Mark 10 verses13-16 God's Cleaning Agent

I'm going to take you on a short walk down memory lane. Some of you may have heard of a singer/songwriter from the 1970s by the name of Ray Stevens. He was famous for writing and recording comedy songs such as "Bridget the Midget", "Ahab the Arab", "The Streak" and many others. He did record a few serious songs, the most famous of which was "Everything is Beautiful". That particular song starts with a group of children singing words that tie in nicely with the topic of my homily tonight. The verse goes something like this:

Jesus loves the little children

All little children of the world

Red and yellow, black and white

They are precious in His sight

Jesus loves the little children of the world.

In Mark 10:13-16, the disciples try to prevent the children from coming to Jesus to receive his blessing. In his stern rebuke, Jesus reminds the disciples that the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Does this mean that the kingdom belongs to children, or does it mean that the Kingdom belongs to those who are LIKE children? I believe it's the latter.

So what does it mean to receive the Kingdom like a little child? There is an apparent contradiction that can best be handled by those who are like children. God is all-powerful, perfect and hates sin, but at the same time He is good, free and grace, and He loves us. Adults often have a hard time accepting this. They try to make Him politically correct, middle class, sensible and safe---but we all know that Jesus is none of these. Those who approach Jesus like a child accept him for who He is, not what they want Him to be. When Jesus says, "Come to me and receive...", children come running, wanting more. Adults, on the other hand, say, "What's the catch?" Those in spiritual poverty are the ones who have figured out that they are the ones who will be given the Kingdom of heaven.

So how do we become like children? We become like children through the sacraments of baptism and Communion. The water of baptism washes away the old life that is full of doubt, evil, etc. and cleanses us. Christ's "blood" gives us a regular spiritual cleansing that we need and get through the Eucharist. Baptism and the Eucharist represent a new beginning and a new life. Life starts with childhood-spiritually and physically. Both physical and spiritual children are naïve, full of wonder and trust. What can be more moving than a small child holding out their hands to you in complete trust you can pick them up? What can be more humbling than the way they ask you for something with a simple belief you can do it, or provide it, just like Jesus can?

In 1 Corinthians 13:11-13, Paul makes it clear that as we grow and mature, we put away childish things. We don't stop being childlike in the sense Jesus talks about---trusting, humble, willing to follow His commands. We stop throwing tantrums when we don't get our own way. We stop trying to "be boss" in every situation, recognizing that our knowledge is partial and that only God deserves to be in control.

The children were brought to Jesus by their parents because they were helpless. They couldn't do it on their own. Spiritual children are the same way. We need people to bring us to Jesus by being a Christ-like friend, by sharing what it means to follow Jesus and by carrying thanks to Jesus in prayer. We are challenged to bring people to Jesus so they can become spiritual children.

There is a story of a little girl whose mother had given birth to a baby boy. The little girl asked her parents to leave her alone with the new baby. They worried that she might want to hit or shake him, so they said no. Over time though, since she wasn't showing signs of jealousy, they changes their minds and decided to let her have her private conference with the baby. The little girl went into the baby's room and shut the door, but it opened a crack-enough to let the curious parents watch and listen. They saw the little girl walk quietly up to the baby, put her face close to his, and say, "Baby, tell me what God feels like. I'm starting to forget."

We must be like children in our service to God. We must trust and obey Him without fail. We must live as children of God SHOULD live. In Jesus' time, children were seen as nothings until they were old enough to be useful. Jesus appreciated and valued them for who they were and what they brought as children:

• A simple, unquestioning faith
• A trusting view of life
• Disregard for wealth and status
• Taking pleasure in the smallest things

What is our outlook as Kingdom people on life, possessions, people, those who might be neglected? It should be like a child's.

Children are honest and straightforward. They say what's on their mind without thinking or worrying about what anyone will think or say. If you remember Art Linkletter's show, "Kids Say the Darndest Things", you'll know what I'm talking about. They are an example of how we must be before God if we want to receive his blessings. In other words, we must have a childlike heart with simplicity, teachability, trust, forgiveness, responsiveness and humility.

Membership in the Kingdom is about grace. That's why Jesus says in Mark 10:15, "Truly I say to you, whosoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it". Baptism allows us to be like children. It washes away the dirt of our lives and replaces it with the childlike qualities of simplicity, teachability, trust, forgiveness, responsiveness and humility. It enables us to be reborn---to start over. Every child born into this world is born helpless. Every child born into this world is dependent on others for food, clothing, protection and education. Every Christian is born helpless. Just as children depend on others to survive, so Christians need Christ to survive. Helpless dependence is what the Kingdom of God is all about.

