A sermon for Christmas

Luke 2.1-20 (NRSV)

The Birth of Jesus

²In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. ²This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³All went to their own towns to be registered. ⁴Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. ⁵He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

⁸ In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.¹⁰But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
¹⁴ ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ ¹⁶So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

These verses relate the story of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Everybody loves this story and so they should because the story of any birth is always beautiful and moving. The story of the birth of Jesus has become part of western culture and many droves of people flock into churches on Christmas day to be reminded of this wonderful story.

Every birth of every child is ‘wonder’ full. That there is little that can compare with the intimacy and extreme emotion that is coupled with this event. Even midwives and doctors often say that no matter how often they witness a birth, nothing can take away the sense of wonder and joy that always accompanies the entry of a baby into the world.

This passage tells of a birth that was more wonderful than any other before or since. While every birth is a miracle, the birth of Jesus was the greatest miracle of all as God was being born into the world. The author of the first letter to Timothy explains: 'Here is the great mystery of our religion: Christ came as a human ...'

We all know the story so well, but allow me focus our attention on a few important truths.

Firstly, notice where Jesus was born. The prophet Micah had prophesied that the event would take place in Bethlehem - and sure enough, it took place in Bethlehem. This reminds us of the wonderful truth that God is ultimately in control. He controlled the secular ruler Augustus and directed him through thoughts, events and ideas, to decree that all people needed to be registered. As a result, he, Augustus decreed that Mary and Joseph should travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The Roman emperor did not know that he was a pawn in God's hands and that he was only doing what God was allowing him to do.

Especially in our troubled times in Britain today, we should take heart that God is in control and can intervene dramatically into our situation and change things. There are tremendous problems in our country at this time. Morally and ethically there is a drastic decline. This is manifest in many ways, not least in the erosion of the family, the discipline problems in our schools, the increased incidence sexual promiscuity and perversion, substance abuse - the list is endless. In a sense we are witnessing the steady decline in standards and I would not be surprised if we were witnessing the decline of western civilization - like Greece and Rome before us. This can be for many reasons - not least being the conscious and wilful decision of many people to deliberately reject God and the way of life he has decreed for all people in his word, the Scriptures. Things will continue to get worse until people make a conscious and wilful decision to turn away from sin, accept Jesus and the way of life laid down in the word of God. When this happens God will respond by transforming our society into one of peace, prosperity and order.

God is in control. As God intervened and changed the course of history using Caesar Augustus as a pawn to do what he willed, so can he intervene and use earthly rulers and others as pawns to bring about his purposes on this earth. But people need to respond in obedience.

Secondly, notice who the first people were who received the wonderful news of Christ's birth - simple ordinary shepherds, not priests, rulers, theologians, scribes or Pharisees. This is not meant to imply that people who are learned or who have position were excluded. The visit of the Magi - the wise men who followed the shepherds - bears testimony of this. But all too often, simple people, poor people feel that they do not know enough to be able to draw close to God. Nothing could be further from the truth. What is important is not wealth, position or knowledge - but faith.

God offers to all people faith as a free gift. All people have to do is respond by accepting it. Whether you are a university professor, a mechanic, housewife, millionaire, street-sweeper, unemployed - no matter what one's station in life is - all people are afforded the opportunity to draw close to God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Thirdly, notice the message the angels brought with them. They said:

‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people ...’

The spiritual darkness that had covered the world for thousands of years was about to be rolled away and God was to be revealed in all his fullness through Christ; the way in which sin could be forgiven was to be made available for all people; people can defeat the power of Satan, temptation and sin in their lives and so be enabled to experience wholeness and restoration while living on this earth; people were about to be enabled to experience peace with themselves, peace with others and peace with God. Indeed, the birth of Jesus is 'good news' and should make 'everyone happy'. Because of Jesus there is hope, because of Jesus there is power, because of Jesus people can be restored to God.

The angel was joined by many other angels who sang a beautiful hymn of praise that explains in detail the wonder of Christ's birth. We read in verse 14:

‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’

The greatest praise to God in heaven happened through the birth of his Son. His life, death, resurrection and ascension revealed in detail God's justice, holiness, mercy and wisdom. Jesus made it possible for peace to be restored between sinful people and the Holy God because he paid the price for the sins of humankind. When people accept the forgiveness of their sins and the peace of God that passes all human understanding by faith in Jesus, it also enables people live at peace with one another. O how the world needs Jesus.

