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!

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.

Asking For a Favor

This message was first delivered at Centenary United Methodist in Lynchburg, Virginia on October 21, 2018. It is based on the lectionary texts of Mark 10:35-45 and Job 38:1-7. 

Mark 10:35-45 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Request of James and John

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

They were wholly unaware of what they were asking for. They thought they were asking for places of glory in an earthly type of kingdom. They didn't fully grasp what was about to take place. This Jesus, whose power they have witnessed firsthand. They were there when the water was turned to wine. There when he healed. There when he cast out demons. They were present at the Transfiguration! James and John saw Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah. They could see the crowds and felt awe and wonder. Not that Jesus hasn't been trying to get through their thick heads...

Just one chapter back in Mark 9 he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

And in the verses just prior to today's Gospel lesson, from The Message: Back on the road, they set out for Jerusalem. Jesus had a head start on them, and they were following, puzzled and not just a little afraid. He took the Twelve and began again to go over what to expect next. “Listen to me carefully. We’re on our way up to Jerusalem. When we get there, the Son of Man will be betrayed to the religious leaders and scholars. They will sentence him to death. Then they will hand him over to the Romans, who will mock and spit on him, give him the third degree, and kill him. After three days he will rise alive.”

In the next moment, James and John (possibly encouraged by their mother) make their “request.” And it is no small favor they are asking for. Not asking for help moving to a new tent. They don't realize what they are asking for...like most of us, they don't see the bigger picture. We are great at asking for stuff – but not very good at knowing what we need.

I am not a parent, but I am the aunt to three brilliant and handsome nephews and one vibrant and creative niece. So I've witnessed a LOT of asking. And begging. And negotiating... And some of those times, I've known that what they were asking for wasn't going to meet their expectations. Out of the four of these, I've had to talk at least two out of ordering Sea Monkeys from the back of a comic book. I know how great the ad looks – and I understand when they describe their futures as professional sea monkey trainers teaching them to do tricks and ride on a tiny sea monkey ferris wheel. But I've got a little more information than they do – and perhaps some first hand wisdom. Because I already tried to become a world famous sea monkey trainer and found that dried up brine shrimp are not adept at learning to juggle. I remember another occasion where one nephew negotiated an advance on future earnings in order to buy “the funnest toy EVER!” A marshmallow gun. Ten dollars later he is the proud owner of the funnest toy ever. Then he begs for money to buy a big bag of marshmallow ammunition. Ten minutes after that – all the adults have tired of being pegged in the head with increasingly dirty marshmallows. The funnest toy ever lasted about two days and then after attracting ants – was declared “stupid.”

Nope, we don't always have the whole picture of what we THINK we need. And sometimes the stuff that we want – isn't going to be nearly as cool as we THINK that it is. All the stuff in the world...where would you put it?

I have always LOVED the story of Job. Wondered if I could have held up against that level of pressure from the devil. Hoped that I could. But had some serious doubts about it when things continue to ramp up.

Job was SERIOUSLY good. This is a guy that used to get early in the morning after a celebration and give burnt offerings in the name of his children just in CASE they had sinned inwardly. He was totally devoted to God and hated evil. I like to think of myself as a good person, but I don't think I measure up to that guy. He was, in fact, SO good that when the angels came to give a report to God that God himself pointed out what a good guy Job was. And that was just the challenge that the designated Accuser, Satan was looking for. He said that of course he's good, he's treated like a pampered prince – he's got everything he wants. It's easy to be good and righteous if you're on top of the world. BUT...he slides in...if you reached down and took it all away, he'd curse you right to your face.

No way...God said...go ahead and try it, but don't hurt him physically. So one messenger after another comes to Job reporting the loss of his oxen, donkeys and field hands by a murdering band of Sabeans...then lightning strikes killed the sheep and shepherds...Chaldeans killed the camels and camel drivers. And then the toughest message – a tornado killed all of his children and their families. But Job doesn't curse God.

He's crazed with grief – tears his robe and shaves his head – but he doesn't blame God. And God points this out to Satan. Satan ramps up the intensity of the test by saying that a man will go to any lengths to save his life – take away his health and Job will curse you. Satan is certain. And God agrees, but don't kill him. So Satan causes terrible sores to afflict Job and when he is sitting on the ash heap scraping the sorts...Job's wife has had enough. She wants Job to just curse God and get this agony over with. But no deal.

Job doesn't curse God, doesn't blame God...he says we take the good days when God gives those, why not the bad days too?

Three of his friends arrive – and most of us remember that they weren't very supportive, right? But maybe we read the abridged version of Job? Because the first thing these three friends do is to cry out in lament, tear their robes as a sign of grief and sit with him. For seven DAYS. In silence. They could see that their friend was suffering and they wanted to be there for him. And they were...for awhile.

