04 December 2022
Matthew 12:1-12
God of power
and mercy, open our hearts to welcome. Remove the things that hinder us from
receiving Christ with joy, so that we may share his wisdom and become one with
him when he come in glory, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, forever and ever. Amen[1]
“Repent for the
kingdom of heaven has come near.” Those words. Drew the people to John the
Baptist. The people of Jerusalem. All Judea. And the entire region along the
Jordan went to him. I wonder what they expected? Were they really ready for St.
John?
Did they expect to hear a truth teller? One who would
tell the truth about God and their lives?
Did they expect to see a man dressed in camel’s hair?
Eating locust and honey? Did they expect a wild man who was willing to say
whatever it took to save their lives? He held nothing back. He told them how it
was. He even called some of them names. He spoke honest. If not harsh words. And
told the truth even if it hurt.
For some it may have come as a relief. The truth was
out. Named. And they were free from the work of keeping secrets. They could
finally face their lives. They could see a way forward. For others. It may have
seemed an intrusion. An annoyance. A preacher gone to meddling. Who needs to
mind his own business. Regardless. All were confronted with the reality and
truth of their lives.
So often. We show up. Hoping. Wanting. And expecting
to receive some affirmation and approval. To be told how much God loves us. We
want to be told that we’re fine. Just as we are. And we shouldn’t change a
thing.
You don’t need that kind of affirmation and approval.
That message only keeps you stuck. It maintains the status quo.
And it’s business as usual. It denies you a way
forward. And leaves you hopeless. You need someone to speak the truth about your
life. To awaken you. To challenge you. To be hurt with the truth is better than
to be killed by our contentment and indifference. You need a truth that says
life does not have to stay like this. A truth that offers hope. And a way
forward. You need to be reminded that you can change. And that God is always
coming to us.
John speaks that truth. His words call you to a life
of holy discontent.
Contentment can blind us to the life God wants us to
have. It distracts us from that which is most important. It deceives us into
believing this is all there is. This is as good as it gets. The real issue for
most of us is not that we are bad people but that we are too content. That’s
why every year. At this time. The beginning of a new church year. We hear from
St. John the Baptist. We see him before we see Jesus. We hear his words before
we hear Jesus’ words. St. John is the gateway to Christmas. We cannot go around
him. We must face up to him. To our selves. And to the One who is coming.
This facing up is at the heart of John’s message. “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come
near.”
We must repent.
Yet repentance does not mean “be
good. “Straighten up.” Fly right.” In order for the kingdom to come. That’s
just not true. It’s the exact opposite. Listen to what St. John says, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come
near.”
The kingdom has already come near. St. John is the
pointing finger and the announcing voice that the kingdom has come near.
Repentance is not what makes the kingdom arrive. It’s how we show up to the
kingdom that is already here. Repentance is your response to. Not a precondition of. The coming of the
kingdom. Repentance is our acknowledgement of. Entry into. And initiation with
the kingdom. Through repentance you turn your gaze to meet the gaze of Christ.[2]
Repentance is giving up all hope of a better past.
Forgiveness is no longer haunted by a troubled past.[3]
Rejoice in the Lord always, -
We are now at peace with
God, peace that surpasses all our understanding, for we can never fully
understand the mystery of God assuming flesh, becoming sin for us, and dying to
redeem us from the curse of our sin. We can only rejoice in the Lord
that He has done so because of His grace and mercy.
Jesus is for those who feel
weak. They look at their lives and see failure. Their sins rise up against them
in a flood of accusations. Jesus comes for people whose faith is battered and
weak. He comes for those who want to enjoy Christmas cheer and join in the
holiday celebrations, but often feel less than joyous this time of year, so
they feel back about that, too, wondering is Scrooge wasn’t right after all.
To these people comes the
Child of Bethlehem. He gives them what they need. He is not content to make
them “feel” good. Soothing words are not His to give. Sentimental tripe never
comes from His lips. For He is a real
Savior who saves real sinner. He didn’t come into this world to be cute and
adored. He came to us to be abandoned. He was born to die, not a noble death
applauded by the religious, but a death of loneliness engulfed in scorn and
shame. And that miserable death saved you. For it was your sin which He took
away.[4]
There is a person who knows
and understands you. His name is Jesus Christ. We need to remember, especially
today, that there was a nativity. Jesus
entered time and space to be human just like you.
In that manger, the Son of
God didn’t just insert Himself into human activities. He inserted Himself in
the grittiness of human flesh. He was also a person who knew pain and anger. He
became angry Himself on occasions, and ultimately was the victim of anger.
This life that you live;
your struggles, your anger, your weakness, your woes, your sorrows - your Lord
knows all. Even your joys exactly. Because He became a man.
The coming of Jesus into our
world changes everything. For we do not have a God who was too proud to know
His people. Or, a God content to rule from a great distance. Or, a God whose
majesty was too awesome for us to behold.
We have just the opposite.
Jesus the son of Mary and Joseph experienced the very same humanity, the very
same problems, and the very same challenges that we do.
No, you do not walk this
road alone. Jesus is the God who came down from heaven. He was that man. “He was despised and rejected by men, a man
of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Surely he has borne our griefs and
carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and
afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our
iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his
wounds we are healed.” –Isaiah 53:3-5
John points us to the
incarnation. God entering time and space to be our Savior. We see what it will
take for Jesus to become the world’s Redeemer. As He enters time and space. As
he comes to the Jordan river. To be baptized by John. Jesus’ work will conclude
with his death on the cross on Good Friday. Already. He is planning your
salvation. As He becomes you substitute. He will live the perfect life for you.
He will be tempted as you are. He will carry your sin. So that in your baptism.
You may receive His perfection. Obedience. And grace. Today we repent. Of the
sin He will carry.
We are living in a broken
world outside of Eden. We live in a world filled with disappointment. Wounds.
And loss. Today. In repentance. Show
your scars to Jesus. - And He will show you His. He will take your scarred
heart. Into his scarred hands. And love you. And love you. And love you still
more. Until all that matters - Is not the scar upon your heart. But the scar
embedded in His hand.[5]
Into Your hands oh merciful
Savior; I commend myself and all for whom I pray. I trust in You no matter how
dark my road. –
Passive Sentences-2%
Readability –86.8%
Reading Level-3.1
[1]
Collect for Advent 1, For All the Saints A Prayer Book For and By the Church
vol. I © 1994 the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
[2] https://interruptingthesilence.com/2013/12/09/too-content-to-repent-a-sermon-on-matthew-31-12/
[3]
Anonymous quote
[4]
Christmas Cheer, Rolf Preus
[5]
Chad Bird FacebookTM post,
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