Anticipation

This message was first delivered at Mt. Zion United Methodist in Rustburg, Virginia and Cove United Methodist Church in Coleman Falls, Virginia on December 2, 2018. It is based on the lectionary texts of Luke 21:25-36.

Luke 21:25-36 (NRSV)

“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Well...Christmas is coming! 23 shopping days left. Which may strike terror in the hearts of some, for me and Amazon Prime, it is about 20 days more than I have to have. Because although I do adore a lot of things about the Christmas season, shopping is on the bottom of that list. For some folks, the presents were purchased ages ago and are already wrapped with labels or ready to be shipped to friends and family far away. None of the people that I'm close to, but I hear that it happens! For me, even as a kid, it wasn't so much about the stuff as the feeling of anticipation. The excitement.

From my teen years my family has played Pollyanna at Christmas. Some of you might know it as Secret Santa or Kris Kringle – but since I'm one of five kids, even getting something for each of the seven “original” members would mean financial ruin or really lame gifts. From the time of the ritual of drawing names at Thanksgiving until the wrapping paper flew on Christmas morning...it was a season of anticipation. One year I got my sister Karen's name and I spent many hours creating a wedding doll with tiny pearls on her dress. Another year I got my sister Denise's name and I painstakingly restored an old trunk that she still displays in her home decades later. I think one of the years of greatest anticipation was the year that I was 15. I know I wasn't 16 yet because I did all my shopping that year on my 10 speed bike! I got Mom's name that year and somehow one of her artist friends took pity on the pocketbook of a 15 year old and sold me one of her landscapes that I knew Mom would love for the $25 I had to spend. I remember how tricky it was getting that bag home dangling from one hand as I biked home, hoping and praying that Mom wouldn't be watching or drive past! And on Christmas morning all I could think of was her opening the gift! Another of our traditions was to line up on the basement stairs before we would be released into the living room where gifts from Santa and grandparents had magically appeared overnight. We five kids shivered with anticipation while the grownups turned the lights on the tree and checked to see if Santa had indeed arrived. And it hit me as I sat there on the third step (whether it was a year of “oldest first” or “youngest first” I was always in the middle!) with my brother and sisters whispering loudly and maybe pushing each other a little that I realized there were gifts there for me too! I had been so focused on the gift that I was giving, that the receiving part had been forgotten.

I'm sure I got some nice things that day. I don't really remember. But what I DO remember was watching Mom's face when she unwrapped that painting. And the happy tears when she saw it. My favorite thing to do is make my Mom cry at Christmas... That's one of my best Christmases ever and in the years that have passed, I try to embrace that spirit of anticipation.

And I imagine how excited God was to give his incredible gift to the world! What motivated such a gift? It could only come from a God of love. I think that night as it all unfolded of the shivers of anticipation as God flipped the story and sent his SON to walk the earth as a human, to create a new connection to his creation. The fulfillment of a promise that the prophets had foretold – a righteous branch who will do what is just and right in the land. And the people had been waiting. And longing. And needing...

The prophet Jeremiah in today's scripture relates that promise – that the days are coming when he would bring forth such a branch from the line of David and that through that branch Judah would be saved and Jerusalem would live in safety. But Jeremiah was by no means the only prophet who spoke of a Messiah to come. Almost a millennium and a half prior to the birth of Jesus, God began to give his people an enormous amount of specific information about Jesus' life and ministry! In J. Barton Payne's Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy he itemizes 127 predictions involving more than 3,000 verses including 574 which refer directly to a personal Messiah. Here are a few of the definite clues about this coming (a small selection of a much longer list):

- Genesis 3:15 states that The Messiah would be the seed/offspring of a woman and would crush the head of Satan

- Genesis 12:3 says he would come from the seed of Abraham and would bless all the nations on earth

- Micah 5:2 declared he would be born in Bethlehem of Judah

- and Isaiah 7:14 said he would be born of a virgin. Isaiah also said in Chapter 9 that He would be called “Wonderful Counselor,” “Mighty God,” “Everlasting Father,” “Prince of Peace,” and would possess an everlasting kingdom. But then Isaiah 53:5 and warns he would be pierced for our transgression and crushed for our iniquities and He would die among the wicked ones but be buried with the rich.

Daniel said He would come again from the clouds of heaven as the Son of Man and Malachi said He would be the “Sun of Righteousness” for all who revere Him and look for His coming again.

The prophecies about the Messiah were not a bunch of scattered predictions randomly placed throughout the Old Testament, but they form a unified promise-plan of God, where each promise is interrelated and connected into a grand series comprising one continuous plan of God.

