Finding and Adoring

This message was first delivered at Cove United Methodist Church in Coleman Falls, Virginia on January 6, 2019. It is based on the lectionary texts of Matthew 2:1-12.

Matthew 2:1-12 (NRSV)

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.”

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

As I was reading and studying the story of the wise men this week I discovered an interesting perspective on the subject by Father Jim Haney of Lubbock, Texas. We've probably all heard this joke or seen it in an email: Do you know what would have happened if it had been Three Wise Women instead of Three Wise Men?

1. They would have asked for directions.

2. They would have arrived on time.

3. They would have helped deliver the baby.

4. They would have cleaned the stable.

5. They would have made a casserole.

6. They would have brought practical gifts.

It's cute and makes us laugh. But Father Jim went on to debunk the statements. And helped me have a deeper understanding of who the Wisemen are and why they were in Bethlehem. I'll share a few of his thoughts with you. #1- They would have asked for directions. This one is actually a myth anyway. The people on the TV show Mythbusters tested this one, and found not only did the same numbers of their male and female test subjects ask for directions, the men did it 20% sooner. So men not asking for directions is nothing but an urban legend, except for my Dad and brother.

But the very first thing they do is ask for directions. It's right there at the beginning of our Gospel reading, “In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, 'Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?”

There has been a tremendous amount of research on who these Wisemen were and what the star might have been. The intelligent people who have done that research conclude that the Wisemen or Magoi in Greek, were Zoroastrian astrologers, probably from Persia, modern day Iran. As to the star, since stars and planets placement and movements in the sky follow established patterns...it is possible (even easy for people who study astrophysics) for us to know what the heavens looked like at the time of Jesus' birth. Astronomer Michael Molnar points out that "in the east" is a literal translation of the Greek phrase that was a technical term used in Greek mathematical astrology 2,000 years ago. It described, very specifically, a planet that would rise above the eastern horizon just before the Sun would appear. Then, just moments after the planet rises, it disappears in the bright glare of the Sun in the morning sky. Except for a brief moment, no one can see this "star in the east."

We need a little bit of astronomy background here. In a human lifetime, virtually all the stars remain fixed in their places; the stars rise and set every night, but they do not move relative to each other. The stars in the Big Dipper appear year after year always in the same place. But the planets, the Sun, and the Moon wander through the fixed stars; in fact, the word planet comes from the Greek word for wandering star. It's interesting that around the time of Jesus' birth there were times during an 8 month period that Jupiter and Saturn converged in the constellation Pisces, with Mars also involved at times.

To us that means some planets happened to line up in a certain part of the western sky. To ancient astrologers, that arrangement of planets and stars could be interpreted as a sign that a new king was born in the region of Roman Palestine. Our modern day astronomer Molnar believes that the wise men were, in fact, very wise and mathematically-adept astrologers. They knew about the Old Testament prophecy that a new king would be born of the family of David. Most likely, they had been watching the heavens for years, waiting for alignments that would foretell the birth of this king. When they identified a powerful set of astrological portents, they decided the time was right to set out to find the prophesied leader. In Jesus' time, the only king in that region happened to be Herod the Great in Jerusalem. So it was perfectly natural for Iranian Magi to show up in Herod's palace asking for directions to where the new baby was. Then even Herod asks for directions from his priest and scribes, who find the answer in the Prophet Micah: The Messiah is to be born in Bethlehem. So they did ask for directions.

The joke goes on to say that the wise women would have arrived on time. I'm not sure that men arrive late and women on time, but that's another question. The larger question here is, what time were the Wisemen supposed to arrive? It's a long trip when you walk from Iran to Israel. And it's long even if you're riding on a camel. It would have taken a while. In fact, in verse 7 Herod asks the Wisemen when they first saw the star. And they tell him. And Herod later gives his soldiers orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem, 2 years old and under. Sounds like quite a bit of time has passed. Even if the Magi left at the instant of Jesus' birth, even if they hopped on the camels that moment, it would have taken months to travel. So they probably arrived as quickly as they could. That means then next part of the joke is a moot point: 3. They would have helped deliver the baby. Unless the Wisemen had a jet fueled and standing by, there's no way they could have arrived in time to help deliver the baby. And I'm not sure I'd want several Persian Astrologers in the birth room anyway, thank you very much.

