sermon excerpts: Uncomfortable Christmas

... I freely admit that this text makes me uncomfortable. Hearing so much about divine judgment and punishment is bound to make people squirm. John certainly gets their attention by pointedly scolding those who ventured out to see him. It seems that they couldn’t win. They go out to the desert to hear him speak and he criticizes them for doing so. Really, how could he expect to spread his message if there was no one there to hear it?

John does raise up a couple of key points. He attacks everyone who claimed to be people of faith, people who thought they were safe, because they professed to be descendants of Abraham. Well, dear old Abraham had been dead and gone for a few centuries by that point. At some point, we have to let go of the merits and faults of our ancestors and create an identity for ourselves. We cannot make any great claims about our life in the present day unless we’ve taken responsibility for our own lives and not riding on the coattails of someone long ago. (Although I’m told that somewhere back on my father’s side in Japan, somebody was a priest).

John is preaching baptism to cleanse away sin. In those days, only people who were joining Judaism were baptized as part of their initiation. Those who were born Jewish didn’t have to, it was only for those Gentiles entering into the faith. Here is where John’s point about Abraham comes into play. Everyone was required to be baptized, if they were going to repent and be saved. Even the Jews, especially the Jews because they’d thought of themselves as being ritually pure, and considered all others dirty or unclean. He’s criticizing this line of thinking, this attitude and arrogance.

John is also pressing the importance of their decision. Times were dire, the people listening to the gospel when it was first written lived in the dark days of persecution by the Roman Empire. It very much felt like an ax was ready at the tree, about to start hacking away at any time. John is reminding all of us that what we do will have real consequences, not only in our personal spiritual life, but in the world and welfare of those around us. The choices we make, what we share, how we do our job, shape the community we live in and to a more unknown extent, the wider world.

... What John is doing is preparing us for the joyous time of welcoming a new baby into the world, the presence of God on earth, in our lives in a real and personal way. What John is also doing is changing our ideas of what the Messiah was to be about. We hear it in Zephaniah, the promise of a warrior to deliver the city of Jerusalem and Hebrew nation to glorious victory over enemies. There will be celebration, adoration and triumph.

Not so, according to John. Instead, when the Messiah comes, people will be reminded of their own internal battles of conscience, of living with others, of how they make a difference with their own lives, and the moral standards by which they conduct themselves. We can’t conquer the world and be delivered to greatness until we can conquer ourselves first. We cannot rule others until we rule ourselves with justice and mercy.

John teaches that we need to overcome our natural drive to provide for ourselves alone and let the others look after the others. There is a cost and a commitment to following him and being ready for the Saviour. John is asking the people to do hard things. He speaks to the stereotypes of tax collectors and soldiers, two occupations that had the reputation of used car salesmen now: you can’t trust them to get a fair deal, they’re always skimming off the top. He’s telling them, and all of us by extension, to be satisfied with what they have; treat others with respect and honesty.

The advent message is one of hope, danger and comfort. It also is one of discomfort. As we light the candle of joy this week, the scriptures seems rather dark and foreboding. Maybe joy comes from the knowledge that all will be put right in the world finally. Justice will prevail as those who are deserving will receive their reward, and all may have enough. Every person will have a coat, every stomach will be filled. Life will be abundant for everyone regardless of income, skin colour or education.

It is a fairy tale ending, but that is where the good news is leading us. The disturbing cry in the desert leads us to an infant’s cry in a manger. We are aware of the cries in the world today, distress and despair amid disaster. May they, and we, all find joy, knowing that the smallest candle can shed enough light for us to see our way through to where we need to be. And to know that we are not alone. Thanks be to God. Amen.