From the Pastor |
It was during the difficult times in Israel’s history that the prophets foretold of the coming of the Messiah. They did not know when he would come, but they were told that there would be a prophet… a messenger who would prepare the way.
Isaiah told of one who would be a voice in the wilderness crying out for the people to “Prepare the way of the Lord.” [Isaiah 40:3] And today we heard Malachi’s prediction: “See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me…” For centuries they waited… watching and hoping… longing for the day that the Lord said was surely coming. This morning, the Gospel of Luke tells us that the wait would soon be over. The messenger was born. Following the birth of his son, whom Elizabeth named “John”… Zechariah found his voice and offered a song of praise that included… “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins…” Zechariah was a priest… he knew the writings of the prophets and he recognized that his son would be the one to herald the good news that the Messiah was here. And that is what John grew up to do… He became known as John the Baptist… he preached “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins…” He issued warnings and called the people to repent of their sins… he not only proclaimed the coming of the Lord, but he truly fulfilled Malachi’s word… “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.” John spent a great deal of time in the wilderness by the Jordan River, preaching, teaching and baptizing… trying to bring a refining transformation of heart, mind and soul… He was the messenger who heralded the need for GREAT change and his message was clear… Repent! Get Ready! Prepare! For the Day HAS come! But the interesting thing? John was not the first messenger… the first person to share this great good news… that the Messiah had finally arrived. Right after Jesus was born, a group of lowly shepherds were told of this amazing event and went to Bethlehem to “see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” And then, “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child…” [Luke 2: 15b, 17] When he was brought to the Temple for the first time as an infant, Simeon and the Prophet Anna both recognized him and not only openly declared it for all around to hear, but we are told that Anna “spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” Wise Men from the east came looking for the child and alerted Herod and the religious scholars to the possibility that the Messiah had come. Word was out… the message was being shared, but it was John who, about 30 years later, truly began to prepare the way. He was the voice crying out in the wilderness that the prophets spoke of so long ago… He prepared the way… prepared the people for Jesus to begin his ministry… It is truly amazing the way God works… I mean, John was a virtual no-body. A small town boy who grew up and lived in the wilderness, and yet… “the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.” God’s word bypassed the heads of state and the religious leaders… and instead was heard by a strange man named John … who had an odd sense of fashion, and strange dietary habits… who lived out in the wilderness. John’s work took place in the shadow of the powers of earthly authority… He called for the world to be transformed… spiritually… politically… socially… all in preparation for the coming of the Lord. It was a call to return to a world that is marked by peace, love and joy… of righteousness and holiness. This is the reason John is so important during Advent. John’s message lives on today. But just as he was not the first herald of the coming of the Lord… he was not the last. Throughout history, people have been called by God to “Prepare the way of the Lord…” to call for repentance and change… to tell of the great good news that the Messiah has come. It is a message that extends beyond the borders of Israel to ALL people… covering all of God’s creation with the hope of peace. We need this… this call to repentance and preparation. This reminder of why we celebrate the coming of Jesus. But we have to remember that as Disciples of Christ we are also called to be the messengers of the Good News of grace and mercy… of forgiveness and salvation through Christ Our Lord. It is our time… we are now the messengers who are called to prepare the way of the Lord. This world we live in is a world of division that at times really lacks a sense of moral vision. We cry out against corrupt systems, whether political, religious, or corporate… but we participate and perhaps benefit from those systems. We want change, but we would rather not have any pain or inconvenience. It seems to be a never-ending cycle. The sad truth is, things are not as they should be… but God has promised that something will be done to set things right. People have been calling for God act, but perhaps they need to ready themselves first. The refining fire of God’s messenger might prove uncomfortable, but it is needed. We need to be transformed… refined… made more and more like Christ every day. So, as we move closer and closer to Christmas, we are faced with the question: are we ready for what is to come? What is the vision that moves us toward Bethlehem? What are we hearing from God that speaks to our souls? Are we ready to receive this call of repentance so that we can prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord? John was the one who was sent to prepare God’s people for the coming of the Messiah… the Advent of God’s salvation… he was called to lead them into repentance for the forgiveness of their sins. Now it is our turn… It is time for us to GO and Tell the Good News… Christ came to offer salvation… Christ is here with us today… and Christ will come again… Through the Messiah, God is always working for restoration. But, receiving God’s Advent takes preparation, and the challenge is for us to not only embrace the work of preparation for ourselves – opening ourselves to God’s restoring, cleansing and disturbing work… but to embrace the call for us to become, in turn, messengers of God’s restorative justice and mercy to the world.
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Yeon Shin
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