Wise women versus Wise men part 4: They would have cleaned the stable. Actually, Matthew never mentions a stable. For that matter Luke doesn't mention a stable either. Luke says Jesus was put in the feed trough, but there's no mention of a stable. It could have been a manger, a feed trough in a freestanding stable like we picture it. Could have been in a cave stable. Could actually have been in the downstairs room of a house where animals were often kept. And it could be in an open courtyard. And we also need to remember, Luke is telling us about the events the night Jesus was born.

In Matthew's version, he uses the word "house" in verse 11. If there had been months or even more than a year's delay between Jesus' birth and the coming of the Magi, there'd be no reason for Mary and Joseph to stay in the temporary emergency shelter they had the night Jesus was born. I know there was no room in the inn that night, but even Magi on jet propelled camels would not have arrived with the shepherds. It's easier for our nativity scenes to have everybody there at once. It just isn't at all accurate.

On Thursday night I helped my sisters Denise and Susan as they began the work of taking down Christmas decorations at Centenary. One of our members who downsized this year donated a lovely but large nativity scene that has been on our altar table since the beginning of Advent. Nobody knows where the packing materials are...so we decided to rearrange the figures so it could remain there for today's Epiphany service. There was hearty debate on who would still be hanging around when the wise men arrived. But nobody wanted to eliminate a figure so today's creche has shepherds skulking around outside the circle of wise men who have moved up closer to the baby Jesus. Susan wanted to find a toddler Jesus and send the shepherds back to work!

We are challenged by the collision of scripture and carols throughout the Christmas season. Even in our hymns today we have angels, shepherds, sages, saints and hunters crowding into the scene with the newborn having to deal with all that chaos. But when we look to scripture, we find that these are several different encounters between the newly arrived Messiah, humankind and heavenly beings. The angels proclaiming, the shepherds – common working people arriving to see the miracle they heard about from the angel chorus. And then the sages...magi...not kings, but not common men...they come to see the fulfillment of prophecy long awaited and watched for. They didn't bump into the shepherds, not matter what the carols indicate. This was finding after seeking. House makes sense. So no stable for Wisemen to clean.

Both wise men and wise women are off the hook for that one.

The next part...#5...that they would have made a casserole? Look, with no refrigeration, a casserole being carried by camel back for well over 1,000 miles would probably be pretty ripe. If they had brought a casserole, I sure wouldn't want to eat it. And I'm game for eating a LOT of weird stuff. Now if they wanted to arrive and cook some Persian cuisine, I'd eat it. Not sure that Jesus is ready for curry and couscous...but I think that is a kid I'd like to spend time with!

Then the charming concept that the three wise women would have brought practical gifts. I saw the cutest video on YouTube of youth and children acting out the Christmas Story when they asked the kids what gifts the “kings” should bring. Stuffed animals, a pair of Jordans and a ham were the three choices they made. The youth leaders suggested formula, Pampers and a crib. But the wise men in scripture picked differently...the famous gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Or as many children might hear it, gold, FRANKENSTEIN, and myrrh. What kind of Christmas gifts are those? We know what gold is. What exactly are frankincense and myrrh? And why were these the gifts that were chosen?

Frankincense is a kind of natural incense made from the dried sap of certain middleeastern trees. It's a rare and expensive substance. For those who study the characteristics and uses of essential oils it is considered to be grounding, calming and relaxing. Ancient Egyptians used the resin for everything from perfumes to salves for the skin.

Myrrh is a gummy tree sap from a different kind of middle-eastern tree. It has medicinal properties and was also used for embalming. Because of its versatility and effectiveness, it has been valued across many cultures for thousands of years. It has been used for everything from medicine to religious ceremonies. It is also rare and expensive.

And gold...well, we know what gold is.

So the Wisemen were definitely not bringing practical gifts. Mary and Joseph were not wealthy. We would probably describe them as blue-collar, lower-middle class folks. They could have probably used something more practical, even a gift card to Wal-Mart. Why would the Magi bring these gifts? Well, it just so happens that gold, frankincense, and myrrh were gifts fit for a king. They were often given to earthly kings. This WAS the “normal” gift for a new king. It just seems strange to us through our modern day lens.