Children are good judges of character. They can sense a reason to fear or a reason to be at peace. They are drawn to people with pure hearts. The children in Mark 10:13-16 could sense that Jesus was pure in heart. Jesus hugged them and loved them. His love was passionate, open and emotive. Jesus was child-friendly, and his church should be too. In a day when children can be physically, sexually and emotionally abused, abandoned, ignored, and forgotten, we must remember the one we call "Lord" loves all the children in the world. If Jesus loves the children we, who are his followers, should also love the children.

It is abundantly clear that Jesus' attitude was welcoming, open, receptive, concerned for them, very much positive towards them. When they are excluded, he includes them. When they are rejected, he accepts them. When they are made to feel unwelcome, He opens his arms to them. We can enter the kingdom of God easily when we are like children. We can do it through:

1. Unwavering faith like a little child.

2. Knowing that Jesus' priority is our souls.

3. Dealing with sins in a positive manner.

We become part of God's family through baptism and the spiritual cleansing it gives us. Through the spiritual cleansing, we gain a new, child-like nature that allows us to be hopelessly dependent on Christ for salvation---the hopeless dependence children have. We must receive the Kingdom in weakness and powerlessness. We need to believe simply because our heavenly Father tells us, just like children do something when their parents tell them.

Children find the kingdom of God quite easily and enter it quite easily. The kingdom of God is so vast that the only way we can understand it is to be like children---naïve, trusting in God, and full of wonder.We receive the Kingdom of God when we ask for it to come. When it comes, we will enter it, if we are like a little child. It is easy for children to have faith because their minds are not cluttered and they believe what they are told. We too must believe what we are told about the Kingdom. Believing is the foundation of faith. Baptism allows us to believe with an uncluttered mind because the spiritual cleansing we receive through baptism cleans out the clutter from our minds. Faith needs to be based on a strong foundational understanding of the Word-a foundation that is based on baptism. We can't see God, but we have faith that He is alive and living within our hearts as we look forward to the promises that are waiting for us---and we can only do this through the sacrament of baptism.

In Jesus' time, fathers were the ones who took responsibility for the spiritual growth and well-being of the children---just like our heavenly Father does for His children. The Kingdom is really about caring for the weakest, rather than engaging in political or military victories. It represents true greatness. The blessings God has for us in life belong to those who are like children. We can only come to Jesus in our humble state like children do, looking to Him and His grace alone. God designed us to be dependent on Him like children depend on their parents. Children represent the poor, the needy, the downtrodden, the ordinary just plain human beings. We are told to come to Jesus as a child---without prejudice, with nothing held back, with the innocence of a child---to experience God's love for us.

It is often hard for us to come to Jesus as a child---with innocent trust. We like our independence. We like to think of ourselves as sophisticated and in control. We are too childish in our self-esteem to be childlike. If God helps us today, we would be able to see with eyes of faith the truth behind the scenes. So much of life is beyond our control and we need God to protect and bless ALL of us---children and adults. Baptism doesn't save anyone, but bringing infants to Jesus does have spiritual blessings from God to the child-like faithfulness of the parents.

The touch of God on a child's life is like a divine tag in which Jesus says, "This child is mine. She may wander all over the world, but she has the tag, the early impression of Jesus in her life, the touch of Christ on her life". This touch comes through baptism into a new life in Christ. We do not make the rules about who comes to Jesus---Jesus does. We do not discriminate in who hears the gospel. We must reach all with it. Moreover, we must not place barriers in the lives of those who desire to come to Christ. We can hinder believers by our attitude, inconsistencies, hypocritical living, or by selling the a brand of religion that does not show God's grace and His free offer of eternal life. When we are dependent and trusting, there is a mutuality of bonding that can occur and allow the Spirit of God to flow into our lives in ways that are not blocked. Baptism removes everything that hinders believers.