But the people had been waiting...for a long long time. And it is easy to see how some people got tired of the waiting and gave up. But then another prophet came on the scene...and this guy might have seemed like a nut. He hung out in the wilderness and wore clothes made of camel's hair eating locusts and wild honey. And he was declaring that the wait was finally over – that the appearance of the Messiah was imminent. And that the people should get ready!

Luke 3 tells of the start of John's proclamation, 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.'”

John is doing more than informing people that the Messiah is coming, he's telling people what they need to do to get ready. Because it isn't enough to just anticipate the coming – we've got to get ready.

If we remember our elementary school story of Paul Revere – we know that his ride wasn't just about a warning...it was actually a call to action! John the Baptist wasn't just proclaiming, he was calling the people to action. Because there was a lot of crooked to be made straight and a rough places to be made smooth. We see that in John's reaction to some of the people who came to him for baptism...because John could see that some of the people were just going along with the crowd, but their hearts weren't changed. And John was not having it...Luke 3:7-9 describes the scene with his followers: John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

These people were just hedging their bets – baptize me John just in case you are right about this Messiah. No way, this isn't about fleeing the wrath to come, this is about bearing fruits worthy of repentance. Don't run to me because of fear – run to me because you are looking for the right way to connect to God. And don't think you get a free pass because of Abraham.

And the people ask him what the right way is - “okay John, if it isn't just about the baptism...what SHOULD we do?” And he spells it out in very simple and practical terms. Luke 3 continues: “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

If you have enough to share, then you should share. Clothes. Food. All of it.

Don't collect more than you are supposed to get. Don't cheat.

Don't extort money by threats and lies. Be satisfied with what you agreed your wages were going to be when you took the job.

John's list of recommendations are ones that we should all embrace today as we again prepare for the coming Messiah. Share. Be honest. Don't cheat. Be satisfied with what we have. Do unto others...

Every major religion that I have studied has some version of the Golden Rule. A few years ago when my youth class and I spent a year with The Idiot's Guide to World Religion, we heard many versions.

From Judaism in the Babylonian Talmud – What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow; this is the whole Torah; the rest is explanation; go and learn.

From the hadith in the Islam tradition – None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.

From Hindu – Those acts that you consider good when done to you, do those to others, none else.

Confucianism – What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others.

And from one of my youth...we'll call it a Chance-ism...don't be a jerk.

We still have a lot of rough places to smooth, valleys to fill and paths to make straight. We look around and see a world that Jeremiah would recognize, a world in pain and suffering. A people cut off from their God in many ways. And a world that John the Baptist would recognize with people holding onto extra coats and food...tax collectors taking more than they were due...people on the margins being cheated and pushed further into poverty and desperation. But we know the rest of the story! We don't have to stay in the lamentation of Jeremiah because we know the promise was fulfilled. And that means that the other promises are also going to be fulfilled. We are called to be a people of hope because we know the truth is true. That God DID send his son down to be our savior.

And we listen to the words of John the Baptist as he tells us to get ready. To prepare. Because we aren't just sitting on our hands waiting and anticipating. We've got a party to get ready for.

Sometimes we are too quick to jump from Thanksgiving to Christmas. But we NEED this time of Advent to prepare. To realign our hearts and minds away from the usual way of doing things to the Christ way of doing things. And it's about to get radical up in here! Sure, Christmas is about celebrating when Jesus came the first time – but Advent is about something more than getting ready for the baby. It is about getting ready for the main event. The one that Jesus himself told us was coming.

Our gospel lesson today is Jesus telling his disciples and followers (and that includes us) about what is going to happen in the coming days. Luke 21 finds Jesus with his followers in and around the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem. Do you realize when this was happening? I'll give you a hint...he's only been in town a few days and he arrived to quite a fanfare. Yes, this prophetic warning delivered by Jesus was part of Holy Week! So why are we hearing it at the beginning of Advent? Because we need to understand that we are in a new season of expectation and anticipation. We know Jesus came – now we need to remember that he is coming back!

There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars...distress among nations...fear and foreboding and people will not know what to do. But then he will come.