Lastly, notice how prompt the shepherds were in responding in obedience to what they were told. We read in verse 16:

¹⁶So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.

They responded immediately. They never debated, questioned, doubted or even hesitated - they did something - they hurried off to find Jesus. Let us all follow the example of the shepherds by responding immediately. Let those who have never come to Jesus, come to Him today, accept the free gift of forgiveness and enter a new life through faith. Let those who have already accepted Christ, come to him afresh today and invite Him to fill them with peace towards themselves, those we know and love and all the people they have contact with.

I close with an illustration from www.esermons.com that epitomises the way Christ’s incarnation can be a reality in the world today when people respond in faith to the message of Christmas. It is written by Erskine White in his book entitled Together in Christ, where he writes:

“As some of you know, Fiorello LaGuardia was mayor of New York during the Depression, and he was quite a character. He would ride the city fire trucks, take entire orphanages to baseball games and whenever the city newspapers went on strike, he would get on the radio and read the Sunday "funnies" to the children.

At any rate, one bitter cold winter's night in 1935, Mayor LaGuardia turned up in a night court that served the poorest ward in the city, dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench himself. After he heard a few cases, a tattered old woman was brought before him, accused of stealing a loaf of bread.

She told LaGuardia that her daughter's husband had deserted her, her daughter was sick and her grandchildren were starving. But the shopkeeper, from whom the bread was stolen, insisted on pressing charges. "My store is in a very bad neighbourhood, your honour," he said. "She's got to be punished in order to teach other people a lesson."

The mayor sighed. He turned to the old woman and said, "I've got to punish you," he said. "The law makes no exception - ten dollars or ten days in jail."

But even as he spoke, LaGuardia was reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ten dollar bill. "Here is the woman's fine," he said, "and furthermore, I'm going to fine everyone in this court room fifty cents for living in a city where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Baliff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant."

The following day, the New York Times reported that $47.50 was turned over to the bewildered old woman. It was given by the red-faced store owner, some seventy petty criminals, people with traffic violations and city policemen - and they all gave their mayor a standing ovation as they handed over their money.

That's how it will be with God's world. Just when it seems that all hope is lost, and goodness and mercy shall never win, the Great Judge will come to set things right, deciding for the hungry and the meek of the earth. Yes, there is also an Christmas promise for the nations of the world in perplexity and distress: "Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

The paradox of blessedness

Mary Visits Elizabeth

 

39At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

William Barclay discribes this passage as as a "lyrical song on the blessedness of Mary". In the life of Mary we see the paradox of blessedness. Mary was granted the blessedness of being the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. And her heart

was filled with a wonderful, trembling joy at such a great privilege. Yet that privilege and that blessedness was to be the sword to pierce her heart. It meant that one day she would see her son hanging on a cross.

To be chosen by God so often means at one and the same time a crown of joy and a cross of sorrow. I suppose brother that the piercing truth is that God does not choose us for a life of ease and comfort but for a task that will take all that the task throws at us - good or bad. God chooses us in order to use us. When Joan of Arc knew that her time was short she prayed, "I shall only last a year; use me as you can." When that is realised, the sorrows and hardships that serving God may bring are not matters for complaining; they are our glory, because all of it is endured for God.

This paradox of blessedness is something we do not often think about. We instinctively think that when bad things happen, God has abandoned us or our faith has let us down. Dear old William Barclay tells of when Richard Cameron, the Covenanter, was caught by the Dragoons. They killed him. He had beautiful hands and they cut them off and sent them to his father with a message asking if he recognised them. “They are my son’s” he said. “my own dear son’s. Good is the will of the Lord who can never wrong me or mine.”

The shadows of life were lit by the sense that they too were in the plan of God. A great Spanish saint prayed for his people, “May God deny you peace and give you glory”. A great modern preacher said, “Jesus Christ came not to make life easy but to make men great.” “It is the paradox of blessedness”, says Barclay, “that it confers on a person at one and the same time the greatest joy and the greatest task in all the world”.