Many years ago I was invited to a cousin's wedding. It was a Native American ceremony that was incredibly moving. The symbolic gestures and references were interesting, but I didn't understand all the parts of the ceremony. But I had done a little research when deciding on a gift for the new couple – and found that a traditional gift was a blanket. Which makes little sense to those of us who can go to Target and get a perfectly useful blanket for our homes for very little money and almost no effort. But think to when that tradition began – a blanket meant hours of work and care.

So, we have to look at the traditions of the day when these “unpractical” gifts were presented by the wise men. These were gifts worthy of a king!

What's more, they were also widely offered in worship. Gifts fit for a god.

And then we look at the manner in which they were presented. Were they given out of obligation with a stingy heart? I don't think so. Matthew says in verse 11 the Magi bowed down and prostrated themselves in a posture of worship before Jesus. Did they think they were worshiping a human king or a divine king? Who knows. But these Iranian astrologers traveled well over 1,000 miles to come and worship him. King Herod and his religious advisors did not travel the 6 miles between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. God's own chosen people did not recognize or worship the new born king. But these strange foreign pagan Wisemen did. And they devoted an enormous amount of time and left some pretty pricey gifts behind. I'm not sure the three wise women could have actually done any better...despite the joke.

Which leaves the big question: How wise are we? What will we give in the way of time each week to worship Jesus? And will we give any of our talents and/or treasure to his work? Over 1,000 miles by camel is a big commitment to go to worship. How committed are we? It's a good question to ponder. Do we come in adoration bringing our best? As we celebrate the new year, it is a good time to examine our lives. Many people are crowding into gyms with new resolution to get their bodies in shape. Some will take time to examine their budgets and get their financial houses in shape.

As we enter the new year, how will you worship, how will you serve your Lord? As the bumper sticker says, "WISE men and wise women seek him still." Do we have that kind of wisdom? Can we show that kind of commitment? After all, God has given us the greatest gift of all. It is for us to respond with thanksgiving and worship.

Come, all ye faithful. Joyful! Triumphant! Come to Bethlehem and behold! He was born the king of angels but still has tenderness and love for each and every one of us. Come and adore. Let that adoration shine out of every pore of our being.

We don't often sing verse 5 of Come All Ye Faithful...hear the poetic question and reflect on the answer of the refrain.

Child, for us sinners

poor and in the manger,

we would embrace thee

with love and awe.

Who would not love thee, loving us so dearly?

Come let us adore him, Oh come let us adore him.

Come. Let us adore him.

Christ the Lord.

Amen.

Searching

This message was first delivered at Cove United Methodist Church in Coleman Falls, Virginia on December 30, 2018. It is based on the lectionary texts of Luke 2:41-52 and Colossians 3:12-17.  

Luke 2:41-52 Common English Bible (CEB)

Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. When he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to their custom. After the festival was over, they were returning home, but the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t know it. Supposing that he was among their band of travelers, they journeyed on for a full day while looking for him among their family and friends. When they didn’t find Jesus, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and putting questions to them. Everyone who heard him was amazed by his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were shocked.

His mother said, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Listen! Your father and I have been worried. We’ve been looking for you!”

Jesus replied, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?” But they didn’t understand what he said to them.

Jesus went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. His mother cherished every word in her heart. Jesus matured in wisdom and years, and in favor with God and with people.

I have to admit, I found it a bit jarring when I began looking at the lectionary scriptures for this Sunday. So soon after Christmas, we are already leaping years ahead in the life of Jesus! I wanted to say “no, let's stay in Christmas for just a little longer! Let's sing some more carols and enjoy the baby. Is it already time to take down the lights and the tree?” Well, don't worry – my tree won't come down for at least another week. After all, it took about 10 days before I even got the lights on it! It seemed like the gospel lesson today was already screeching toward Easter with this Passover trip to Jerusalem. And I was just getting comfortable in front of the chestnuts roasting on that open fire. But with the new year upon us – this message of searching and seeking is actually the logical next step after welcoming the Messiah.

Scripture doesn't tell us very much about the life of Jesus between the time of his birth and the start of his public ministry. there are very few stories about the young Jesus in the Bible at all. In the three years cycle of the lectionary they are all read in worship on the First Sunday after Christmas. One year we read the story of Mary and Joseph’s presentation of their son at the Temple and the unusual responses from Simeon and Anna. The next year we read about the holy family fleeing to Egypt to escape genocide. And in the current year we read about Jesus’ decision to stay behind for a few days in Jerusalem to get to know his God a little better.

