Where is this child?

In many Christian community celebrations of Christmas, there is the annual pageant with the long parade of all of the characters found in both Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts of the birth of Jesus.  Many of us who are gathered here this morning may have first-hand knowledge of being a part of this grand tradition.  Some of us may have experienced being angels, shepherds, Mary or Joseph.  I have experienced the great honor, both as a child and as an adult, of being one of the wise men. 

In this morning’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew (2:1-12) we once again have heard the story of the three “wise men from the East who came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?’’”[1]  Now, this may seem to most of us a simple enough question to ask, after all – they are not from the local area and are just looking for directions.  But I would like us to consider a few other details this morning during our time of reflection on this story from Matthew’s Gospel.

First, I will ask us to look at the title given to the three principal men of this story – they are called “wise-men” not the “Three Kings.”  Actually the title of “Three Kings” is given to these “wise-men” by more modern people.  Most likely they are remembering what the prophet Isaiah had written, “Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”[2]

Second, if they really are “wise men” wouldn’t they have known that Jerusalem already had a King – King Herod?  Wouldn’t they also have known that the entire area was under the direct control of the Roman Empire?  They may have been wise men, but they were also expecting that the “new king” would be an insider.

Now when Herod heard about these men searching all about for a “new king,” he and the rest of the population of Jerusalem became frightened.  I can think of at least two good reasons for becoming frightened: (1) If Herod was going to be replaced, then what would happen to Herod himself? And (2) If Herod was going to be replaced, then how would the Romans react to all of Jerusalem over this news?

 Those who are in power are never really happy to hear that someone else is going to be coming into power, or usurping their power.  They will take actions to stop it!

Well, as our story continues Herod has told them to continue their search, and then to return to him so that he might go and pay homage.  I’m guessing that Herod is not feeling that these three men are really wise men after all.  Herod is sending them to find the one whom he believes will be the one to overthrow him, and he thinks that they can’t see through this plan.

Okay.  So the three wise men continue to follow the star, and they eventually find Mary and the child Jesus.  They give him their three gifts: Gold, which has always been a symbol of wealth; Frankincense, which is an incense that was being used during worship in the Jerusalem Temple; and Myrrh, which was used by the ancient Egyptians for the embalming of mummies.  Yes, these were very expensive gifts … gifts indeed fit for a king.  And so, these men really did believe that Jesus was going to be the new king.

And here comes the hard part ... not the part about three wise men having enough intelligence to follow a message sent to them by the Creator of all that is, but rather what are you going to do about this message?  Are you going to pretend in your everyday life that the message of hope and salvation is only for the “chosen” few?  Or are you going to answer the call to share your faith with all that you meet?

Yes, I do believe that the three men in this story were wise men.  I also believe that they understood that even Herod deserved to hear the true message of hope and salvation that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit call each one of us to share with all of our brothers and sisters. 

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[1] Matthew 2:2a NRSV

[2] Isaiah 60:3 NRSV

"... you are no longer a slave ..."

There are many traditions which have been and still are being deeply honored when the first born child appears in a family.  One of these traditions, still being practiced, can be evidenced by the fact that some males have a legal name which ends with the title Junior.  Yes, I was named after my father.  My son’s middle name was given to him in honor of his mother’s father.  Some women, like my wife, have as their middle name the first name of their mother’s mother. 

There has also been in the past the tradition of dedicating a first born child to the service of God.  And so in our reading this morning from the Gospel of Luke (2:22-40) we find that Joseph and Mary are bringing Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord for purification.  However, along the way they are confronted be two individuals who have been waiting a long time to see the will of the Lord come to completion.

The first was an old man named Simeon.  He spent most of his elder years in the temple waiting for God to keep a promise.  Simeon wanted to see the day that the Lord’s Messiah would be revealed.  Simeon had seen how the world was continuing to deteriorate as most people turned their backs on each other and on God.  The rich became richer and blinder, while the poor had what little they held taken away from them.  God had promised all of us that this world had enough blessings to care for all of the people, but there have always been those who have desired to be in control of more. 

When Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the Temple, Simeon was there.  Simeon reached out and held the baby Jesus in his arms and knew that God had kept the promise made for he said, “my eyes have seen your salvation.”[1]  This is not the first time in Luke’s Gospel that we hear that Jesus will be the salvation of our world, nor will it be the last.