With power and glory and then we can stand up straight and raise our heads because our redemption is near. Just like you can tell that spring is here when the leaves appear on the trees, you will know. But Jesus has instruction in this passage that we would be wise to read and follow. From the Common English Bible, Luke 21:34-36, “Take care that your hearts aren’t dulled by drinking parties, drunkenness, and the anxieties of day-to-day life. Don’t let that day fall upon you unexpectedly, like a trap. It will come upon everyone who lives on the face of the whole earth. Stay alert at all times, praying that you are strong enough to escape everything that is about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Don't let your hearts be dulled by the things of this world – whether it be parties, drunkenness or the anxieties of the day-to-day. Oh. Hmmm.... I think I was ok with my heart not being dulled by parties (I'm kind of an introvert anyway) or drunkenness (because moderation is my friend) but I'm in serious trouble if I'm called to answer for the anxieties of daily living. Because that is my struggle. I sometimes feel I don't have enough time for more Bible study, devotion and prayer because I'm so busy. Or not enough time to go see a friend who is sick or depressed. Just not enough hours in the day. Jesus says don't lose track of what is really important. Am I living a life that is aligned with God's heart?

For those who live to step on others, the message is judgment of those actions and a call to repentance. Turn it around and live with a changed heart.

For those who cling to God's promises, Jesus's message is one of hope. Look up, hold your head up high...the celebration is at hand! Are you sharing your coat and food? Are you resisting the urge to get ahead by cheating or stepping on others? Are you aligned with the heart of God? Then keep on doing those things that are good – and resisting evil – and the kingdom is at hand.

Don't lose hope, but rely on the fact that you know that God keeps his promises. And if we are to wait, let us wait with confidence in the knowledge that we worship a mighty and loving God. A God who is smiling down upon us, just waiting to see our expression when we unwrap the gift and see that it is wonderful. Maybe we don't know what to expect or when it will arrive but we are waiting with joyful expectation for our Messiah to come again.

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior, let's also be sure that we are prepared for the day he will come again. Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set your people free. From our fears and sins release us. Let us find our rest in Thee. Thanks be to God.

Promise Keeping

This message was first delivered at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Rustburg, Virginia on December 31, 2017. It is based on the lectionary text of Luke 2:22-40.

Promise Keeping

“Then when the days stipulated by Moses for purification were complete, they took him [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to offer him to God as commanded in God’s Law: “Every firstborn male shall be a holy offering to God,” and also to sacrifice the “pair of doves or two young pigeons” prescribed in God’s Law.

In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God:

God, you can now release your servant; release me in peace as you promised. With my own eyes I’ve seen your salvation; it’s now out in the open for everyone to see: A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations, and of glory for your people Israel.

Jesus’ father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words. Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary his mother,

This child marks both the failure and the recovery of many in Israel,
A figure misunderstood and contradicted— the pain of a sword-thrust through you— But the rejection will force honesty, as God reveals who they really are.

Anna the prophetess was also there, a daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was by now a very old woman. She had been married seven years and a widow for eighty-four. She never left the Temple area, worshiping night and day with her fastings and prayers. At the very time Simeon was praying, she showed up, broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem.

When they finished everything required by God in the Law, they returned to Galilee and their own town, Nazareth. There the child grew strong in body and wise in spirit. And the grace of God was on him."

Last year when my sister called my parents to wish them a happy New Year, my dad answered the phone. "Well, Dad, what’s your New Year’s resolution?" she asked. "To make your mother as happy as I can all year," he answered. In the background she heard mom yell, “and I'm going to make sure he keeps that resolution!”

It is the beginning of a New Year. Many people start the new year by making some New Year Resolutions. Usually it is a promise to do better next year than we did last year in some way. About 41% of Americans make resolutions but approximately 80% of them fail by the second week of February. The top ten resolutions for 2018 according to research by the research institute Statistic Brain are: Find a better job, Find the love of my life, Do more good deeds for others, Learn something new, Work out more often, Spend more time with family and friends, Do more exciting things, Quit smoking, Make better financial decisions, Eat healthier and lose weight.

No wonder the success rate is so low. These are some pretty ambitious goals!

But some people just don't take New Year's resolutions very seriously. After all, they are just promises to yourself. If you don't follow through, it's no big deal. Well, it is a big deal! A promise is a promise -- and it is important to keep your promises -- even if it is just a promise to yourself.

We see in today's gospel lesson that God is always faithful in keeping His promises. Simeon had lived in “prayerful expectancy” of the Messiah. And he witnessed the fulfillment of that promise. Anna was an elderly widow who had committed her left to constant worship, fasting and prayer in the temple. These two encounters with the infant Jesus (Leviticus 12 indicates this should take place 40 days after birth for a male child) are life-changing for each of them – although their reactions are different, it is clear that each of them immediately senses that there is something unique about Jesus. Something that connects with their very souls. Simeon gazes upon the Christ child and proclaims that he can now die in peace. Anna breaks into song!