In my study I came across an interesting question that I had never pondered before: When did Jesus begin to realize that he was set apart and chosen by God to be the Messiah? Whoa...I had never considered that before. I had always assumed that Jesus always knew that he was divine – but then how could he be truly human? I'm sure that scholars could argue this much more adeptly and we could get a dozen opinions from only ten wise men...but I thought it an interesting question of Jesus' self-awareness. I know that when I was twelve years old, I didn't know much about myself and didn't even consider my place in the larger world. I was pretty much focused on starting Junior High and not flunking science. I'm not sure that I really starting asking myself who I was and how I fit into the world until I was twice that age.

The question reminded me of one of my favorite book series, Harry Potter. In the first book we meet Harry who is just living his life...and not a very happy life...when he turns eleven and things change very suddenly! A great big man breaks down a door and tells him that he is a wizard – understandably, it takes Harry a little while to adjust to the idea.

Did Jesus experience something like that in his life? Well, probably not a half-giant breaking down a door...but some increasing awareness that he is different... Did he always know that he was meant to do something important...someone who would change the world? Or did he grow into that knowledge? When? Was it when his mother became pregnant by the Holy Spirit? Was it when his parents presented him at the Temple?

Was it when Simeon and Anna recognized God’s very Spirit in him? Was it when he lingered behind in Jerusalem to ask questions for three days after his visit to the holy city for Passover at the age of twelve? What it when he was baptized and the heavens opened up and a dove descended and alighted on him and the voice of God was heard declaring, “this is my son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased?” Was it when he opened his public ministry by declaring “’The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him”.

Whenever and however it happened for Jesus, it must have in some ways been like it is for all of us. It must have been a gradual realization over time, brought about by a combination of gentle nudges, enlightening conversations, and radical reactions to the world we all inhabit and the role our divine creator God plays in it all. But in other ways, it must have been completely different. After all, none of us is the Messiah, the son of the living God, the one whom we call Christ.

But we are all seeking to know things. At our core, there are questions that we seek answers to. Who are we? Are we the person we are meant to be? What is our purpose? Will our lives make a difference? Why are we here?

Our gospel lesson today describes two searches – Mary and Joseph as they search for their lost child, Jesus. Sermons4Kids often provides me with material when I do the children's time at Centenary and today's lesson had this story for the kids: Has this ever happened to you? You are shopping when an announcement comes over the store's loudspeaker, "May I have your attention please? We are looking for a six-year-old child who is lost. His name is John and he is wearing blue jeans and a red shirt. If you find John, please bring him to the customer service center." How did this child become lost? Perhaps he just wandered off to look at the toys and his parents left him behind. Maybe the child's mother and father each thought he was with the other parent and went on about their shopping. You can imagine how concerned the parents were when they realized that the child was missing. How about John? How do you think he felt? If he was having a good time playing in the toy department, he probably never even knew that he was lost! Have you ever been lost? How did you feel? Were you afraid, or were you confident that your parents would find you and everything would be alright?

It's a sweet story that doesn't end with anyone kidnapped and nobody called child protective services. But it made me remember a time a few years back when several Centenary families were camping up at Jellystone near Natural Bridge. The great thing about camping with cartoon bears is that the kids can pretty much roam from pools to lake to campsites to the river without a whole lot of supervision. I was sitting near the lake when one of the moms came up asking if I'd seen her son Cooper. I hadn't but joined her in looking.

As the minutes passed the panic started to rise in my heart. We became more frantic in the search. It was one of the worst 30 minutes of my life and it wasn't even my kid. He was found but not before his mom grew another hundred gray hairs. I can't even imagine how Mary and Joseph felt when they discovered Jesus wasn't with the group.

At first, his parents did not miss Jesus. They assumed he was traveling with some of their friends. When evening came and Jesus still didn't show up, they became worried. They looked among their friends and relatives but Jesus was no where to be found. So they started retracing their steps. They returned to Jerusalem to search for him there. They searched for three days before they finally found him. And he didn't understand why they were so upset.

He was right where he was supposed to be...didn't they realize that? Why were you worried? No need to search, I'm right where I'm meant to be. And they didn't understand. Which, from a parent's point of view, makes sense. From the parent point of view the place he was meant to be was with them and the group on the trip back to Nazareth. He was not meant to wander off and worry them and cause them three days of heartache and concern. But from the divine point of view...Jesus has the right answer. He WAS right where he needed to be, because he was searching for answers. He was asking questions. He was seeking to know and understand his heavenly father, the one who had sent him on this mission. A mission he may have only begun to understand and embrace.