But our reading from Luke is not yet finished, there is still to be the encounter with the prophet Anna.  At the age of 84, Anna now sees Jesus for the first time and begins to speak to everyone who is willing to listen that here is the one whom they have been looking for; here is the one who will be the redemption of Jerusalem.  We need to be careful about the concept of Jesus coming into the world to be the redemption of “the chosen.”  Sometimes this term becomes a tool of abuse, rather than believing that the choosen are to be waited upon … maybe we should remember that the choosen are blessed with gifts and talents so that they can better serve their brothers and sisters who have fewer talents and gifts. 

When we “buy into” this worldly society’s practices and beliefs that only those who have the most stuff are truly the happiest in this world, then we are allowing ourselves to become slaves to this physical world and its momentary culture.  We are selling our selves into a form of slavery, and we are called by God onto a different path.  We are called to a higher way of living; we are called to reach out to our brothers and sisters with love and compassion.  We are called to not only share our physical possessions with those who are in need, but we are also called to share the true depth of our faith with those we meet … our faith in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Paul wrote to the faithful Galatians, “So you are no longer slaves but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.”[2]  We no longer have to live as slaves.  We have the freedom to choose.  We can choose to follow the selfish world’s dictates, or we can choose to follow the will of God - the teachings of Jesus.

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[1] Luke 2:30 NRSV

[2] Galatians 4:7 NRSV

"... and the darkness did not overcome it."

     This is indeed Sunday morning, and it is also Christmas morning. We, who are gathered here today, have taken a few brief moments from our time of celebrations with our families and friends to pause and worship God. We have come to praise God and to thank God for sending Jesus to be among us for a while.

     Those who were gathered last night, heard once again the story of the birt of Jesus as found in the Gospel of Luke.  But this morning, our Gospel reading was from the Gospel of John (1:1-14), and it appears to not have much to say about the Nativity Scene. However, we should be very careful about judging John’s Gospel so quickly. The first words in John’s Gospel inform us that"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." ¹ These words and thoughts of John have given some people trouble in understanding what John is writing about. One of the simplest ways to express what John is writing is to say that Jesus was one with God, and that God was one with Jesus since the very beginning.

     We, as United Methodist, are called to believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one. Some individuals would claim that this is not possible. Since Jesus prays to God and talks of God in the third person, they would claim that God and Jesus have to be two totally different individuals. However, we know that even for simple, normal, humans it is possible to be two or three different persons. If you are having difficultity with these thoughts, it might help you to imagine your pastor having a conversation with his mother, his wife, and one of his daughters … all at the same time. Yes, I do know what it is like to be a son, a husband, and a father all at the same moment in time. Could it be possible for God the Creator, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to exist at the same time? Yes! This is the answer that John is writing about. This is one of the corner stones of our Christian Faith.

      John is also writing about the Light of God coming into the world. I’m not sure about you, but to be honest it has taken me a very long time to be even "comfortable" in the dark. Actually, I’m not a true fan of absolute darkness; I mean I don’t mind dim light, especially when trying to go to sleep, and even the occasional "darkness" … but I do like being able to see what is around me. But we should also consider that John might be talking about a different kind of darkness; the darkness of the soul, the desire to not be in the presence of God – the one who can see the truth within the soul of each and every individual. And so John is telling us that Jesus came into this world to share the true light with everyone who is willing to be in a true relationship with God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

     That’s right, the choice is ours, and John is making it clear at the very opening of his Gospel …"But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God." ² God gives us the power to become members of the household of God, but God also gives us the freedom to refuse this offer. If we do not want to live in the light of God’s world where everything we do, say, or feel will be visible for all to see, then we can choose to turn our back upon this offer … and head into the darkness.

     Now there are some individuals who have asked, "If the offer of living in the light is given by God to the chosen, then why are we called to reach out to everyone?" I believe that the answer is simple. God continues to call each and every one of us to actively reach out to every one of our brothers and sisters. It’s not our job to judge them … rather it is our job to bring the light of God into the lives of all of those that we meet. Remember, we have been told by Isaiah that, "all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God."³

"The Lord is with you."

In this morning’s reading from the Gospel of Luke (1:26-38) we have once again heard the words that the Angel Gabriel spoke to Mary, “Greatings, favored one!  The Lord is with you.”[1]  Now wait a minute, of course Mary is the favored one; after all Mary is the mother of Jesus.  And while we are at this point in our time of reflection; doesn’t it also seem very obvious that the Lord would be with the mother of Jesus … after all, Jesus is the Son of God!  However, to be honest, these thoughts and feelings are in reality based upon our own personal knowledge of past events, as well as the teachings of our faith over these many years. 