We begin the proper training of children by making sure our heart is right with God long before they come into the world. When they come into the world, we begin to exert that influence upon their lives. Bringing children to Jesus is like bringing Him a diamond in the rough---a diamond that can be cut and polished and become of invaluable worth. We have a choice to make. Jesus can do the polishing and cutting, or our corrupt, sinful world can. (Pause)

Baptism gives us the spiritual cleansing that we need to begin our new life in Christ, but we also need the regular spiritual cleansing that is provided when we partake of Christ's body and blood through the Eucharist. Just like our clothes need regular cleaning, or our physical bodies need daily cleaning, our spiritual lives need the regular cleaning that we get when we partake of the Eucharist. We all need a good spiritual cleaning on a regular basis, just like Jesus cleaned the money changers and vendors from the temple. When Jesus saw evil in the temple of the Lord, He gave it a good cleaning. If Jesus inspects our lives, will be find things that need to be cleaned out ? Baptism allows the Spirit to get into every nook and cranny, every crack, every crevice of our souls and clean out the dirt of our evil, sinful, corrupt previous life.

It is never a pleasant experience when the Holy Spirit shows us what we need to change in our lives, but we aren't left to do all the work ourselves. In fact, on our own we can't overcome the sin that needs clearing out. We need God's power in order to change, and the Spirit works in us to make sure we do. The Spirit's job is started through the waters of baptism, and continues with the spiritual cleansings we receive through the Eucharist.

Jesus taught that we are to be nothing, and the less we are and the weaker we are, the better. The less we have of self, the more room there is for His divine grace. We are to be like children---weak, and having nothing. When a child believes in Jesus, it cares nothing for critical points. That is the way we must come to Christ. When we come to Him, He will make heaven our home, and He will take us in His arms.

I'd like to close my sermon tonight with these words from an email I received from Father Art last week. They accurately describe how we are to come to God like a child and not keep others from coming to him. The poem is entitled:

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."

Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher or friend) influences the life of a child. How will you touch the life of someone today? Have you come to Him completely? Are you resting safe in His arms, or are you hesitating? Are you being hindered or prevented by someone or something in your life? There is no sorrow when we completely rest on Him like a child---a true child of God.

Luke 2:1-20 O Holy Night

Well, it's all over with. The weeks of preparation, the four weeks of Advent, the pageants and concerts, the shopping, gift-wrapping, delivering, waiting for loved ones to come...it's all over, and the celebrations can begin. There's no better way to celebrate this joyous night than by singing. In fact, there is an ancient legend about the angel chorus that is mentioned in tonight's Gospel reading.

One day, God called the angels of heaven together for a special choir rehearsal. He told them he had a special song he wanted them to learn..a song they would sing at a very special occasion. The angels went to work on it. They rehearsed long and hard...with great focus and intensity. In fact, some of the angels grumbled a bit...but God insisted on a very high standard for his choir.

As time passed, the choir improved in tone, in rhythm, and in quality. Finally God announced that they were ready...but then he shocked them a bit. He told them that they would sing the song only once...and only on one night. There would be just one performance of this great song they had worked on so diligently. Again, some of the angels grumbled. The song was so extraordinarily beautiful and they had it down pat now...surely, they could sing it many, many times. God only smiled and told them that when the time came, they would understand.

Then one night, God called them together. He gathered them above a field just outside of Bethlehem. "It's time," God said to them..and the angels sang their song. O my, did they sing it! "Glory to God in the highest...and on earth peace and good will toward all..." And as the angels sang, they knew there would never be another night like this one.

When the angels returned to heaven, God reminded them that they would not formally sing that song again as an angelic choir, but if they wanted to, they could hum the song occasionally as individuals. One angel was bold enough to step forward and ask God why. Why could they not sing that majestic anthem again? They did it so well. It felt so right. Why couldn't they sing that great song anymore? "Because," God explained, "my son has been born...and now earth must do the singing!"

Once each year, Christmas comes around again to remind us that God's Son has come to earth...and now we must do the singing! He came to earth to save us and reconcile us to the God who made us and loves us. We need to be set right with God and we need to be right with other people.

It is more blessed to give than to receive, but tonight we are blessed with the greatest gift of all-the gift of Christ's arrival as a baby in the manger. Babies are like Christ in that they are both innocent. Christ was sin-free, but he made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. God reached out through Christ to embrace a sinful, hurting world. Luke wants us to ponder the events of this night to find ourselves full of wonder, to consider the possibility that we, too, might glorify and praise God for all we have experienced because of the life of Christ child.

Most of us have attended several parties this season, but Christ has given us the most important invitation of the season-one from God with an RSVP. God made Christmas for us, but we have to make our Christmas. All the salvation of God is finished, but it isn't ours until we claim it. What we see and what we hear depends not on the event but upon ourselves. We have two kingdoms to choose from-God's and the world's. The world's kingdom is full of material wealth and material goods; whereas God's kingdom is represented by the shepherds. They had no time to worry about prestige and power. Their emphasis was on serving and caring. Christ's life is a good example of God's kingdom-an example for all of us tonight. God humbled himself out of love for us. We must humble ourselves out of love for God and our fellow man. This love takes many forms, including serving the poor, the lonely, the oppressed and the less fortunate.