The second search in our gospel lesson today is Jesus' search for answers; he is developing into adulthood, and—above all— discovering his mission as Son of God. I know this presents serious questions for some people regarding Jesus’ nature as both human and divine. For some, the question is, “Didn’t he understand his own divinity?” For others, the question is, “If he understands his divinity, how authentic was his experience as a human being?” For me it came down to this question, if Jesus always knew he was divine, then how could he have truly had an authentic human experience? And to that question I have had at least a dozen answers in less than a week. The searching for me, continues. And isn't that actually a valuable part of faith building?

A friend of mine who is agnostic has spent many hours – often long into the night - asking me why I believe in God. From time to time he exasperatedly says something like “if there was really a God, why wouldn't he just reveal himself, like write it up in the sky so that there wouldn't be any question?”

He genuinely wants to throttle me when I say “then there would be no need for faith.” I love Gary, but he just doesn't get it. God wants us to choose to believe. The searching is part of the exercise. It is a part of the growth experience. God didn't want us to just pop out into the universe and grovel at his feet – he could have made beings like that...but then where would be the joy in that? He created all these unique and vibrant and intelligent and interesting beings and wants to have an individual and unique and vibrant relationship with each one. By choice. Something that we grow into.

Even when we do get a glimpse of Jesus as a young man, Luke doesn’t go into much detail. He simply says that Jesus was “increasing in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor”.

But isn’t that precisely the where journey of Jesus departs radically from ours? All human beings increase in wisdom and in years (if you are lucky, many years), but not all of us increase in divine and human favor. We have the ability – but do we have the will? Are we people that reflect the God that we say that we worship? The God that Psalm 148 we read earlier is talking about? The Lord whose name alone is exalted; whose glory is above earth and heaven. He who has raised up a horn for his people? When God looks upon our heart, is it aligned with his will? His desire to shower love upon all his creation – not just the ones whom we deem worthy? If it is...then you are living a life in divine favor. And probably in human favor – but if you had to pick...which one would you choose? If I had to offend all of my friends and family and coworkers in order to do what was just and right in the eyes of God...would I have the courage to do what I needed to do? Will I stand up to injustice even if it would cost me human favor? With God's help, I will strive to be sure that answer is yes.

Not one of us has increased in divine favor in the way that Jesus did. Jesus increased in divine favor so much that when his disciples tried to describe what it was like being with him, the only words that would suffice were to say that being with Jesus was so holy and so profound that for them it was the same as being in the presence of God! They could not differentiate, and so they began to use divine language to speak of their teacher, their rabbi, the one they called their messiah and Lord.

Certainly, Jesus must have known himself to be fully human; but did he know he was fully divine? Some passages of Scripture suggest he had an awareness of his own divinity. Could this be the reason that he wanted to stay behind and linger in the Temple for a while? Was it because it felt more like home to him than the home he shared with his earthly parents?

We know from the scripture that Jesus wasn't just a casual observer in this encounter in the temple. He was listening to the teachers but he was also asking questions. Though under the law, attendance at the feasts in Jerusalem was obligatory for boys from the age of thirteen, a birthday that was a milestone in the life of a Jewish boy, when they became a Son of the Commandment or Bar Mitzvah; in practice, this legal age was pushed forward by one or two years so that Jesus, after he had passed his twelfth year, came up to Jerusalem for the Passover with his family.

Jesus’ first view of the Temple must have filled him with a great sense of the purpose he had been developing during the quiet years in Nazareth. Attendance at the Temple was obligatory only for the first two days of Passover, after which many of the pilgrims would have returned home again. This is when Jesus stays behind – to continue his spiritual journey.

And that's all we really can know. Luke doesn’t give us any insight into the reasons behind Jesus’ choice. We don’t know how he felt about his understanding of his call. We do know that after this he does return with his family to Nazareth and then we begin to encounter the adult Jesus as he begins his ministry. What he felt and experienced during the intervening years are not recorded in scripture. But we know that when his ministry began, he was ready.

How about us? Where are we in our searching for God? In our development of this relationship? Are we where we want to be? Are we where we need to be? We know the mission – we've got the directions, now we need to continue on this journey of divine and human favor.

