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Advent 3 (RCL), 12 December 2004 |
IS JESUS THE ONE? Unless, of course, we have little to look forward to. For all of us there are those Christmases, when someone is missing from the group. A dear, loved person and without that person, there seems so little to look forward to. Not every promise that Christmas is to be filled with laughter and gaiety, with high spirits and pleasant memories will be or can be fulfilled. Some of us can't get along with relatives, even if they are brothers and sisters. In-laws--well, that's another story. Looking forward to have to tolerate them is not highly anticipated. This season of joy and peace may be anything but joy and peace. More people have serious breakups at this time of year than at any other. Too tired, too stressed out, to much to do, to many hopes we wish fulfilled--these often bring quarrels and much worse. If this is the season of Advent, the season of coming, if this is the spirit of eagerness and hope, then no wonder that many people have too many of the spirits that come in a bottle. We may well look forward to this season being over with and done. I haven't the slightest clue what you really think of Jesus. I don't know what you think he is all about. Certainly from all the songs and carols of Christmas we might expect lots of joy, calm, peace, hope. "Joy to the world," "all is calm, all is bright," and so much more. The coming of this Jesus does not seem to bring us what all the promises held for him and for us. And so it was with this man, John who at the beginning of the Gospel for today asks the question of Jesus: "Are you the one who is to come to should we expect someone else?" This John is called in the church, John the Baptizer or John the Baptist. He is called that because of his baptizing people in the Jordan River. This was a sign of the baptized person's preparation for the One who was to come. The One who was to come was the Messiah, the one who would free people from the enemy. The enemy at this time was thought of as the occupying Rome army and rule. I suspect that it is as many Iraqi the American army in their country. At John's time, there were lots of incidents of insurgency against the Roman soldiers. This John has boldly stated that the Coming One would get rid of the enemy, burn up evil like you burn up the worthless chaff, the empty hulls after a grain harvest. He would literally clean up the enemies of mankind, rid God's people from all that was evil. Well, it was not Christmas, or maybe it was, for John when we spoke these words. The enemy, one of the petty Roman kings had put him in prison for his saying it was wrong for him to marry his brother's wife. Instead of getting rid of the evil, John was seemingly captive to the very enemy he thought, yes, he thought all right, would be eliminated with prejudice by the Coming One. If you thought it was going to get better for John, forget it. Not too long after this, at a party that the king gave, it all ended up with John's head on a platter being handed to the king's step-daughter. Is it any wonder that John asks through his disciples, "Jesus, are you the One or is there going to be someone else who will accomplish ridding this world of the enemy?" The question for each of us this Sunday is: "Is Jesus the One for us, or do we to look for someone else?" Jesus' answer to John's disciples is: "the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor." And "You are blessed if you do not fall away on account of me." All those "miracles" that Jesus was supposed to have done seem a little far fetched to us today. Have you seen any of those events happen to people you know or to you yourself? You pray and pray and pray, and nothing happens. The person remain with his problems/sickness/disease. It's like playing the lottery. You stand as much chance having your prayers answered as winning the lottery. Or so it seems. And as with John, the situation may have even gone down hill. The loved one splits, the job is lost, a life ends, life limps along with no prospect of improvement. It all seems like wasted effort--this trusting Jesus to get rid of the enemy. Oh, sure, we can look at all of what has happened and say, "well, it could have been worse," or, "I am at least alive," as if death were worse. And quite simply we weigh all of this Jesus stuff, this church going, this Christian stuff and says, "Well, it as least didn't harm me." So, is Jesus the One for you? Or, should you and I look for someone, something else to keep us safe, give us a decent life? Jesus calls there is no one until that time that is greater than John, but the least in God's kingdom is greater than he. You and I are of that "kingdom of heaven." We have seen what Jesus did in his life, how it all ended, and how life began for Jesus after what seemed like his end. We know and trust that the enemy in our lives is not anything but this which we call sin. Sin makes us myopic. We only see the present, the quarrel, the lack of, the problem, the less than perfect situation, the end of relationships, the thinking that the rich, the movie star, the top business leader, the one who has the means and opportunity to indulge his/her every whim is where it is at. All this is deceiving and leads to falling away, leaving the One who came and will come again. While many people today believe in heaven, even if you have been less than good in this world, they base their belief on a god who does not deal with the enemy, but will get all people into heaven whether they trusted in Jesus, in Allah, in Buddha, or in themselves. John thought the enemy was Rome. Jesus knew the enemy was that which blinds us, makes us lame, destroys life in this world and in that which is to come. He gives us good news that "all works together for good, to those who love him and trust in his mercy." He says to those standing at the committal service of a loved one, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, even though he dies will live." Jesus looks at us after we have gotten ourselves deep into stuff that will mark us all our days and he makes us clean, yes, absolutely pure through his actions on the cross and by giving us life after we have died even in this world. I remember an incident in my life. I had finished the evening of teaching what the Christian faith was to a class of 10 or so bright, young Japanese people. As usual there was little response from them. As I was driving to my home, I wondered: "Is this teaching really important or just a waste of time?" Then the Spirit of God moved in me and I realized that without this Jesus who has rid me of all internal demons, without this Jesus to love just a one as I really was, there was no point in living, in doing anything. Jesus was the One for me. I pray he will be the One for you. Don't go away from this message without this week asking yourself: is Jesus the One for me or should I look for someone else? "Blessed is the person who does not fall away on account of me!" Amen Walter W. Harms, retired pastor |
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