rough places smooth, to build up the valleys, to bring the hills down.
No gimmicks, no fads, no bait-n-switch…just the Word of God.
In those days John appeared in the Judean wilderness, doing what his ancient colleague Isaiah had said would happen. A voice would cry out in the wilderness, “Prepare! Make ready! The Lord is on the way.” And in those days, Jesus was just behind John. They were separated by about 6 months as best we can figure, and we can figure pretty well from Biblical and historical sources.
John appeared in the wilderness and the people went out to find him- from Jerusalem, all Judea, and from all the region around the Jordan River. They went to hear a very harsh message. They did not get their itch scratched. They flocked to John and he told them to repent. John told them to be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. John exposed their sins, revealed their flaws and their warts. John looked at the emperor and declared, “Hey, you’re buck naked.”
The people went out to see and hear John. And John gave them the what-for. That’s not so strange. From time to time it is refreshing to hear someone tell us that we are not as good as we believe we are, to look at our perception and then match it up with reality. So the people that went out to hear John had been hearing the Word of the Lord in their local synagogues. Rabbis had been teaching them the Law of the Lord, and the people confessed how they messed things up. They confessed to John their spiritual rebellion, their spiritual adultery, their spiritual waywardness. The people also confessed their physical rebellion, how they had rebelled against mom and dad, ignored their teaching, how they had been warring against their siblings, had been plotting the downfall of the neighbor who has more than them. The people confessed their physical adultery too, how they had not kept the marriage bed pure, how they had left their first love in search of something better, something different, something unholy, not good, sinful. The people also were given the opportunity to admit their physical waywardness, how they no longer went up to the temple to offer their prayers and praises. They kept themselves from the public worship services, no longer regarding the Sabbath Day as a glorious gift from God.
All of that was very good, people taking their medicine. It might not have tasted good, but it was necessary. You don’t take medicine because of the taste. You take medicine because you’re sick- stuffy head, a fever, a cough, achy, miserable. People went to John because they were sin-sick.
But they weren’t the only ones. Along came the Pharisees and Sadducees. These people were healthy, hale and hearty. They had no sins to repent of. These folks were the ones who diagnosed the spiritual malady in everybody else. They came and John did not receive them kindly, calling them snakes, vipers.
Or maybe he did receive them kindly, because John liberally gave them what they needed.
“Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father!” Big, fat, hairy deal. God can make children of Abraham out of these stones.
Lineage doesn’t count. Intelligence doesn’t matter. Wealth and health don’t matter either. Being good doesn’t go very far. These self-righteous Pharisees were told the Biblical truth that their sinful identity was known and that they were as rotten as everybody else.
The axe is at the root of the tree. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. And not just any fire, but the unquenchable kind.
Right on John! Preach it brother! This is the true Advent message of repentance. Let them know how bad they are. Just don’t preach it to me. Ignore and overlook my self-righteousness, my sins.
In those days the people went out to see and hear John. In these days, John the Baptist still hits a bulls-eye as he wields the Word of God with truth and power. Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
We hear the voice of John cry out and it is our name that we hear. John holds up a mirror and the horrific reflection is ours. One of our confessional pieces states the truth this way: ‘we poor sinners confess unto You that we are by nature sinful and unclean and that we have sinned against You by thought, word, and deed. Wherefore we flee for refuge to Your infinite mercy, seeking and imploring Your grace for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ We sin…a lot…often…throughout the course of our day.
We are spiritually rebellious, chasing after the god du jour. We are physically rebellious, warring with our families over petty things, silly jealousies, and our perverse pleasures. We are spiritually wayward, trading in a healthy piety for the illusion of making our own justification, of earning our own salvation by what we do and how much we do. We are physically wayward as well, again by chasing after the desires of our sinful hearts and traveling down paths that only lead into darkness, danger, and death. Spiritually adulterous and physically adulterous describe who we are too. There is no flash, no heat, no spark to our religion. Let’s look for the exciting, for the trendy, for the fad. We leave the substantive behind for the shallow. We leave God behind because sometimes I leave the Sunday service feeling bad. The hymns didn’t make me feel good. Let us remind ourselves…that’s okay. Christianity is real, because Christ is real. Our life, our faith life, they have their ups and downs. There is triumph and tragedy, very often in the course of the same day! And we leave our spouses behind, as we chase after what is exciting, new, fresh. We leave the substance of our marriage vows in the dust as we chase after the shallow relationships that are all about what makes me feel good.
We repent, not because it is fun, but because we need to. We repent because of what follows. “I announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” All of our sins are forgiven…removed…taken from us because of Christ’s work on the cross, begun in the manger, prophesied by John.
John the Baptist gets us ready for Jesus the Messiah. We anticipate the marvel of the manger and know that standing in the background is the cross of Calvary.
In these days, our days, the days of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Advent call of repentance is given to us. We welcome that call for it helps us make ready our hearts, our lives for the blessed reality of our redeemer Jesus. Repent and know that all your sins are forgiven for the sake of Jesus. SDG
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