And then the damn breaks. Job starts to talk. And vent and curse the day he was born. And he goes on for 26 verses of Chapter 3 to express how miserable he is...ending with I have no rest; but trouble comes. Sometimes it feels like that. The night never ending – not feeling rest or comfort.

Then the friends start to weigh in on the situation – as friends are likely to do. But the first reaction is to ask what Job has done to cause such a thing. Surely someone as devout and exemplary as you appear to be wouldn't have such calamity thrust upon them...what did you DO? And they have plenty of advice...figure out what you did wrong, who you offended, appeal to the right angel for intervention, go to God and thank him for this suffering...since you clearly deserve it for whatever it is that you did.

Then Job defends himself to his friends and whines some more about how this isn't his fault – he's innocent and suffering. If God would just squash him like a bug then at least he'd be dead but he wouldn't have blasphemed the Holy God. And he basically tells his friends that they aren't helping. And he can't believe they don't believe him when he says he didn't DO anything!

The debate between Job and his friends then Job crying out to God go on for chapters...the questions and answers go back and forth from Chapter 4 through Chapter 31. And then a fourth friend steps in. Chapter 32 brings Elihu, a man younger than the other three who has held his tongue out of respect for his elders. Now he blows up with the pent-up anger of his youth and blasts the others for not coming up with answers but not giving up on trying to prove Job wrong! And he speaks honestly from his heart and brings new perspective into this argument.

That is often what we need. A new perspective. Some new piece of wisdom to illuminate the situation. Elihu inserts himself into this with humility but firmness – asks Job to listen and then lays out some of the facts as he sees them. Some of the gems from Chapters 33-37 include:

• God always answers, one way or another.
• It is impossible for God to do evil.
• God is always working behind the scenes. We have his attention.
• You can learn from the suffering you are going through.
• Don't get obsessed with placing blame.
• Look around you. See the evidence of God and his power all around you. Is this who you want to confront?

Maybe Job needs to reconsider his choice of confronting God? Elihu wraps up by saying, “Mighty God! Far beyond our reach! Unsurpassable in power and justice! It’s unthinkable that he’d treat anyone unfairly.

So bow to him in deep reverence, one and all! If you’re wise, you’ll most certainly worship him.”

Now God speaks to Job directly. And in the scripture that Ida read for us earlier, God pretty much asks Job just who he thinks he is. Sounds like a father talking... You all know my Dad as a kindly fellow who will help with anything you ask him to do. Need a hand moving some tables? Call Carl. Need your window air conditioners taken out and put back in the closet? Call Carl. He's a generally agreeable man but I can remember some times as kids that he would have uttered the classic line, “I brought you into this world, I can take you out.”

Job and his friends have discussed the character of God and his part in Job's suffering for about 35 chapters. Questions, challenges, assumptions, accusations and God weighs in.

God finally responds to Job in a storm outlining the God's presence in all creation. He shares the wisdom of how all things are divinely inspired and influenced, from the earth’s foundation, to the boundaries of the sea and sky, and the ordering of the day and night. How GOD structured the heavens and the earth, the water and the land, the day and the night, humanity and heavenly beings, and everything in between. Job, where were you when I created the earth? Since you are so smart, tell me who decided what size it would be...how the foundation was poured...who set the cornerstone. Huh? Tell me smart guy, since you seem to know so much. Where were you when the morning stars sang in chorus and the angels shouted praise?

God responds to Job in a storm, true to biblical tradition, illustrating a divine appearance. This whirlwind is similar to other Old Testament texts like in Ezekiel when God is present in the windstorm with a flashing light or Nahum experiencing God’s power in the storm and clouds, Zechariah witnesses God in lightning as loud as a trumpet, in 2 Kings, God appears in a chariot of fire.

Job is now confronted by God; and where Job once had questions, concerns, and complaints, he is now silent. In previous accounts, Job is left with inquiries and thoughts of loneliness; but now God is actively present, face-to-face with Job. God’s presence is undeniable, meaningful, and profound. God as master architect whose wisdom and resourcefulness cannot be matched or understood. We see in each verse that God measures, aligns, stretches, and builds. God lays foundations and constructs footings. We see an image of God that is meticulous about the details and precise in design for the cosmos, for the heavens, and even for humanity.

This is a mighty God we serve. God goes on to realign Job's perspective through chapters 38 and 39 with some powerful questions. Do you have any idea how big the Earth is? Do you know where light comes from and where darkness lives? Can you get the attention of the clouds and commission a shower of rain? Did you command the eagle's flight, and teach her to build her nest in the heights of a cliff's face? But then God asks the big one. The one that he asks whenever we give into that very human inclination to blame God or to ask why he has let something happen. God asks at the beginning of Job 40, “God confronted Job directly: Now what do you have to say for yourself? Are you going to haul me, the Mighty One, into court and press charges?” Well...what do we have to say for ourselves?