Women are far less represented in the Bible than men, especially women with names. So whenever a woman with a name is part of the story, it is important to pay attention. Now, even though the Gospel of Luke has many women characters, as well as many passages that deal with women, in a lot of examples Luke presents women in parallel with a story about men. For example, in chapter one, there is an annunciation to Zechariah followed by an annunciation to Mary. In chapter seven, Jesus cures the dying son of the Centurion, and then raises the deceased son of the widow of Nain. In chapter eighteen there is a persistent widow paired with a humble tax collector. Often these women do not speak, and if they do, we are not privy to their actual words. Such is the case with Anna. But the scripture is quite clear about the her reaction to encountering Jesus. She responds by praising God. But she doesn’t just praise God. Luke says she also speaks about her experience to others, although he does not tell us what she said. He only describes her words as being offered to those who were looking for the redemption of Israel. In this way, Anna is the first evangelist in Luke. She is the first to go out and speak to others that the Messiah has been born!

Simeon's response is different but incredibly powerful in its own way: first he recognizes the fulfillment of God's promise. He had been led to the Temple and the Christ child by the Holy Spirit and he is awed. He speaks directly to God while gazing at the God Incarnate lying in his arms. “I can die happy now, because you have done what you promised. You have sent your salvation – for EVERYBODY!” And Joseph and Mary are stunned. Somehow their cover has been blown. You know they didn't check in at the temple front desk saying, “we're here with the Messiah for his 40 day purification.” But Simeon KNOWS. He doesn't have to be told who this is.

Simeon blesses the astonished couple and addresses Mary – his next sentences are pure prophesy. The New Revised Standard Version phrases his proclamation this way: “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Now replace the generic concept of the people of Israel with the rock solid concept of ALL PEOPLE. Jesus is going to cause some to fall and some to rise. He will be opposed and the inner thoughts of many will be revealed. Including your thoughts. Hear verses 34 and 35 again – this time from the King James Version: “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

For some, this is threatening. Imagine you are part of the religious elite of that day. Your very comfortable lifestyle of temple priest is built upon the structure of temple offerings, sacrifices, payment for access to forgiveness and ritual purification. WE know the rest of the story. We can see the foreshadowing of the next chapter...Jesus is about to turn this old system on its head. And we know that the religious establishment is not going to be happy with this new system. After all, if the people get to be in direct relationship with God...who is going to bring us lambs and calves and pigeons and gold and robes? If the people get to seek forgiveness from God, then I'm gonna be out of a job. AND, even more important...if we are ALL loved by God then how will I qualify for my super special snowflake bonus blessings? But on this 40^th day of Jesus' life, Simeon simply indicates that this baby is going to shake the world up. Does he know that this baby will grow up to heal the sick or feed over 5000 people with a few loaves and fishes? Does Simeon's crystal ball reveal the scenes of the future? Jesus calling fishermen and a tax collector and regular guys to be his closest followers, Jesus by the well talking with a WOMAN who was a known SINNER, Jesus flipping tables over in the temple, Jesus on trial...

Simeon may not have had the details, but he knew what was promised. He was a righteous man and would have heard the words of the prophets in the temple all his life. The words from Isaiah were familiar to him and he was prepared for “my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” He knew “The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory.” Simeon not only had HEARD the words of promise, he was prayerfully EXPECTANT. He believed this promise would come true.

Not that this was necessarily what the world expected. Nope. Many expected a powerful military leader to swoop in and reclaim lost lands and territories. They thought the Messiah would save Israel by might. Others might have expected some sort of high priest or prophet. A mighty king would have fit the bill. A baby born in a stable was not on anyone's radar. What kind of savior comes in such humility? Crusaders in cradles? Nonsense.

But we know...this truth is real. God came down to Earth to be WITH us. To be our advocate, to be our friend, our guide, example. And it was more radical than any warlord could ever hope to be.

Jesus came to get us back to the original program. To get things back on track, because humans had derailed this God-Man relationship train pretty seriously. The Old Testament is one long saga of God's people taking simple rules and complicating things. Garden of Eden? One simple rule, don't eat from THAT tree. Give humans a little time...FAIL. Ate from the tree, got kicked out of paradise. Later we see the people of Israel freed from captivity in Egypt – one simple rule, only gather enough manna for that day except when you get extra for Sabbath. People of Israel can't listen...they gather too much, and it gets worms! God gives Moses ten pretty simple rules...which he has to do TWICE because the first time Moses brings the tablets to the people he finds they've decided to worship a calf they made out of gold. What the heck people of Israel?