Then we move to the passage which has become one of the great hymns of the church – the Magnificat. It is full, saturated with the Old Testament; it’s a bit like Hannah’s song of praise in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. Brother, we know that some people still say that religion is the opiate of the people; but, as Stanley Jones said, “the Magnificat is the most revolutionary document in the world.”

It speaks of the three revolutions of God.
1. He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. That is a moral revolution. Our faith means that we must put pride to death, difficult as that is. When we put our lives beside Jesus’ life it sucks the last vestiges of pride from us. Barclay mentions a short story by O. Henry about a boy who was brought up in a village. In school he used to sit beside a girl and they were fond of each other. Then he went into the city and fell into evil ways. He became a pickpocket and a petty thief. One day he snatched an old lady’s purse. It was clever work and he was pleased. And then he saw coming down the street the girl whom he used to know, still sweet with the radiance of innocence. Suddenly he saw himself for the cheap, vile person he was. Burning with shame, he leaned his head against the cool iron of a lamp standard. “God”, he said, “I wish I could die.” He saw himself. Jesus Christ enables us to see ourselves as we really are and it is the deathblow to pride. The moral revolution has begun.

The next revolution in the Magnificat is referred to in the phrase, "He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble." That is a social revolution. Christianity puts an end to the world's labels and prestige. Barclay tells of Muretus, a wandering scholar in the Middle Ages. He was poor. In an Italian town he took ill and was taken to a hospital for waifs and strays. The doctors were discussing his case in Latin, never dreaming he could understand. They suggested that since he was such a worthless wanderer they might use him for medical experiments. He looked up and answered them in Latin, "Call no one worthless for whom Christ died."

 Brother, when we are reminded of what Jesus Christ has done for us it is no longer possible to speak about class distinctions. All distinctions have gone.

  

The final revolution in the Magnificat is contained in the words " He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty." This is an economic revolution. A Christian society should be the kind of place where no-one dares to have too much while others have to little. I wish I was more like that than I am. There is a loveliness in the Magnificat but there is also power - dynamite! Our Christian faith should trigger a revolution in each person and in the world but too often we loose sight of that message and get caught up in the daily grind of answering emails and attending meetings!

Mark

Gospel reflection for Advent 4

Luke 1.39-55 (NRSV)

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, ⁴⁰where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit ⁴²and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ⁴³And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? ⁴⁴For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. ⁴⁵And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’

Mary’s Song of Praise

⁴⁶ And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷   and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
⁴⁸ for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
   Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
⁴⁹ for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
   and holy is his name.
⁵⁰ His mercy is for those who fear him
   from generation to generation.
⁵¹ He has shown strength with his arm;
   he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
⁵² He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
   and lifted up the lowly;
⁵³ he has filled the hungry with good things,
   and sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,
   in remembrance of his mercy,
⁵⁵ according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
   to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

When Mary was told the wonderful good news that she would be the mother of the son of God she must have been both delighted and frightened at the same time. This is the sort of thing many people experience – excitement over the prospect of something great that is going to happen but also not a little daunted by the prospect at the same time. In times like this it is good to speak to people whom you know will understand. The only person that would have had any understanding of Mary's situation would have been Elizabeth, because the same angel had given her wonderful news. God's provision for his people is always wonderful. He knows us better than we know ourselves and so knows our every need, even down to the smallest detail. God gave Mary the gift of Elizabeth for support, understanding and companionship. So as soon as it was possible, Mary travelled to visit Elizabeth. This is a beautiful passage of Scripture where we are given the chance to bask in people's joy.

Firstly, let us share in Elizabeth's joy – expressed in verses 39–45. When Mary entered her home and greeted her, the Holy Spirit filled her with joy, the baby moved within her and she exclaimed:

 ... "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

Notice the source of Mary's joy – the fact that she believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord. Faith is central in the Christian life. It is faith that saves us as Paul explains in Ephesians 2:8‑9:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God ‑‑ not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

As Wiersbe explains:

Because Mary believed the Word of God, she experienced the power of God.