Is it possible for us to imagine, even for a few brief moments, what must have been the reality of these precious words spoken in their original setting?  Imagine for a few moments that someone, claiming to be a messenger of God, has appeared before a young woman.  This Angel then informs the soon to be married woman that she has found favor with God, and that to fulfill God’s plan, she must soon be with child.  She is told that if she accepts the will of God, then she will give birth to a son.  What thoughts would be going through our worldly minds now? 

How can it be possible for this young engaged woman, who has not yet been with any man, to have a child?  If she is ever found to be pregnant, then everyone else within her family and community will believe that she has done “something wrong” – “something immoral!” 

And so, we are now beginning to see what depth of faith Mary must have truly had in these promises of God.  For it was her faith that gave Mary the strength to put behind her any considerations for what her family and the rest of her community – or for that matter the entire world – would be thinking or saying.  Mary answered, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”[2] 

Many of us gathered together here in this time of worship have experienced the presence of God.  We also know that explaining these encounters to others who have not yet experienced this presence is very often difficult, but one of our key beliefs is that with God all things are possible.  Now modern day scientists have come a long way in coming to more fully understanding the physical world around us, but without faith in an Ultimate Creator they still do not have all of the answers.

And this is what it means to have faith: to trust that God will be with us.  We are encouraged to trust that we will not be required to face the challenges of our physical world alone.  Like Mary, if we are willing to follow the call of God, willing to be a humble servant, rather than always demanding that we alone have the power to create our own futures, then we, like Mary, can always trust that we will forever be close to God.

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[1] Luke 1:28b NRSV

[2] Luke 1:38a NRSV

“… I will make an everlasting covenant with them.”

The Prophet Isaiah is announcing the coming of a time of good news[1]; a time when there will be great rejoicing - for God will be bringing good news to the oppressed, the brokenhearted, the captives, the prisoners, and those who mourn.  They are the ones who for so long have lived in the darkness of this world.  And yet the saddest of realities is to know and understand that they are still among us even today.  As we prepare for the arrival of our great celebrations of Christmas, there are still among us the oppressed and the brokenhearted, those who are being held as captives and as prisoners, and those who continue to mourn.

Do not be deceived, there are individuals even within our society – right here in America – who still struggle with different forms of oppression.  Maybe they don’t speak English, or maybe they can’t speak at all.  Maybe they have no hearing, or maybe they are blind.  Maybe they are the wrong gender or race.  Maybe they are in love with the wrong gender or race.  Maybe they are too old, or maybe they are too young.  Maybe they are being held prisoner by an abusive spouse, parent, or child.  Maybe they are being exploited by an employer or government to the point of slavery. 

But there is hope, for this is the promise that has been given to us; there shall come the light of God’s salvation into the lives of all.  The real question is whether we will seek to follow the true light of God, or shall we be distracted by the false lights of this world and the ones of our own imaginations.

John the Baptist was sent by God to testify to the true light of God.  But those who were in power – those whose authority among mortals was derived and assigned by the worldly powers – came to question John.  At first glance it might seem that they were asking John if he is the light[2].

However, those of us who remember later parts of the story of John the Baptist know that these others – the servants of the Pharisees – were there to ask questions to set a trap against John.  They also were there to guard against any individual who would attempt to take away their power within the community.  Their future plans would be ignored by the masses if this distraction was not stopped as soon as possible. 

Has this time come again?  Are there all around us such loud voices who are calling out to us … to each one of us … so that we have somehow forgotten the path to the true light of God’s hope and God’s love?  Have we become so distracted and blinded by the glitter and the glamor of our secular world that we have lost sight of the very essence of the true meaning of the coming event?  Have we become so overwhelmed by the messages of this secular world that we do not hear the gentle whisperings of the Holy Spirit calling us back into the arms of God?

The choice is ours to make.  God has given each one of us the freedom to choose.  We can follow the teaching of this world, or we can seek to follow after the true light … the light sent by God to lead us home.

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[1] Read - Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

[2] Read - John 1:6-8, 19-28

“… he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

In today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark (1:1-8), we have clearly heard that the prophet Isaiah had declared many years earlier that there would be a messenger sent ahead of the coming Lord.  The task of this messenger was to warn all of us that we are to prepare ourselves for the day of the coming of the Lord.  Indeed, John the Baptizer was and continues to be this messenger.  John himself was a deeply faithful man of God, but he understood that the real function of his calling was to point the way to the true Son of God; to the true presence of God among us.

John had become somewhat famous as a servant of God, and most often referred to as “John the Baptist.”  He preacher to anyone who would be willing to listen, that we are only the creation of God and not the true masters of all that we may see.  John’s message was that we should return to a life of obedience to God, and that the laws of our faith in God are still viable in today’s world.  Those who came to listen to him and then decided to dedicate their lives to obeying God were symbolically washed clean of their past sins by being baptized.