When God humbled himself by becoming human, every human being became someone. Everyone has a name, everyone has value, identity and dignity. Everyone can have a Saviour-all of this because of the baby born in Bethlehem. God has been at work in both ordinary and extraordinary events of life, creating places where we can encounter God in real, powerful, transformational ways. We find God in the worst kind of places on earth-lowly mangers, the poor, the lowly, the oppressed and those who care for them.

Christmas can only be experienced through the eyes of faith. Only then can we look beyond our immediate world and see that God is here, and He is for everyone. The Gospel reading we heard earlier tonight is good news for tough times, and it is just as hopeful and meaningful today as it was on that first Christmas Eve. God entered into time and space on that first Christmas Eve. He became human in Jesus Christ. He came into human life.

The Christ child is for us, and the gifts of eternal life, God's healing, God's forgiveness, and new birth of love are for us. When we finally understand that Christ is for us, we take Christ into our arms and hold him. We hold him in our arms and we understand, and when we understand, there is the glow-ria in our hearts, and we begin to sing the Gloria.

At Christmas, our hearts often yearn for home. That's why many of you have travelled great distances-so you can be with those you love at this special time of year. After all, Christmas is a family celebration. That's why families come together at Christmas-even if it means travelling long distances like the Holy Family did on that first Christmas.

People gather on Christmas Eve to stare silently to celebrate the star, the stable and the song of Him whose coming is the light that shines in the darkness and which the darkness can't and won't overcome. Christmas comes each year as a reminder that peace is still possible. Goodwill speaks of love and acceptance and a desire for another's well-being.

Sometimes we get so busy with our own lives that we crowd out the birth of the Saviour from our lives. We have to let Christ into our Christmas. We have to make the time and room for Jesus. We have to let Him into our hearts and lives. We have to let our hearts become a manger where the Christ child can be born afresh in us. Every year Jesus still searches for hearts to fill. The trouble is, He can only fill the space we allow for Him. Will you make room in your heart for Jesus this season?

We also have to let Him into our attitudes. It's not so much what we do as how we do it and why. Christ talked about attitudes and motivations because that's what He was interested in. God breaks into the midst of our business about other things, especially at Christmastime and does the best thing. He breaks forth in our lives like a spotlight on a dark, dismal night and we can always look to Him in our lowest moment and celebrate Him even on the mountain tops of our lives.

There is a story about a cobbler, a godly man who made shoes in his humble shop. One night the cobbler dreamed that the next day Jesus was coming to his shop. He got up early the next morning and went to the woods to gather green boughs to decorate his shop in order to receive so great a guest. He waited all morning and the only thing that happened was that an old man shuffled up, asking to rest. The cobbler saw that his shoes were worn through, so he brought the man in. "I'll give you a new pair of shoes," he said and put on the old man the sturdiest shoes in the shop before sending him on his way.

He waited through the afternoon and the only happening was that an old woman under a heavy load of firewood came by. She was weary and, out of compassion, he brought her in and gave her some of the food he had prepared for his special, anticipated guest. She ate with relish, for she was hungry. Refreshed, she went on her way. At night came a lost child, crying bitterly, into his shop. The cobbler was annoyed by the child's presence, because he felt it necessary to leave his shop and take the child to his home. As he returned to his shop he was convinced that he had missed his Lord. Sadly, he sat down, and in his imagination he lived through the moments with Jesus as he imagined they might have been. He thought to himself, "What a great time it could have been."

He cried, "Why is it, Lord, that your feet have delayed in coming? Have you forgotten that this was the day?" Then softly in the silence a voice was heard: Lift up your heart for I kept my word. Three times I came to your friendly door; Three times my shadow was on your floor. I was the beggar with bruised feet; I was the woman you gave food to eat; I was the homeless child on the street.