God speaks to us today in many ways, but the most important is through his word, the Scriptures and when we accept what he says to us, our faith grows and we know his power and joy in our lives. Paul explains this is in Romans 10:17:

So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

Mary was delighted to hear Elizabeth's greeting. It confirmed everything for her and so she broke out into one of the most beautiful hymns of praise – what we call the Magnificat. In her hymn of praise, Mary uses passages from the Old Testament, especially the Psalms and the Song of Hannah. Some scholars suggest that this is an indication that these were in fact not the words used by Mary and that they are Luke's. Writing about the Magnificat, the Nunc Dimmitis and other canticles McBride explains:

Most scholars would agree that none of the speakers actually composed the canticles ascribed to them. It would appear that Luke has taken old compositions of Hebrew poetry which proclaimed the saving actions of God, and applied their general sentiments to the specific occasion of the speakers in his Gospel.

But it is all too easy to dismiss things because on the surface our ideas seem to make sense. Mary does not quote directly from the Scriptures. The Scriptures seem to have been so much part of her that she applied them to her particular situation. There is therefore a difference in tone. Morris comments:

Hannah's song is a shout of triumph in the face of her enemies, Mary's a humble contemplation of the mercies of God. ... Mary on her four days' journey to Elizabeth brooded over the story of Hannah and then uttered her own inspired song.

This is something that come out very clearly in all our readings of the Scriptures. The people that God used were people who knew his Word intimately, so intimately that it became almost part of them. There are many examples, not least being the Revelation of John which is almost a perpetual reference to the Old Testament, but one seldom finds a direct quotation – the Scriptures were part of John's experience. They were able to recognise the Word of God because it was part of their experience. Our faith too will grow, we will also be able to hear the voice of God more if we like Mary and others, make the Scriptures an integral part of our daily experience. When God's Word enters our lives we too will know the same joy. Paul explains in Colossians 3:16‑17:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 Wiersbe adds:

Mary hid God's Word in her heart and turned it into a song.

I am sure that many of you can also bear witness to the times when passages of Scripture have come to your mind at various times in your lives too.

Mary had a great deal to praise God for – and in her song she articulates many of these things. We share then also in Mary's joy.

Mary rejoiced because God had saved her. Mary was an ordinary sinner like any of us and so she needed also to trust God as her saviour. God had now also blessed her with the privilege of being the earthly Mother of the saviour of the world. God also chooses us for important roles to play in his plan of salvation. Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 1:26‑28 where he writes:

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are ...

Even though Mary had very little evidence to go on – at least according to the standards of the time – she believed that God had done great things for her. Wiersbe comments:

Because she believed God and yielded to His will, He performed a miracle in her life and used her to bring the saviour into the world.

From thankfulness for what God has done for her, Mary then turns to contemplation on the greatness of God Himself. She concentrates on three important characteristics – Gods power, his holiness and His mercy. She realises that she is insignificant, a very ordinary young woman, but that does not matter because God is at work in and through her and He can do anything. She rejoiced in his holiness because God is worthy of worship apart from the wonderful things he has done and is doing simply because of who He is. And He is merciful so even weak and insignificant sinners have a chance – God can do great things through all who are willing to surrender their lives to him.

Verses 50–53 tell how God has blessed many other people as well – in every generation – and in a sense speaks of how he blesses people today. Mary speaks specifically about three groups whom God particularly cares for – the helpless, the humble and the hungry. Mary saw the Messiah as one who would turn things upside down – the weak would overthrow the mighty and powerful, the humble scattering the proud, insignificant people being exalted, the hungry filled and the rich becoming poor.

The passage ends with Mary reminding us that she could have all this confidence because she knew that God always kept his promises. Verses 54‑56 read:

He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Mary knew her Scriptures and as a result her faith was strengthened. She knew that God had made promises to Abraham and they had been fulfilled and that he had made many other promises and they had all been fulfilled. If we too spend more time with our Scriptures we will also learn more about God and his promises for us and all those who remain faithful to him. J C Ryle comments:

Promises are, in fact, the manna that we should daily drink, as we travel through the wilderness of this world. ... We walk by faith, and this faith leans on promises. ... We shall find one day, like the Virgin Mary, that God keeps His word, and that what he has spoken, so He will in due time perform.

We can know God's joy in our lives when we spend time with Him in His word. When God's word becomes more and more part of our experience, we will hear more from him, our faith will grow, we will know more peace in our lives and we will begin to know life and that in all abundance.

Gospel for Advent 3

Luke 3.7-18 (NRSV)

⁷ 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? ⁸Bear 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. ⁹Even now the axe 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.’ ¹⁰ And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ ¹¹In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ ¹²Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ ¹³He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ ¹⁴Soldiers 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.’ ¹⁵ As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,¹⁶John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ 18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. 