And like so many times in the Job story, I hope I would respond this way:

Job answered: I'm speechless, in awe – words fail me. I should have never opened my mouth! I've talked too much, way too much. I'm ready to shut up and listen.”

I'd like to think I could be as wise and mature as Job in this moment. I'm not real sure. It is hard for me to admit when I've talked too much, let alone WAY too much. When will I be ready to shut up and listen? Can I at least try?

Can I be wise or will I be like my nephew who just knew that marshmallow gun would bring unending happiness into his life. Unwilling to hear that isn't wasn't worth the cost. That he'd be tired of it long before his dream of taking it off to college to amuse his fraternity brothers. That I could see from a different perspective of previous unwise purchases. That maybe he didn't know best. Maybe his mom saying, “no” was the better choice.

We are all going to stumble and desire things or people or situations that although we are sure they'll bring us great joy or satisfaction...we don't always know what we are asking for. Which brings us back to James and John and the favor that they asked of Jesus.

“Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us.” “What is it?” “Arrange for us to be awarded the highest places of honor in your glory” “Dudes, you don't know what that even means...can you drink of the cup I drink, be plunged into the baptism I'm about to plunged into?”

They answer quickly, “Sure, bring it on.” And Jesus said, “come to think of it...you will drink of this same cup...but awarding places of honor isn't my business. That isn't up to me.”

And although they didn't drink of the exact same cup...neither James nor John were crucified (although we know that at least Peter and Andrew did suffer that same fate). James' death at the hands of Herod is reported in Acts 12. He was likely stoned or clubbed to death. But all of the apostles and followers suffered persecution and were in constant danger. This was by no means a place of honor at the right and left hand.

We even see that this request brought friction and division among the disciples. When the other ten heard about it, they lost their tempers with James and John. Who do you guys think you are? Do you think you are a level above us? Before the division and debate can poison their attitudes completely, Jesus steps in. Are they ready, like Job, to shut up and listen?

“You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around,” he said, “and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.”

We don't need to be power-mad. If we want to be great, we've got to let all that go and become a servant. Want to be first? Want to be at the right and left in places of honor? You only think that is what you need...but I have more information. I've got the bigger picture. More power just leads to the desire for more power. It's a hamster wheel you'll never get off. Empty calories. You want to be great? Then flip the whole thing upside down – the real winner is the one who is humble enough to serve, not be served.

There’s a story about a little boy named Billy. Every day on the walk to school, Billy’s grandfather would stop at the neighborhood store for a newspaper and cup of coffee. As Grandpa approached the register, Billy would point to large bins filled with candies, gum, and other treats displayed. The cashier grew a heart of compassion toward Billy. One morning when Grandpa and Billy approached the register, the cashier said, “Good morning Billy, today you can reach in and get the candies you want with no cost.” Billy smiled with joy; his persistence had finally paid off. He went to pull out a candy, but snatched his hand back abruptly. He then grabbed Grandpa’s hand and shoved it into the large bin. Startled, Grandpa pulled out a fist filled with assorted sweets.

Billy giggled with glee. As they continued the walk to school, Grandpa asked, “Billy, why didn’t you pick out your candies? This was want you asked for every day.” Billy looked up to Grandpa with the sun glistening in his eye, “Yes, Grandpa, but your hands are much bigger than mine. My hands are too small to get all the candies I wanted.”

There are times in life that, as believers, we should embrace Billy’s kind of wisdom. God’s hands are much bigger, capable, and able to provide everything we need. Our hands, our thoughts, and our understanding are limited in comparison to God’s vast knowledge and powerful hands.

It is refreshing to know that in spite of all Job experienced and all the pain he endured, he was not too proud to be silenced. Job is silenced by the images of morning stars and heavenly beings rejoicing in God’s glory. Job is silenced by God’s grace that is uniquely woven into the tapestry of all God’s creation. Job is silenced by God’s wisdom, knowledge, and love that is unexplainable and uncontainable. Job is silenced as God reveals the unlimited ability to be present in all things.

God can get tiny if we're not careful. Too often we fall into the trap of God being made in our image – instead of the other way around. We relate to God in our human understanding, putting God in a box that he simply can't be contained in! The hope is that our sense of God will grow as expansive as our God is. Each tiny conception gets obliterated as we discover more and more the God who is always greater.

We worship an awesome God. One who desires great things for us, not necessarily in the cars we drive or how many camels and sheep we have – but he wants good things of substance for us. The joy of a servant's heart focused on what is really important. We have to let go of the fleeting things of today and embrace our reason for being.

To love God and to spread that love throughout the world. In every situation, to all the people we encounter. Amen.