Have you ever received the wrong gift? Well, God gives the wrong gift in the wrong package to the wrong people. God identifies with our sorrows, weaknesses, sins-even in our death. God is there in those hours of our lives when it seems everything is wrong, when all is dark, when things just stink-precisely when we need God the most. God wants to be reconciled with you and me, indeed with the whole world. God wants the whole world to know His love and His peace, the kind that little Caesars and little gods can never give. God chose to be born into our world with all of its faults because of them. God chose to come not into a palace, but into the squalor of humanity's injustice and cruelty to one another, with a family that wanders homeless, announced to shepherds in a pre-dawn stupor, in a place normally reserved for the animals. God came in the middle of a dying world to bring life, and we are sent into the middle of a dying world to announce God's presence and life.

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, says: I have come to bring you peace, to teach you to walk in the paths of peace. I have come to teach you what you need to learn most---to be a person of peace. Today, we often have to look hard for the signs of God's peace, but they are all around us. Once we find it, we have to accept it and put ourselves in the place of God's peace-the place where the Christ child is. Instead of looking at the baby in the manger, we must pick him up, embrace him, and make him our own. Only then will we have God's peace-the peace that offers hope in our difficult, hurting world.

The enjoyment of singing is one of the gifts that God has given to almost all of us. Singing is important at this time of year because it's the best way to communicate our deepest thoughts and emotions, especially since Christ's coming brought a new message of hope to humankind. Music tells us who we are. Its mystical qualities touch us to the core. Music is our offering of Thanksgiving and praise to God.

When the angels sang their chorus of joy on the night of Jesus' birth, they were singing a song that would conquer their enemies and overcome the power of death. They were singing a song of hope, of joy, of life, of peace. They were celebrating the greatest event in human history-the time when the Almighty God came down and walked upon this earth. We are being invited to join in the holy song that began in creation and continues in Christ. And it will be our theme song in heaven, so we would do well to get plenty of practice singing it here below.

Luke 1:26-38 The Promise of Mary’s Miracle

Do you believe in miracles? Well, I certainly do, because earlier this year I saw God work a miracle in the life of my mother. One night she had to be rushed to the hospital by ambulance because of breathing problems. I followed the ambulance in my own car. After several tests and x-rays, the doctor on call diagnosed the problem as a heart attack. After Mom was admitted to the hospital, I went home. I got ready for bed, and before I went to sleep I prayed to God and asked him to heal her if it was his will. I also asked him not to let her suffer needlessly if it was his will that she not survive. I also prayed for strength for myself and the rest of her family, and I also prayed for the medical staff.

Well, the next day God started to answer my prayer by beginning the healing process. Additional tests revealed that instead of a heart attack, the problem was blood clots in both lungs. She was successfully treated and was released from the hospital after a week.

The passage from Luke 1:26-38 is the story of the greatest miracle of all. It is a hint of the awesome power of God and how he can use it in our lives if we let him. The virgin birth is a picture of how close Christ will come within us. Mary wondered how she could bear God’s son when she was a virgin, but the angel Gabriel reminded her that it would be possible because of the Holy Spirit.

Was Mary frightened by this change in the plans she had for her life? The Bible doesn’t say, but it is possible that she was frightened. After all, in the Jewish culture of that time, women were seen as being no better than property. To make matters worse, unmarried women who became pregnant were dealt with severely by the religious authorities. Mary is a good example of the kind of response to God’s surprises that we should have in our own lives. Even though God  completely turned Mary’s life around, and even though He called her to something that was both wonderful and scary, and even though Mary knew that her life would not be what she expected it to be, she still offered herself to God in faithful, free submission.

The favour of God is worth any discomfort it might involve. God chose Mary to give birth to his son, but she also had to bear the public shame of people not understanding what He was doing through her. We can trust God even in the most difficult of circumstances, because no problem is too tough for Him to handle and no challenge is beyond his power to overcome. He has the ability to do what he says he will do.

We have ordinary moments in our lives that do not seem significant by themselves but when weaved together by a heart of obedience they become something wonderful. One day God will ask us to trust Him for something extraordinary. Where will our heart be? Will we be ready to say “yes” to God, even when what He is asking seems impossible? If God can do such a miraculous thing in the life of Mary, just think of the miraculous things he can do in our own lives! All we have to do is take God at his word, and expect the miraculous.  God speaks within our hearts, and his word is backed up with his power. If we hear something that we think may be coming from God, there are three ways we can find out if it really is God speaking to us:

1.      His Word

2.      The responsibilities he gives us to care for the less fortunate in society.

3.      Any burden or pain his request causes us.

When we place our faith in Jesus and let him come and live within us-just like Mary let the Holy Spirit work within her-the Holy Spirit comes upon us, and the life of Jesus is born within us.