Repentance has two sides - turning away from sin and turning towards God. Unless we do both we have not repented. In other words, we cannot just say that we believe and then live as we choose. John stresses this point in verse 8. John states:

⁸Bear fruits worthy of repentance.’ ... or as a modern translation puts it ‘Do something to show that you really have given up your sins.’ (CEV)

At the other extreme, we cannot simply live a morally correct life without a personal relationship with God - because living a moral life does not forgive our sins. In order to be a Christian therefore, one needs to be both forgiven and show by our lives that we have been and are being changed by the power of God.

Many Jews believed that because they were Jews and obedient to the Jewish laws and customs - they were saved - because they believed that they were God's chosen people. In the second part of verse 8 John warns:

Don't start saying that you belong to Abraham's family. God can turn these stones into children for Abraham. (CEV)

True religion is not inherited. Because our parents were Christians and because we were baptised does not mean that we are Christians. Going to church and doing all the right things does not make a person a Christian. What makes a person a Christian is a personal relationship with God and we enter this relationship through turning back to God and being forgiven of our sins. Forgiveness is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ for it is only through Jesus, who was punished in our place, that any person can be forgiven. In Acts 4:12 we read:

Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone.

True religion is a religion that has the marks of turning away from sin, turning to God and living in a vital personal relationship with Jesus through faith in him. If this has happened it will be evident in the way people live. John explains in verse 9:

An axe is ready to cut the trees down at their roots. Any tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. (CEV)

It is always possible to see from people's lives whether or not they have repented and accepted Christ into their lives by faith. Just as a person can tell the type of tree by the fruit - so can one tell a Christian by the lives they live. James explained this in chapter 2 of his letter. He writes:

My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything to show that you really do have faith? Can that faith really save you? ... Faith that does not lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead. ... Anyone who doesn't breathe is dead, and faith that doesn't do anything is just as dead! (CEV)

In verse 10 therefore, the people asked John what they should do. In verses 11 to 14, John gives them some practical advice and revealed that the change of heart was not necessarily some dramatic act, far removed from our everyday existence. He stressed that it should be evident in the tasks of our ordinary everyday lives.

In verse 11 he tells the people that those who have extra clothing and food are to share with those who have none. Tax collectors were not necessarily to leave their jobs, but do them with absolute fairness and honesty. Soldiers were to serve faithfully, content with their pay and not exploit others because of the power they had over them. We learn therefore that it is a person's duty to serve God where God has placed them. John believed that nowhere can a person better serve God than in their day's work.

John taught with authority and it was obvious that he was a God ordained prophet. People were attracted to his message because they knew that he was telling the truth. Verse 15 records their response. Everyone became excited and wondered, "Could John be the Messiah?"

John hastens to tell them that he is not the Messiah and gives two important reasons. Firstly, he points out that he is nothing like the Messiah. Verse 16 explains:

... someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough to untie his sandals. ... (CEV)

In sheer power, Jesus was mightier than John. In addition, John claims that he was not even worthy to untie the Messiah's sandals. We know that this task was usually reserved for the lowliest people of society. In this way therefore John makes it clear that the Messiah is far greater than he. Secondly, he points out that his baptism is with water and the baptism of the Messiah is with the Holy Spirit and with fire. The baptism of the Messiah is therefore more than just a cleansing ritual, it is also like fire which purifies precious metals. The Holy Spirit transforms people and deals decisively with the sin in their lives. In addition, the Holy Spirit empowers and strengthens people to fulfill what they are called to do. Miller explains:

Water cleanses the outside alone. Fire penetrates to the deepest recesses and purifies the inner life.

Verse 17 is John's warning. The Messiah also comes as a judge. Those who refuse to obey and turn to God and allow themselves to be used by God will be discarded like the useless outer husks of grain because they are worthless. On the other hand, those who turn to God, believe and accept the Messiah - Jesus Christ - into their lives by faith, have great worth because they begin a new and productive life working for God's glory on earth. In verse 18 Luke records how in this and 'in many different ways John preached the good news to the people'.