Ten commandments: Four are about our relationship to God. No other Gods before me. No idols. No misusing my name. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. The other six are about our relationship to others. One thing to DO: Honor your parents. Five things NOT to do: murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness or covet other people's stuff. And what do the people of Israel do with that? Look for loopholes and exceptions – so now we've got to define how to act in every possible situation.

Many years ago I was part of the staff of Lynchburg Cablevision, employed at the public access station. Although there were just two of us running Channel 6, we were part of the cable company staff and were required to attend monthly meetings which included such thrilling topics as how many truck rolls the repair crews had done and what equipment was expected to be going out for the latest Pay Per View wrestling extravaganza. Usually there were donuts, so I generally sat quietly and behaved myself. One month we were given notice of a new company policy handed down from Time Warner. It was now against policy for there to be any alcohol on or in company buildings or vehicles. Not a big problem...I rarely day drink on the job! Seriously though, this just seemed like a quick FYI but the General Manager asked if there were any questions. For 20 minutes the most unusual and unlikely scenarios were tossed out. “What if I have beer in my personal car?” “What if I want to brink someone a bottle of wine as a birthday present?” “Since the GM drives a company vehicle, does that mean you can't pick up a bottle at the ABC store on your way home?” On and on – and if they had to write a policy to spell it all out, it would span six pages and take fifteen lawyers to review. Just don't drink alcohol when you're working and driving our equipment would be too accusatory, I guess. Act like a grownup who needs their job is clearly too unclear. Humans.

Jesus came on to the scene and things were all tangled up. The law of Moses had grown to include 613 commandments. 248 things TO do and a whopping 365 to NOT do. This has drifted a long way from the original program.

So Jesus starts his ministry and Simeon's prophesy is coming true...this sign is being opposed! He heals and the people in power want to know by WHOSE authority he does such a thing. He socializes with commoners and riff-raff, tax collectors, harlots, Samaritans... He talks of the destruction of the temple. He tells rich people they've got to give up their stuff. He suggests that a widows mite given with the right attitude is worth much more than a pile of gold given with the wrong attitude. Finally, somebody asks him what part of the law is the most important.

Matthew 22:36-40 - “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Ten commandments become 613 do's and don'ts and Jesus takes it back down to two. Love God. Love who and what God loves. Because if you love God, you won't misuse his name, you won't want other idols, you won't even be able to stop with Sabbath because your adoration of the One is complete. And if you love who and what God loves, you'll naturally honor your parents and those who are your earthly foundation. You won't want to murder or steal or commit adultery and why covet their stuff? If I love you – I want YOU to have your stuff!! And I can't imagine bearing false witness...lying about someone who I love! It just doesn't compute.

And if that didn't simplify this God-Human relationship enough – after the Last Supper, before Jesus offered himself up for us he gave his disciples one more instruction. In John's Gospel – Judas has just left the gathering and is headed to commit the ultimate betrayal, offering up his teacher and friend to the religious leaders of the day. Jesus addresses the rest of his inner circle, “Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” He says, okay boneheads...humans...just love each other, that will make this work.

And then the promise of salvation was fulfilled. Not in the way the world would have expected it – some sort of battle victory, or a great political coup or even a supernatural show of power like when Moses and crew encountered God at Mt. Sinai. No, this promise was fulfilled in the most humble way imaginable. Death. On a cross. Between two thieves. And still, in the midst of that incredible suffering he still showed the example of generosity and forgiveness... When everyone else would have counted him out, the thief who repented was assured that it was not too late. He would be with Jesus in paradise. With God, it is never too late. He is patiently waiting for us to turn back toward him.

You see? He PROMISED! He'd never leave us or forsake us.

I'm afraid that it is us who does the leaving. Thousands of years and we humans....ah, me...we still get all cocky and say, God...I got this, you can go worry about something else. Until we don't got it anymore and we cry out “Where'd you go God? Why did you leave?” If I were God, I'd smack us on the nose with a rolled up magazine. But God is greater than that. He wipes away our tears and welcomes us back into his presence.

What about us? How are we doing at keeping our promises? Today at Centenary six young men and ladies will be confirmed as members of the body of Christ. Today they will be asked to make some promises. They will have the opportunity to say that “Yes. I'm deciding this is for me. I'm choosing to be a follower of Jesus Christ.” And then, hopefully, they'll spend the rest of their lives figuring out what that looks like. They may think that they are finally finishing something – a confirmation class that began on Easter! - but in reality, their journey is just beginning.