Which brings me to my final thought...Father Greg Boyle in his book Tattoos on the Heart addressed this particular concept in a way that I found incredibly comforting and true to my understanding of the heart of God. He suggests that instead of growing in favor with God...since God's love is boundless and unconditional...how could it “grow”? Instead he says that it is us who discovers our favor with God... Rather than growing in favor – we actually realize that we are favorable. Did Jesus become increasingly favorable to God, or did he just discover, over time, that he was wholly favorable?

Have we misplaced Jesus? Gotten so busy in our lives that we look around and discover that we need to find him? Then we should do what Mary and Joseph did...then we will discover him...at his Father's business.

And he is ready for us to join him in this world changing work. Seeing all that we encounter through the eyes of God so that we can share the good news … that Jesus Christ was born and fulfilled his mission of bringing a new connection between creation and Creator. That God so loved the world. That he gave his only son, to walk among us...to experience humanity...to die for our sins and create a new covenant.

Colossians 3:12-17 gives us our instruction: “Therefore, as God’s choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Be tolerant with each other and, if someone has a complaint against anyone, forgive each other. As the Lord forgave you, so also forgive each other. And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. The peace of Christ must control your hearts—a peace into which you were called in one body. And be thankful people. The word of Christ must live in you richly. Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him.” Amen

Refining Fire

This message was first delivered at Cove United Methodist Church in Coleman Falls, Virginia on December 16, 2018. It is based on the lectionary texts of Luke 3:1-6 and Malachi 3:1-4. 

Malachi 3:1-4 (NRSV) The Coming Messenger

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

Luke 3:1-6 (NRSV) The Proclamation of John the Baptist

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

Are you ready for Christmas? That is a question we hear quite often these days, isn't it? But what do people mean when they ask if you are ready for Christmas? Usually mean things like...

• Do you have all of your shopping done? (I haven't started)
• Have you finished wrapping all your gifts? (see question 1)
• Have you put up your Christmas tree and all the decorations? It took a while. I bought it two Sundays ago but didn't get lights or decorations on it until this past Monday when I got snowed in.
• Have you sent your Christmas cards? (not for years)
• Is your house clean and ready for visitors? (well...my visitors have come to accept a lower standard. So, that answer would be “it depends on what you mean by clean.”)

Are you ready for Christmas? There is another question that is much more important. "Are you ready for Christ?" In our gospel lesson, we hear the voice of John the Baptist crying out to the people, "Prepare the way...make the crooked roads straight and the rough places smooth." Did John the Baptist really want the people to work on the roads? No, John wanted the people to get ready for the coming of the Messiah. Because the people needed to get their hearts right and return to God. You see, no matter how good people may think they are, there are always some crooked ways and rough places in their lives. Things such as dishonesty, selfishness, pride, jealousy... John wanted the people to make those crooked ways straight and rough places smooth so that Jesus could come and walk among them.

In the scripture from Malachi we hear that the one who is coming will be like the refiner's fire or the cleaner's soap. And the description goes on to say that the one who is coming (the Lord who you are seeking who has come to his temple) will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. So I just HAD to know more about how silver is refined and purified!

Silver was one of the earliest metals known to humans and has been considered a precious metal since ancient times. Silver utensils and ornaments have been found in tombs in Chaldea, Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Persia and Greece. Modern silver processing is often chemical or electrolytic but the process in biblical times was a bit more crude. Silver generally occurs in ore combined with other materials – so lead sulfide ore, which was rich in silver is crushed and sifted and then smelted – that is, heated until the molten silver can be separated from the lead and other impurities. A blast of air over the surface changes the lead into powdered lead oxide and that is blown away. That is called the lead dross which is used for glazing pottery...but the remaining silver becomes pure.

In my research I found this story: A lady who was leading a Bible study on Malachi visited a silversmith so that she could report to her group on what he said about the subject. She went, and without telling the object of her errand, begged the silversmith to tell her about the process of refining silver.

After he had fully described it to her, she asked, "But Sir, must you sit and watch while the work of refining is going on?"

"Oh, yes madam," replied the silversmith; "I must sit with my eyes steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time necessary for refining be exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured."

And she saw the scripture with new perspective, our trials in life are like that refining fire and God is watching over the process; His eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying, and His wisdom and love are both involved as we grow. We can also take comfort that He will not let us be tested beyond what we can endure.