John’s fame had become so great and wide spread that many of those who came to see him began to believe that he was the Messiah that they and their ancestors had been promised.  Now not many of the people alive today, who believe in the promised coming of the Lord, are willing to claim that the Lord has arrived and that they can show him to you and others.  And at this point in the Gospel of Mark, John is clearly “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”[1]

John makes clear in his teachings that all he can do for those who have come to him is to help them cleanse themselves of their past sins, and guide them back on to a path headed in the direction of becoming closer to God.  In our present world we need to take care, for there are many individuals who would claim to be able to help us to find greater wealth and true happiness.  However, the reality has been that these individuals have all too often have only been interested in taking control of what little wealth we may have so that they could find their own personal happiness. 

John did not want to live a life of great comfort and fame.  In fact, he told all who would willingly listen to him, that another was coming; One who was truly greater than John himself.  In fact John told everyone that, “I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”[2]  John was making it clear to everyone who would listen to him that he was not the promised Messiah – the savior of the world.  That job was for someone else.  That job would be assigned by the one who had promised that a Savior would be sent into this world. 

Do you remember what powerful words of comfort the author of Isaiah (40:1-11) wrote in this morning’s reading?  The words which stand out the strongest for me where these: “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.”[3]  It is God who has promised that all who would follow the will of God would be rewarded with eternal life in the House of the Lord.  And so the choice is ours to make: will we follow the teaching of this world, or will we believe in the promises of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?

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[1] Mark 1:4b NRSV

[2] Mark 1:8 NRSV

[3] Isaiah 40:8 NRSV

“… you do not know when the time will come.”

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, and in today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark (13:24-37) we clearly heard what at first may seem to be a very disturbing message given directly from Jesus to all of those who would willingly listen.  On this first Sunday of Advent we might have expected to hear some other kind of message; maybe one about the need for the coming of the promised Savior into this world to be announced by a prophet, but instead this morning we are hearing Jesus telling all of us to be continuously prepared for the end of our time here on earth.  Apparently Advent is not only a time for all of us to prepare ourselves for the up-coming celebration of the season of Christmas, but it is also time for us to remember the true reason for this season of celebration; the celebration of the coming of God directly into this world in human form to bring us clear messages of hope and salvation.

Maybe the most well-known passage in the Bible is one that most of us have seen advertised on placards at almost every sporting event around the world; John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.”  But the truth is … there is more to this verse.

John 3:16 really says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”[1]  That second part of the verse is really very important.  If we are expecting to be “saved,” then we must “truly” believe in God and in Jesus.  And if we are true believers, then God and Jesus will be able to tell as they will be our final judges.

Now we need to be very careful at this point, for being a “believer” is not just a matter of words.  Time and time again, we can find stories and passages in the Bible where the being a “believer” is not just a matter of words.  Being a true believer is also a matter of actions.  Being a believer is about both words and actions.

There has been in the past, in a few faith traditions, the practice of final absolution; the chance to confess our sins upon our death bed, be forgiven, and thereby gain entry into eternal life.  There have also been those times in the lives of different individuals, when they would knowningly sin with the expectation of being able to “buy, earn, or repent” their way into forgiveness.  And to be honest with you, I’m not about to claim that any of this is either true or false. 

I do believe that God and Jesus will be our final judge.  I do believe that we will be held accountable for all of our actions and all of our intentions.  But I also believe in the mercy and love of God and Jesus.  Which one of us, as parents, would not embrace and love any of our children who having done something wrong and then honestly admitted to it and humbly asked us for forgiveness?

But in today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus also included a dire warning; “Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.”[2]  If we are counting on having time to confess and repent at a later date, then we may end up missing the mark.  The mistake for any of us would be to think that it will be okay to break one of the Ten Commandments, after all we can confess on our death beds.  That of course is assuming that you will be given advanced notice. Personally, I’ve survived at least 3 heart attacks, 1 car crash, and a 12 gauge shotgun round striking the ground 3 feet to the right of me.  There is no guarantee that we will have advanced notice of our death. 

And of course there is also the question of intention.  I’m not 100% sure about God and Jesus, but I do know that I’ve all too often “not forgiven” an individual who smugly came to me with a fake confession, or even worse – they knew that as a Christian “I had to forgive them.”

When we pray to God for forgiveness, maybe we should remember the words of the author of Isaiah when they wrote,”Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity forever.”[3]

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[1] John 3:16 NRSV

[2] Mark 13:33 NRSV

[3] Isaiah 64:9a NRSV