Like Mary, we may be going through the most difficult time in our lives and still be in the centre of God’s plan. It is possible to live a godly life in an ungodly world. Nazareth was an obscure, wicked city that was known for its sin, and the same can be said of our world today. We, like Mary, are part of God’s plan to carry His light and love to a needy world. Each of us has been given different roles in His plan, but none are unimportant. It might be difficult to see ourselves as being active players in what God is doing in the world. It’s not always easy to say yes to God. Saying yes can mean facing difficulties and persecution, but God always provides the means of sustaining us when we choose obedience to His desires for our lives.

When we present ourselves as God’s servants and are open to hearing what it is God asks of us, we will take our places in a long line of faithful people who have done just that. Then we will find ourselves set free to perform both small acts of care and compassion and large ones. We will be made available for the adventures God has in store for us, for the work He needs us to do and the work He has designed us to do.

Each task fits into God’s scheme-of-things in ways that we cannot yet understand. It matters less that we complete our tasks with expertise than that we complete them with devotion. God desires not the skills of our hands but the love of our hearts. The person who has only the ability to love God and neighbour is all-important in God’s economy. We must remember that favour with God is a double-edged sword. God offers mercy but no life of ease. Our confidence in the Word of God will give us strength just like Mary’s confidence in God’s Word gave her strength. Because her whole identity was wrapped up in the promises of God, she was able to face her crisis with certainty. She gave all the glory to God. She praised God for His grace and mercy. She thanked Him for His favour. She never forgot His faithfulness. If our identity is wrapped up in the promises of God, if we give all glory to God, if we praise God for his faithfulness, and if we thank Him for his favour, we can also face life’s crises with certainty.

The marks of greatness in God’s sight are the same marks of greatness that Jesus showed us-humility, self-sacrifice, total dependence on God and total obedience even unto death. Mary showed these same marks of greatness and she was rewarded by God. The only place of honour in God’s kingdom is the place of service. If we can show the same marks of greatness, and if we show them in faith, God will reward us with the greatest gift anyone can receive, either at Christmas or at any other time of the year-and that gift is the gift of eternal life.

Bibliography

1.      Stanley, Charles F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2010)

2.      Steve Arterburn, “In Turbulent Times, Consider the Possibilities”. Retrieved from www.newlife.com

3.      F.B. Meyer, “Our Daily Homily”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

4.      Anne Graham Lotz, “Overshadowed by the Spirit”. Retrieved from www.angelministries.org

5.      Dr. Charles Stanley, “Jesus is Lord of All”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

6.      Jim Liebelt, “Being Part of God’s Plan”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

7.      Kevin H. Grenier, “Crisis Pregnancy”. Retrieved from www.loi.org

8.      Wendy Blight, “Let It Be with Me Just as You Say” Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com.

9.      John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Advent 4, Year B. Retrieved from www.seemslikegod.org

10.  Greg Laurie, “A Lesson from Mary”. Retrieved from www.crosswalkmail.com

11.  Lucado, Max: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2010)

12.  Sarah Dylan Breuer, “Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year B”. Retrieved from www.sarahlaughed.net/lectionary/2005/12/fourth_sunday_o.html

13.  Exegesis for Luke 1:26-38. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

14.  Dr. Philip McLarty, “A Faithful Response”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

15.  Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.

16.  Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.

17.  ESV Study Bible. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package.

18.  Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “God’s Unusual Selection”. Retrieved from www.leadingtheway.org.

The Light that Leads the Way

John 1:6-8, 19-28 sets the stage for Christ’s ministry. John the Baptist was the witness to the light of Christ. He was the light that would lead people to Christ. Jesus would fulfill the expectations the Jews had regarding the long-expected Messiah, but not in the way many Jews expected. He would meet these expectations through love and not by force as a military ruler who would drive out the Romans.

John the Baptist’s baptism with water was a sign of repentance, but Christ’s baptism was with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate purifier. Christ does not just come once with the baptism with the Holy Spirit. He comes to us all the time. He is not in some far off “heaven’, but is right here among us. He is always working in the background of our lives and he is always there for us, especially when we need him.

If Christ is the light, and we’re just meant to witness to the light, what does it mean if Jesus says to us that we are the light of the world? Just like John the Baptist prepared people for the coming of the Messiah, we are to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ in our lives. We are called to witness to Christ by word and deed, in good times and bad, when it suits us and when it doesn’t, when it is dangerous and when it isn’t. We are to point people to the one who taught us to care for the less fortunate in society.