On this dawn of a new year, this is a chance for us to renew our promise. Are we ready to say – maybe for the first time, maybe for the hundreth time – yes. I'm deciding this is for me. I'm choosing to be a follower of Jesus. I'm going to do that by showing love to everyone that I encounter. I accept the challenge of loving those who act unlovable, and who I disagree with, and who are different from me.

And the kingdom of God will come upon the earth.

Kingship to Kinship

This message was first delivered at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Rustburg, Virginia and Brookneal United Methodist Church in Brookneal, Virginia on November 20, 2016. It is based on the lectionary text of Luke 23:33-43.

When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Last week we began an early look at Advent and now it seems like I'm skipping to the end of the story! But today in the church calendar we are celebrating Christ the King Sunday – so this scripture is particularly key. This is when a political leader – Pontius Pilate – has asked Jesus point-blank “are you the King of the Jews?” And now, as he hangs on a cross that is undeserved, that title is hung over his head in mock respect.

Living in the United States, it is unlikely that any of us has encountered a literal King or Queen. Even if you've traveled to England and been introduced to the Queen, she does not wield the power of a king from Jesus' time because England is actually ruled by a prime minister and parliament (who are elected). So it is very difficult for us to imagine the kind of power that a king has, or used to have. In Jesus' day, the power of a king was absolute. Even if there was a set of laws, the king could overrule the law because ultimately, the king's word WAS the law. Such a person was the only kind of king the people of the time were familiar with.

Kings from more recent history also had that unquestionable power and on a personal whim could decide a person's fate. King Louis XI of France was a firm believer in astrology and yet he was somewhat uneasy when an astrologer accurately predicted the death of a lady at court. He felt the astrologer would be better off dead, so Louis called him to his apartments where his servants were ordered to throw him out the window once given the signal.

First, however, Louis asked the man a question, "You claim to understand astrology and to know the fate of others, so tell me what your fate will be and how long you have to live." The astrologer replied, "I shall die just three days before Your Majesty." This so unnerved the king that he decided to let the astrologer live.

We know a lot about the history of Israel's kings from the Old Testament. We know that the people of Israel begged and badgered Yaweh for a king. And he annointed Saul. And over time, Saul turned away from God and leaned on his own understanding and the influence of the people around him. And as he drifted away from God...God let him. And troubles arose. Saul was replaced by David, Israel's most gifted king. David rose to power when he killed Goliath and he grew up to be an adept military commander. He not only led Israel to conquer the Philistines, but other inhabitants of the Promised Land. Then David's son Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, but Israel declined as a nation under his rule and became a lesser power in the ancient world.

By the time Jesus was born, Israel had been looking for a new David for nearly a thousand years. Israel had seen their country desecrated by the Syrians and conquered by the Babylonians. Solomon’s temple had been sacked and burned. And though the temple had been rebuilt, the kingdom was gone.

Syria and Babylonia were replaced as dominant world powers, first by Greece under Alexander the Great, and then by Rome, under the command of a skilled military leader named Julius Caesar.

By the time Jesus was born, Israel was a conquered nation, ruled by Rome. Israel had rebelled once against Rome, but the revolt had been crushed and the temple sacked and burned for a second time. And although under the watchful eye of Rome, a third temple had been recently built, it was no longer a symbol of national power and pride. It was, instead, a token temple built by Herod, a puppet of Rome, and was run by an ingrained and corrupt hierarchy of Jewish priests.

The people of Israel were not just looking for their long-awaited king; they were desperate for him. Remember the words of the hymns we sang last week? O Come, O Come Emmanuel – a song that recalls the crying out for the promised Messiah. And Come Thou Long Expected Jesus – a plea for one who is “born to set thy people free.” When Jesus was born, wise men came from the East, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?” When Herod heard about this, he was frightened because he knew very well that the people were looking for and longing for a new David to rise up and overthrow both him and the yoke of Rome.

In fact, if Jesus would have let them, the people would have proclaimed him as the long-awaited king. They had plenty of evidence. There was the extraordinary testimony of the wise men from the east who claimed that it was written in the stars that a great king had been born in Israel and that one star had outshone all the rest and had moved and led them to Bethlehem where Jesus was born.

And when Jesus grew into adulthood, John the Baptist started preaching that the time was ripe for a king to arise from the people. He began baptizing people to get them ready for this event. When Jesus came to be baptized by John, there was a miraculous sign from heaven proclaiming Jesus to be the one chosen of God. John said Jesus was the person for whom he had been preparing everyone.