Before she left, the lady asked one final question, "When do you know the process is complete?"

"Why, that is quite simple," replied the silversmith. "When I can see my own image in the silver, the refining process is finished."

When all the other stuff is consumed by the fire and blown away by the refiner...the silver becomes pure and so reflective, it becomes like a mirror. When all that other stuff in our lives is removed then we too can reflect the true nature of the refiner.

When you hear the word “judgment,” what comes to mind? Consequences? Fear? Harsh? Condemnation? What about the word justice? Did you first think of being judged or being in judgment of someone or something else?

I've said it before...and I'm sure that I'll say it again...we are very lucky that we are not in charge of judging – because as humans, we are not very good at it. And Jesus himself guarded us against it – Matthew 7:1 is a scripture that is often quoted and seriously mis-used because it shouldn't be separated from verse 2. Verse 1 does indeed say, Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. And usually when people whip that scriptural defense out – it is because they are not wanting to be on the receiving end of a judgment. But verse 2 gives more perspective. For with the judgment you make, you will be judged. And the measure you give will be the measure you get. Or to quote the Common English Bible – Whatever you deal out will be dealt to you.

Ah. Okay...maybe that's not the measure that I'm comfortable with...

Notice the reason Jesus warns against judgment. The danger in passing judgment on someone is that we’ll have our own standard come back to haunt us, like the spirit of judgments past.

When I condemn someone’s behavior, whether it’s blatantly sinful or just different than my own, I almost NEVER use the proper standard of judgment. I pass judgment according to my own strengths and opinions. For example, take the issue of greed. Since I grew up in such a big family, having enough was enough...I never really felt a need for MORE. I often say that I'm a traitor to my gender because I only own 4 pairs of shoes. Two pairs of sneakers, a pair of sandals and my “church shoes.”

So when I see someone who struggles with something like a shopping addiction, I project myself onto them. I immediately assume that they are sinning, they lack self-control, and that all they need is a bit more discipline.

This is complete sinful nonsense.

When God evaluates that person, he takes into account everything about that person – their biology, sinful tendencies, weaknesses, family history, current struggles, and a thousand other factors. God’s judgment is perfectly just, my judgment is terribly skewed. Without omniscience, all my judgments are going to be off kilter.

For all I know, the person who struggles with greed in my opinion may not be struggling with greed at all! Perhaps the overfilled shopping cart is not even FOR them – they could be buying for a family leaving shelter for their first apartment since becoming homeless...they could be providing for family, friends, or strangers. OR, they may have been neglected as a child and use shopping as a coping mechanism. It could be a circumstance that I have no reference point to whatsoever. I just don't know.

But when God judges a person, his judgment flows out of his omniscience. He knows and understands, that’s why it’s perfect.

When I pass judgment on a person, I’m doing so based on really, really, really limited knowledge. So often I’m blind.

It’s a terrifying thing to think of God judging me based on the way I judge others. So often, my judgment lacks mercy. It lacks compassion. And it lacks knowledge. Do I want to be judged by God and others with the same standard? No! That would be crushing.

This is why Jesus warns about the dangers of judging others. If we’re not careful, we’re going to end up being judged by own crushing standards.

We can and should call out sin. We should stand for righteousness and godliness. We should defend the weak and vulnerable. To seek justice.

But there’s a massive difference between judging arrogantly and judging with humility. 

Arrogant judgment says, “What a despicable, vile, weak person.”

Humble judgment says, “Apart from the redemption of Christ, I’d be joining them, and apart from God, I would lose my salvation. ”

Arrogant judgment says, “I would never do something like that.” 

Humble judgment says, “Though I may not struggle like they do, I sin in other ways.”

Arrogant judgment says, “I’m better than them.”

Humble judgment says, “We both need Christ.”

Jesus said, “Judge not lest ye be judged,” as a gracious warning. If I start playing judge, jury, and executioner to people, I’m going to find myself on the business end of my own standard. That’s a frightening prospect.

So we enter a new mindset where judging is concerned – reacting with compassion. Compassionate judgment seeks to stay faithful to Scripture while also truly loving the person who struggles. To identify the speck in someone else’s eye while simultaneously trying to rip the log out of my own.

