Look beyond the cradle
Commentary
The lessons for this Sunday have been variously linked together in the Advent lectionaries of the church reflecting ways the passage from Malachi has been viewed. Those that link the Malachi passage with Philippians 1:3-11 view the parousia fulfillment of the prophet's promise. Those that link the passage with John the Baptist view him as the promised messenger and Jesus as the Lord who comes to his people. Luke does not view John as an end-time person. John is presented to us as the messenger who prepares the way for God so that God's program in Jesus can be announced to the whole human community. The arrival of Jesus is no slam-bang event. The church settling into history for the long haul would have to understand that. The Jesus Luke proclaims in his gospel does not fit the traditional messianic script. He does not come to enforce the priestly dogmas. He is a scandal. Coming to grips with him requires a radical unlearning and change. That is why John the Baptist is a crucial Advent figure. His presence calls us to look beyond the manger-born baby to the manger-born Lord whose ways are still a scandal.
Sermon Seeds In The Lessons
Malachi 3:1-4
The traditional Advent readings from the prophets all have one important characteristic in common. They are all addressed to individuals in community and envision sweeping social and political as well as personal reformation and change. Malachi addresses his audience in the name of the God of the Covenant. God is concerned with the whole of life. The biblical promises are consistent in that the individual is always understood within the setting of the whole community. This is quite different from the individualism that exalts the solitary ego like the rugged individualism of the American frontier tradition, the "do your own thing" call of the '60s, or the hedonistic self-centeredness of what someone has labeled the narcissistic society. The biblical vision of the individual in society carries with it a unique understanding of relationships and accountability.
Philippians 1:3-11
Paul was strongly bonded to the congregation in Philippi. They were the first to respond to his proclamation of the gospel during the first missionary journey. His fondness for them is evident throughout the letter. Also evident throughout the letter is Paul's understanding of the congregation as an end-time community shaping itself in terms of God's new age. This congregation hearing that Paul was under house arrest in Rome had sent material support to him through an envoy, Epaphroditus. This is Paul's letter of thanks. One thing about this congregation shines through in today's lesson. They were not concerned about their image and not afraid to take a risk. Some Christians were embarrassed by Paul's imprisonment and either criticized him or maintained a discreet silence. A Comment by Paul in 2 Timothy 1:16 is of interest. "May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain." Some were ashamed of his imprisonment. I detect a sermon spark here.
Luke 3:1-6
The first four verses of this lesson leap out at us in a most suggestive way. Luke cites the names of the movers and shakers within the power structure of the world around John and Jesus. These are the wielders of clout from Tiberius on down. After listing all these heavies Luke writes simply, "The word of God came to John, son of Zechariah in the wilderness." A pivotal action of history is being initiated through the ministry of a peripatetic preacher on the west bank of the Jordan. When God initiates action he does it in the strangest of places and circumstances. John proclaims a message of repentance and baptism. That sounds innocuous enough. But this is unheard of; this is not a simple rite of purification. This is nothing less than a call for a totally reconstituted Israel. A peoples' movement is afoot. No wonder John's activity caught the eye of Herod. John's message cut right to the heart of things as they are. Mark tells us about the strange clothing of John (Mark 1:6). Clothing speaks; it makes statements. Think of the stylish opulence and lifestyles of those in the court of Herod. John's camel hair coat and leather belt signaled the coming of a direct clash with the prevailing cultural values. Luke prefaces the ministry of Jesus with John's call to repentance. This Jesus who comes does not fit the traditional messianic script, no fire and retribution. It will take a lot of unlearning and new learning to come to terms with him. The old spiritual caught the drift, "I ain't going to study war no more." The fact is the way of Jesus stands over against our cultural definitions of the good life, our love affair with guns and violence, sectarian arrogance and walls that divide. The ancient wisdom of the church makes sure we bump into John the Baptist before Christmas that we might look beyond the manger-born baby to the manger-born man and get down to brass tacks about his agenda and our vocation as road builders. Traditional scripts envisioned a messiah who would come to give us hell. We can understand that kind of script, it's real tough-guy talk. What shall we do with this messiah who comes to give us heaven?
Sermon Seeds In The Lessons
Malachi 3:1-4
The traditional Advent readings from the prophets all have one important characteristic in common. They are all addressed to individuals in community and envision sweeping social and political as well as personal reformation and change. Malachi addresses his audience in the name of the God of the Covenant. God is concerned with the whole of life. The biblical promises are consistent in that the individual is always understood within the setting of the whole community. This is quite different from the individualism that exalts the solitary ego like the rugged individualism of the American frontier tradition, the "do your own thing" call of the '60s, or the hedonistic self-centeredness of what someone has labeled the narcissistic society. The biblical vision of the individual in society carries with it a unique understanding of relationships and accountability.
Philippians 1:3-11
Paul was strongly bonded to the congregation in Philippi. They were the first to respond to his proclamation of the gospel during the first missionary journey. His fondness for them is evident throughout the letter. Also evident throughout the letter is Paul's understanding of the congregation as an end-time community shaping itself in terms of God's new age. This congregation hearing that Paul was under house arrest in Rome had sent material support to him through an envoy, Epaphroditus. This is Paul's letter of thanks. One thing about this congregation shines through in today's lesson. They were not concerned about their image and not afraid to take a risk. Some Christians were embarrassed by Paul's imprisonment and either criticized him or maintained a discreet silence. A Comment by Paul in 2 Timothy 1:16 is of interest. "May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain." Some were ashamed of his imprisonment. I detect a sermon spark here.
Luke 3:1-6
The first four verses of this lesson leap out at us in a most suggestive way. Luke cites the names of the movers and shakers within the power structure of the world around John and Jesus. These are the wielders of clout from Tiberius on down. After listing all these heavies Luke writes simply, "The word of God came to John, son of Zechariah in the wilderness." A pivotal action of history is being initiated through the ministry of a peripatetic preacher on the west bank of the Jordan. When God initiates action he does it in the strangest of places and circumstances. John proclaims a message of repentance and baptism. That sounds innocuous enough. But this is unheard of; this is not a simple rite of purification. This is nothing less than a call for a totally reconstituted Israel. A peoples' movement is afoot. No wonder John's activity caught the eye of Herod. John's message cut right to the heart of things as they are. Mark tells us about the strange clothing of John (Mark 1:6). Clothing speaks; it makes statements. Think of the stylish opulence and lifestyles of those in the court of Herod. John's camel hair coat and leather belt signaled the coming of a direct clash with the prevailing cultural values. Luke prefaces the ministry of Jesus with John's call to repentance. This Jesus who comes does not fit the traditional messianic script, no fire and retribution. It will take a lot of unlearning and new learning to come to terms with him. The old spiritual caught the drift, "I ain't going to study war no more." The fact is the way of Jesus stands over against our cultural definitions of the good life, our love affair with guns and violence, sectarian arrogance and walls that divide. The ancient wisdom of the church makes sure we bump into John the Baptist before Christmas that we might look beyond the manger-born baby to the manger-born man and get down to brass tacks about his agenda and our vocation as road builders. Traditional scripts envisioned a messiah who would come to give us hell. We can understand that kind of script, it's real tough-guy talk. What shall we do with this messiah who comes to give us heaven?