But this was a different kind of king than they had expected. And for some, it must have seemed as though God missed the mark. Even in Jesus' closest circle of believers, the disciples, there were those who kept waiting for the overthrow to begin. In John 6 after the miracle of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, the people are ready to proclaim Jesus as King. John 6:15 reads, “When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.” We recall James and John asked if they should call down fire from heaven on a village who would not receive Jesus on his way to Jerusalem. In Acts 1:6 – after the crucifixion and resurrection and just before the ascension...they are still asking “is NOW the time that you'll restore the Kingdom to Israel?”

Jesus was a different kind of king. One that they were not used to. It was one more radical way that Jesus turned the status quo upside down. Look at the way he answered Pilate's question in John 18:33-36 from Peterson's The Message: Pilate went back into the palace and called for Jesus. He said, “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?” Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you this about me?” Pilate said, “Do I look like a Jew? Your people and your high priests turned you over to me. What did you do?” “My kingdom,” said Jesus, “doesn’t consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But I’m not that kind of king, not the world’s kind of king.”

I like the way the Peterson puts it – If I was the kind of king you are talking about, my followers would fight my arrest – but I'm not the world's kind of king. The world's kind of king is about power. Jesus had power – we know that he had plenty of power (and still does, btw) – but that kind of power wasn't what the world needed. We've got chapters upon chapters in the Old Testament about that kind of power and look where it has led Israel! What Jesus brought to earth was a completely different kind of kingship than they had ever experienced. It was the new concept of servant leadership. And a radical idea of how the willing sacrifice of our king would bring about lasting change in the world. Servant king? What kind of crazy oxymoron universe have we dropped into?

I like oxymorons. As a fan of the English language and words in general – the idea of smashing together two disparate words is fun! Maybe you have a favorite: jumbo shrimp, spectator sport, or original copy? I've ridden on elevated subways. Worked in an industrial park. Been to a slumber party. Played double solitaire! I've reported on increasing losses and things growing smaller. But for me...passive resistance and servant leadership are unusual.

Jesus was a radical new kind of king. He told his followers that if they wanted to be first, they'd have to put themselves last. That the meek would inherit the earth. Matthew 18:1-5 defines true greatness - “the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” So as we celebrate Christ the King Sunday, we recognize that we celebrate a different kind of king. I do not deny his power and kingship and all of the honor and glory that should bring forth from us. But we need to note that the honor and glory are not demanded like an earthly king demands. No, that is just our natural reaction to worshiping our different kind of king.

I wonder if the honor and respect that is given on demand feels the same as honor and respect freely given? One of my favorite internet videos is of a charity race in San Jose, CA in 2014. 95 year old WWII veteran Joe Bell sits in a chair on the sidewalk in front of his house to cheer on the runners taking part in a race for the foundation of fallen Army Ranger Pat Tillman. He claps and runners clap back to him. The video continues as runner after runner breaks away from course to stop and shake hands with the veteran and thank him for his service. Joe Bell was an Army corporal who trained paratroopers from Italy to Africa. During his service he saluted and was saluted as his rank demanded. The day of that race was a different form of honor and respect.

The neighbor responsible for taking the video that went viral said in an interview later, “perhaps most amazing of all was that the tributes among the 5,000 runners kept coming. Throughout the race, they came in waves. Women and men would be running down the middle of the street, then, without warning or prompt, one would peel off, then another.” This was a spontaneous show of respect and honor that wasn't staged or demanded. Joe's reaction? “They hugged me and kissed me and the young men shook my hands,” Joe said. “I never knew there were that many people that would do that.” That is the difference between genuine honor offered freely and honor which is demanded by earthly systems and kings.

Since we serve a risen Savior who taught us a different way – how does this affect how we honor and worship him? How do we carry on his example of servant leadership? Are we so caught up in the earthly kingship and bending others to our way that we lose track of kinship? Remember as we prepare for the coming of the Christ-child we know that Advent is about preparing for Christ to come again. Will our worship and service show what we learned from Jesus? Or will we be sternly reprimanded like the Israelites in today's Old Testament scripture?

I'll repeat Jeremiah 23:1-4 from The Message, hear it as leaders of the church of Jesus today: “Doom to the shepherd-leaders who butcher and scatter my sheep!” God’s Decree. “So here is what I, God, Israel’s God, say to the shepherd-leaders who misled my people: ‘You’ve scattered my sheep. You’ve driven them off. You haven’t kept your eye on them. Well, let me tell you, I’m keeping my eye on you, keeping track of your criminal behavior. I’ll take over and gather what’s left of my sheep, gather them in from all the lands where I’ve driven them. I’ll bring them back where they belong, and they’ll recover and flourish. I’ll set shepherd-leaders over them who will take good care of them. They won’t live in fear or panic anymore. All the lost sheep rounded up!’ God’s Decree.”