Epistle for Advent 3

Philippians 4:4-7 (NRSV)

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Don’t you just love the way the Apostle Paul captures the essence of life with Christ? In this reading he focuses on two great qualities of the Christian life; the first being joy. “Rejoice!” he says. Yet he is writing from prison with certain death awaiting him; the Philippians were set upon a path that was going to be difficult and yet despite everything Paul exhorts them to rejoice!  Barclay comments:

The Christian joy has its source in the continual presence of Christ. Two lovers are always happy when they are together, no matter where they are. That is why the Christian can never lose his joy, because he can never lose Jesus Christ.

But, for me the more remarkable quality is the second – what the NRSV translates as gentleness. Barclay comes into his own again as he reflects on this verse. The Greek word is epieikes and translators find it difficult to render in English. The AV used ‘moderation’, Barclay is close to the NRSV using gracious gentleness. The Greeks themselves explained it as “justice, but something better than justice”. This was a term used in those cases where strict justice becomes unjust because of its generality. A law may be perfectly just, but in some circumstances, to apply it strictly causes injustice. Barclay uses the example of two students: one earns a top grade, the other just passes. The one who earns the top grade has ideal conditions, the one who just passes has to struggles against the odds. The latter’s paper is worth more in epieikes! When the women found in adultery, Jesus would have been perfectly just to allow her to face her punishment according to the law, but he went beyond justice. Paul is exhorting us to know when ()and when not) to insist on justice because there is something beyond justice ‘… and which makes a man like God …’ Our mark is justice applied with love (or grace). Barclay concludes: “Justice is human, but epieikeia is divine.”

And so to verses 6 and 7 …

There is a lot to worry about, as Barclay puts it, ‘… to be vulnerable to all the chances and the changes of this mortal life, is in itself a worrying thing …’ To the early Church, this was added to by simply being a Christian because to be one, meant that one’s life was often in danger. But Paul’s solution to worry is prayer. It is in everything that we are to pray for there is nothing too great or too small that we cannot take to God as our Father.

We both have the privilege of being parents and we know first-hand, that there is nothing that happens to our children that is not of great concern to us. We should be exactly the same with God. There is also nothing wrong with praying for ourselves. Too often I pray for the world, the sick and the struggling in any way, the Church and our School, and generally others and forget to pray for myself (other than for forgiveness). The offer is there, that we can and must pray for ourselves for our needs in the present and for guidance for the future. As Barclay writes:

We can take our own past and present and future, with all our shame with all our needs, with all our fears, into the presence of God.

Thanksgiving is vital as our lives are ‘… suspended between past and present blessings …’ At the core, we ought to give thanks for the blessings of prayer itself. In prayer we offer our gratitude for our many blessings and we also submit to the will of God for it is only when we realise that God is working all things together for good (Romans 8) that we can become truly grateful.

Thirdly, when we pray, we must remember three things: (i) the love of God, (ii) the wisdom of God and (iii) the power of God - for when we do this, we will know real and meaningful peace which is nothing like any ordinary human experience – ‘… which surpasses all understanding …’ This peace will ‘… guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus …’

People need this type of peace. In a world where depression is on the increase, one of the reasons (in my opinion) is because their minds are not at peace and real peace is not to be obtained by human effort; it is a gift given by God and received in prayer. Barclay concludes:

The way to peace is to take ourselves and all whom we hold dear, to take all life, and to place them and ourselves and it trustingly in prayer in the hands of God.

I now refer to the of A M Hunter. He points out that the repetition of ‘rejoice’ probably means to make the point that joy can accompany afflictions.  And from our experience, we know this to be true.

He translates ‘… gentleness …’ in verse 5 as ‘… forbearance …’ and comments how Matthew Arnold translates the Greek word epieikes as ‘… sweet reasonableness …’ because the Greeks used this word to describe ‘… justice and something better …’ Hunter explains:

It describes the man who knows when to relax justice and let mercy come breaking in …

“The Lord is near …” (verse 5b) is not (as one would initially think) a reference to our Lord’s second coming, but rather to the wonderful thought that God is near when we call upon him. This is why there is no need for worry. Jesus himself warned against worry, and Paul explains why, because “True prayer and anxious care cannot coexist: the way to be anxious about nothing is to be prayerful about everything.”

It is lovely also to reflect on the word ‘… supplication …’ the cry of personal need, when God is especially near to us. The result: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”