We are called to risk everything that John the Baptist risked, and that includes the risk that the person we are waiting for to do God’s will may reveal that God’s will is not identical to ours, that God’s plans for the world may not be the same as ours. John the Baptist prepared the way not for God’s people to return to the Promised Land, but for God to come to us. When we have Christ in our lives, we no longer have to be afraid.

Belief is the purpose of the testimony of both John the Baptist and the Gospel of John. To walk in the Spirit and not get rid of His authority in our lives means we immediately obey His initial promptings. Every area of our lives has been brought into submission to His will. No matter what happens or what He requires of us, we do not complain or become upset. Instead we follow Him in faithful obedience and joy. 

John the Baptist made an astonishing statement when he said that he was not worthy to untie the straps of Jesus’ sandals. Such a task was usually done only by slaves, people whose lives were not their own. John the Baptist stated the he was not worthy to do even that. When we see that kind of utter selflessness shine forth, we know we are in the presence of something very precious. John the Baptist’s example is a powerful one for all Christians to follow. People such as health care workers are also powerful examples. They humble themselves to provide compassionate care to the sick-work that other people cannot or will not do.

We betray our Christian calling whenever we forget our servant role; whenever the institution becomes more important; whenever power is our preferred mode of operation; whenever we cling to our status and office; whenever we become just like everyone else in society; whenever we blend in. Instead, we must be like John the Baptist. Our voice must be heard in the desert called out modern society. We have to recognize our need for him and confess our need of his grace and love. Only then will we truly experience him as the Lord and Saviour of our lives.

Perhaps the voice we hear calling from the desert is telling us today that the way to prepare for the coming of the Messiah is to do the best we can. We can do that by not going off in seclusion. We are to do the best we can in our daily tasks, but at the same time we must stop and ask ourselves “What do you want me to do next Lord?”

God accepts us just the way we are, but he is not willing to leave us the way we are. He wants righteousness from us, but we do not have to earn his love. He calls us to justice and compassion, but first he offers his own justice and compassion to us.  Only by wading into the life that Christ offers and letting it wash away our sins, our false identity, our injustice and selfishness, our commitment to violence will we be recognized and worship the One who is coming in Bethlehem. As disturbing and inconvenient and disruptive as it may be amid the celebrations of the Christmas season, we have to drown our sins in the waters of repentance if necessary if we are to know the identity of the One whose birth we will soon be celebrating.

Bibliography

1.      Frederikson, Roger L.; Ogilvie, Lloyd J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series Volume 27: John (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1985)

2.      Sarah Dylan Breuer, “Dylan’s Lectionary Blog; Third Sunday of Advent, Year B”. Retrieved from www.sarahlaughed.net/lectionary/2005/12/third_sunday_of.html

3.      Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2009)

4.      Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Wordsearch Bible Software packages

5.      Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Wordsearch Bible Software packages

6.      Fr. John Boll, O.P., “First Impressions, Advent 3, Year B”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

7.      John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Advent 3, Year B. Retrieved from www.seemslikegod.org

8.      Exegesis for John 1:6-8, 19-28. Retrieved from www.saermonwriter.com

9.  The Rev. Beth Quick, UMC, “Sing We Now of Christmas: I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light”. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/sermon12_14_08.htm

10.  Bishop Kenneth L. Carder, UMC, “A Necessary Step on the Way”. Retrieved from www.day1.org

11.  Dr. Mickey Anders, “A Negative Gospel”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

12.  Pastor Steve Molin, “Straight Paths in a Crooked World”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

13.  Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “Are You the Messiah”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

John 1:1-18 Let the Light Shine upon Us

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God”. This is John’s version of the nativity story. It doesn’t begin with shepherds and angels and a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. John’s nativity story takes us back to the beginning of creation and time, and it echoes the creation story in Genesis. In John’s Gospel, the very God who created the heavens and the earth and who breathed life into Adam was the same God who became flesh and lived among us. Jesus is the exact representation of God’s nature because he is God himself. This fulfills the purpose of John’s Gospel; namely, to prove that Jesus and God are one and the same.

Prior to Christ’s birth, there had been 400 years of silence since God spoke through the prophet Malachi. During this period of silence, the people were straining to hear a word from God, so God sent the Word. But first, he readied the world for the gospel. Because of the influence of Alexander the Great, the spreading of the Greek language made communication much easier. Also, because of the roads and general peace of the Roman Empire, missionaries could travel everywhere with less difficulty. Finally, with all of the Jews scattered throughout the Roman Empire, evangelists had many synagogues from which to preach the Good News throughout the known world.