I do not want to hear that I've driven anyone away from God. I don't want to hear that I've not kept my eye on the scattered sheep. I surely don't want to hear that I've misled God's people. And I don't want to hear God tell me that he had to do my job for me and that he's gathered what's left of the sheep. That means I've got to pay attention to my responsibility as a follower of Christ – to spread the good news to everyone. God loves you and wants to be in full relationship with you. I need to live my life in such a way that I put myself last and others first. And with God's help, to strive to show the world a radical new idea...servant leadership. Kinship.

Kinship is defined on dictionary.com (after getting past the ancestral / genealogical definition of being biologically related) as “relationship by nature or qualities; a sharing of characteristics or origins.” All who walk on the earth share characteristics. When you get right down to it, despite our differences – race, religion, upbringing, personal values, political views – we can find more common ground than disparity. And that is where we begin.

What are characteristics shared by members of the human race? We need food, water and shelter. We desire love, a sense of belonging, community. Perhaps Shakespeare provides a good grounding in Act 3 of the Merchant of Venice, “If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"

We hurt. We are affected by the actions of others, both positively and negatively. We all need to eat to survive – and even though we would choose different foods, I don't think I've ever been in a conversation that had someone say “I don't really enjoy eating. I'd much rather go to the Jetsons' concept of a pill for food.” So we seek common ground. And we look to see others by their true identity as another child of God.

We didn't have enough time last week to explore the Epistle lesson from 2 Thessalonians. I think the key question answered in that passage was “okay, what do we do while we are waiting?” If the message of Advent is to wait and prepare...what are we tasked to do while we are anticipating?

The answer to the church at Thessalonica is the same answer to us today. Get to work! Don't sit idly – there is work to be done! Paul said in chapter 3 of that epistle to “stay away from believers living in idleness and not according to the tradition they received from us (the church planters)” he told them that the church needed to imitate their example to toil and labor. Are we as the church reaching out to BE church or are we content to COME to church?

There is a world out there that needs to hear the good news. They need to see goodness and hope and community in the world. They are not going to get the message from the world...goodness and hope and community don't get the ratings that fear and mistrust do. But we have the example of Jesus trying something radical to follow. Maybe we try something radical too?

We show servant leadership and invite people into the community without making sure they are worthy first? We accept the stranger, the foreigner, the different, the weirdo, the drunkard, the harlot, the questioning...then we let them know that we are more similar than different. And kinship and community can catch fire.

I'll close with a story of kinship and belonging from one of my favorite authors. Father Greg Boyle's book Tattoos on the Heart impacted my life in a remarkable way and I often share stories from it. Father Greg began Homeboy Industries – a tremendous gang intervention, prison ministry and job training program – in the poorest parish in Los Angeles. On this occasion, he takes two former rival gang members as part of a three state set of speaking gigs. They visit Atlanta, Washington, DC and are wrapping up the trip in Mobile, Alabama. A man named John invited Pastor G, Memo and Miguel to visit his ministry in a community in Pritchard, Alabama. I quote, “We take two hours to drive and walk around in what I think is about the poorest place I've ever seen in the US. Hovels and burned-out shacks and lots of people living in what people ought not to live in. Memo and Miguel are positively bug-eyed as they walk around, meet people, and see a kind of poverty quite different than the one they know.

We return to the house where we're staying and have half an hour to pack...I look up, and Memo is standing in my doorway, crying. He is a very big man, had been a shot caller for his barrio and has done things in and out of prison for which he feels great shame – harm as harm. The depth of his core wound is quite something to behold. Torture, unrivaled betrayal, chilling abandonment – there is little terror of which Memo would be unfamiliar.

He's weeping as he stands in my doorway and I ask him what's happening. “That visit, to Pritchard – I don't know; it got to me. It got inside of me. I mean, how do we let people lie like this?” He pauses, then, “G, I don't know what's happening to me, but it's big. It's like, for the first time in my life, I feel, I don't know, what's the word...I feel compassion for what other people suffer.”

The poet Rumi wrote, “Close both eyes to see with the other eye.” See the shape of God in every person we encounter. In this way we embrace the radical new perspective of greatness that Jesus modeled. Greatness measured outside of the human version of success and power and kingship. Greatness measured by the impact we make on the world we inhabit. The transformation of the world as each act of kinship is echoed and multiplied. Christ looked upon our brokenness with mercy, go and do likewise. Amen.