The Second Sunday of Advent is always a challenge. Christmas parties and concerts have started, everyone is busy decorating, shopping, and planning for holiday gatherings. But in the midst of the hustle and bustle, we pause (at least we hope people will pause during this hectic season—if you don’t you will go crazy) to hear a voice crying in the wilderness!
The Gospel lesson on the Second Sunday of Advent is always on John the Baptist. This year it is Mark’s account, chapter 1, verses 1-8. John the Baptist is one strange dude. He wanders around the wilderness, eating locusts and wild honey and screams at all the nice people telling them to get right with God! The truth is John the Baptist would not be welcome at the Holiday House, or the company’s Christmas Party, or the Benefactor’s Christmas Reception. He would probably turn over the punch bowl, break the crystal, tear down the decorations and run everybody out. In other words, John the Baptist makes us uncomfortable.
We want everything to be perfect for Christmas. We dress our homes and ourselves in our finest array. We want everyone to get along at family gatherings. No drama, please. Just overlook your sister! Somehow we want to believe that all is joy and gladness and it is “the most wonderful time of the year.” But then John the Baptist (or your sister) shows up and throws everything in chaos.
But the message of John the Baptist is ultimately “Good News.” The Gospel writers equate John the Baptist with the voice crying in the wilderness in Isaiah 40.
The 40th Chapter of Isaiah is a message of hope to the people of God who have been held as captives in Babylon. It’s time to go home, to go back to Jerusalem, to find your spiritual foundation.
It was around 500 miles from ancient Babylon to Jerusalem, but the winding ancient highway with all of its detours and turns would be closer to 1,000 miles. The message to the people of God (made famous in Handel’s Messiah) is that God is building a super highway in the wilderness. He is going to fill all the low places and cut through the mountains “Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain”
This way God’s people can be freed from their captivity and quickly travel through the wilderness to get home.
The Biblical images of wilderness and captivity are powerful. They resonate with people in times of crisis and despair. Here is a question as I prepare for Sunday’s sermon. Tell me what comes to mind when you hear “the wilderness” or “captivity.” What is your wilderness? What about us as a church, a community? How powerful are the words of hope and comfort? Do we need a John the Baptist to upset our Christmas cheer and make us uncomfortable?
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Hi Ray. June and I share a couple of Meals on Wheels routes with Barbara Epley and Sandra Wilson. We see some of the wilderness in the old, dilapidated rental housing in neighborhoods around town. We also see the tired, resigned look in the eyes of some we serve. There are some mighty deep valleys in the wilderness areas of Lexington. Does a hot meal help that much? I hope so.
ReplyDeleteWhen you mentioned wilderness this morning it reminded me of the year I broke my foot. We were studying the life of Moses when he killed the Midianite and fled. In the wilderness, God spoke to him through the burning bush. Sometimes our most trying times become the greatest moments of individual introspection where we meet God face-to-face. In that place, He has our undivided attention and we choose to accept His invitation or cave in and flee again. It's interesting to study how Moses decided to embrace God's presence and deal with himself. In that moment, Moses became God's servant, willing to carry out the instructions even though he really didn't want to. We can be willing to seek God during advent, or we can willingly just go through the motions.
ReplyDeleteWe ALL are living in the wilderness. As believers, we have the light of the world, Jesus Christ, to get us through. And as we sojourn our way home, His light will shine through us, empowering us to share His promise, hope and comfort to those around us stumbling along the way.
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