The first Christians were Jewish, but the Gospel spread quickly to the Greeks, who knew nothing of the messiah or the fulfillment of prophecy. John had to translate these concepts into language that the Greeks could understand and appreciate. The Greek idea of “word” was “the mind of God”, or reasoning. In their minds, everything that exists was made by God. John is saying to the Greek world, “Jesus is the mind of God in human form”.

It is a concept that is so big our finite minds have difficulty understanding it. Jesus was in heaven with the Father and the Holy Spirit, but he came down to earth in the form of a human being. He walked among us and subjected himself to our human weaknesses even though he was God in human form. He walked on the earth for 33 years, but most people never even recognized him. They thought of him as being the carpenter’s son.

Whatever Jesus does, he does with grace. Whatever Jesus says, he says in truth. If we want to understand what God is like, all we have to do is look to Jesus. God came to us in Christ. When hostility and enmity exist, we can break the silence because of Christ and offer what God has offered us-a word of Grace. The true light came on the first Christmas-the light that shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it. This does not mean that darkness won’t attempt to overcome the light; however, its efforts will be unsuccessful because the light of God always prevails, even in the darkest hours of history.

Light equals life. The Light of Christ has come into our lives. Do we see it as a disturbance, or do we see it as the Light of life, like the shepherds did? This light brings peace, comfort, reconciliation and joy into our lives. The light came into the world where he could be seen and enlighten human understanding, but in spite of all that, the world failed to recognize him-did not understand him-rejected him-crucified him.

There is a story about two brothers, named Tom and John, whose father had died. He had willed the farm to the two of them to keep his sons together. It had not worked that way. John had married and lived in a small town with his family. Tom, who remained single, lived alone in the old farmhouse. "John is always preoccupied with his family," Tom thought. "I do more than my share of the work." He began to resent his brother. "Tom is always so grouchy," thought John. "He is jealous of my wife and children."

A wall of resentment built up between them. They would hardly speak to each other. They attended the same little church in town and sat on opposite sides of the nave during the Christmas Eve service. John was troubled because they had hardly acknowledged each other's presence as they sat in church. On the way home John said to his wife, "Tom is alone and has no one to share Christmas. I know he won't come here. Maybe we can take a warm dinner to him." His wife prepared a delicious meal and John put it into a sleigh and started from the small town to the farmhouse in the country. Meanwhile, Tom, sitting alone, said to himself: "Life is too short for this. John is my only brother and he has it hard with his wife and family. I will load my wagon with wood for the fire and gifts for the children." So he loaded his wagon and drove toward town.

Down in the valley between the farm and the town they met. They were silent for a moment and then they embraced with shouts of "Merry Christmas!!!!" Reconciliation took place at that moment, and the true light of Christmas was bright with a glow that could be seen for miles around.

In the Anglican Church, we do not have altar calls, spelled “A-L-T-A-R”, but Jesus always issues an altar call, spelled “A-L-T-E-R”. He calls on us to change our lives for a better fit. He calls on us to change habits that drag us down. He calls on us to read our Bibles and pray daily. He calls on us to help the less fortunate. By doing these things, we will shine the light of Christ and the light of this Christmas season on all of humanity throughout the year and draw others to him.

Bibliography

 1.      The Rev. Wm. McCord Thigpen, “Christmastide: A Reminder Where Our Hearts Belong”. Retrieved from www.day1.org

2.      John Munro, “The Mystery and Mission of Christians”, Decision Magazine, Dec. 2010, pp. 30-33.

3.      Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV

4.      Exegesis for John 1:1-18. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org.

5.      Pastor Steve Molin, “Do You Like Beginnings?” Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org

6.      Pastor Steve Molin, “Alter Call” Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org

7.      Pastor Vince Gerhardy, “God Has a Word for You”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org

8.      Dr. Harold Sala, “The Incarnation”. Retrieved from www.guidelines.org

9.      Jill Carattini, “To the World as We Know It”. Retrieved from www.rzim.org/Slice

10.  Arthur J. Schoonveld, “Christmas Response”. Retrieved from www.thisistoday.net

11.  Pastor Jim Collins, “Success Scripture of the Week: Dec. 20, 2009”. Retrieved from www.beyondpositivethinking.org

12.  Anne Graham Lotz, “The Revelation of God”. Retrieved from www.angelministries.org

13.  Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Wordsearch Bible software package

14.  ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch Bible software package