Jesus instructed us to be slow to judge and so that our judgment would be tempered by mercy. I love how Rosaria Butterfield says it: We never know the treacherous path that others take to arrive in the pew that we share Lord's Day after Lord's Day. I don't know all that is leading to a person's choices...and the best way for me to understand their choice is to be caring enough to get to know their circumstance before I start figuring out how they should get out of it!

We are not called to be God's Enforcement Squad. We are called to be an embodiment of his LOVE. He does not need us to be his bodyguards – he'd much rather we spent time seeking justice for the oppressed, welcoming the stranger, seeing the shape of God in every person that we encounter. Then we start to see the similarities instead of the differences. We seek kinship. That is a much better use of our time than trying to decide for God who he should love and who he should not. I'm going to trust that delicate work to the refiner because I'm standing over here in need of refining myself.

We are called to approach others with God's mindset – and offer mercy to others. To default to the love part and let the dross be brushed away by the breath of the Holy Spirit. We've got to find ways to let go of our human tendencies of treating others with the judgment and disdain of being better than they are – and using our God minds to see that we are also sinners in need of grace. Then we start to see the world around us in a different way.

An overly simplistic example – for a short time the car I was driving not only had a busted turn signal, after a week or so of rolling down the window to use hand signals, the window crank came off in my hand also. I felt bad every time I could see that my lack of turn signal had caused another driver frustration. After it was fixed though, I found that I was more likely to assume that someone had a broken turn signal when they didn't use it. It wasn't that anything had really changed...I just decided to approach the problem from a different point of view.

But if you apply that sort of thinking to other situations, then you will start to see more opportunities than obstacles, more chances to love and understand. When you see yourself in kinship with others, then you are more aligned with the heart of God than when you waste energy wondering why people can't just do things the way you would do it, since that is obviously the right way?

Christmas is intended to be a transforming event, not a lovely interlude in business as usual. Our time of Advent in preparation for Christmas is our means of getting ready for a new way of looking at life - a new way of living.

Today we lit the candle of Joy. I remember that even as a child I couldn't understand why the pink candle was THIRD! It disturbed the linear thinker in me. I thought it should either be first or fourth...or be the same color as the other three...but why is Joy the third Sunday in advent? And why is the candle pink? And when I was young and performing the duties of the acolyte, I was admonished by very stern ladies to be certain I lit the right one!

Now I've come to really embrace the transition of Advent. We begin with Hope. After waiting for so long – the world, in sin and error...pining... still there was hope. The faithful had not given up. They continued to wait – and to watch. It begins with that hope...

And then we move from hope to love. As I've mentioned before, depending upon the faith community, sometimes Love and Peace are switched. When looking for the graphic on the front of the bulletin I found some with Hope, Peace, Joy and Love...some with Hope, Love, Joy and Peace. I think it is fitting that Love and Peace are interchangeable. If we'd just learn to Love as fully and completely as God does...Peace would be inevitable. And when we are able to experience Peace in the rush of our busy lives and topsy-turvy world...then it is easier to Love.

Now Joy...that is something altogether different! Joy is a bubbling up and overflowing kind of emotion. Peace and Love...those are quieter feelings. Peace and love can be passive – but Joy, that is Action!

The word Joy is used almost two hundred times in the Bible, depending on your translation. We are told repeatedly to be joyful, to be filled with joy and to display our joy. Yet we, as Christians, have trouble being joyful when life on earth can be anything but happy at times. And so we need to remember that joy isn't just about being happy. It’s the ripple effect that comes from trusting God and knowing that no matter what happens to us, HE will walk through the trials with us and take us into victory.

We can only begin to comprehend the love that God has for us. As we grow in our faith we’ll trust Him with our lives. And our hearts become filled with excitement, confidence and trust, and are filled with a feeling of happiness and contentment that is ... joy. And we can't keep it bottled up inside us. We need to express it. Shout it out. If we were at a football game and our team scored a goal, we wouldn’t just sit there and think, “Hurrah!” No! We’d jump up and shout and sing praises to them because we were so happy.

Have you ever met someone who you knew was going through a rough time and yet they didn’t seem to be affected? They gave the problem over to God and trusted Him to get them through it. The joy that’s in their heart will keep them sane and able to handle life through the bad times. We need to find that joy for our own lives. During this season of Advent – embrace Joy. Celebrate the fact the God so loved the world, that he sent his son. And he's coming again. Thanks be to God!