Go ahead and open up your hymnal to the very front, to page 15. This is the

Transcription

1 Texts: Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 141; Acts 13:13-26; Luke 1:57-80 Go ahead and open up your hymnal to the very front, to page 15. This is the calendar of saints days that our church commemorates. We Lutherans don t much celebrate saints days, but it s not a bad idea. It s important to remember all the people who lived and died in the faith and whose lives are examples of Christian witness. Turn the page and find the date for John the Baptist, who we remember today. We don t know the actual dates of John s birth or death, of course. So the church fixed June 24 as the day to commemorate him. It is exactly six months away from December 24, the day of Jesus birth. The early church placed Jesus nativity on December 25, right around the time of the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, to symbolize the light coming into the world. And the early church placed the commemoration of John the Baptist around the time of the summer solstice because he is quoted in the gospel of John saying that as Jesus must increase, he John must decrease. After this past Thursday, the days begin to get shorter. But there s another good reason to remember John the Baptist today. We can bring back a bit of the Advent season, without all the hoopla over how many days there are left until Christmas. We can reflect a bit on the Advent themes of waiting and preparation today without all the anxiety over making a perfect holiday. What if Advent really were to begin now, six months before Christmas? What if we were to take seriously the prophecy of Malachi, that the Lord is coming to purify us like gold and silver are purified, so that we will be truly ready on that day when Jesus comes into the world? There s some back story to this morning s Gospel reading. Let s go back to an aging couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah is a priest and one morning as he is - 1 -

2 serving inside the temple sanctuary, the angel Gabriel appears to him. Does this sound familiar? Who else gets visited by Gabriel in the first chapter of Luke? [Mary] Right. Well, Gabriel is busy. Before he goes to visit young Mary, he stops to visit old Zechariah to tell him that he and his wife will have a baby boy and that they are to name him John. This boy, their son, will be the one to prepare God s people for the coming of the Lord. If an angel showed up at your workplace and told you that kind of news, what would you do? Zechariah is terrified, obviously, and in his fear he asks a question. How will I know this is to be? I m an old man and my wife is no spring chicken. It s a perfectly human question. In fact, it is almost exactly what Mary asks a few verses later. In response, Gabriel takes away Zechariah s voice. He strikes him mute until the day comes when God s promise of a son will be fulfilled. Think about that. Nine months of silence. Nine months of waiting and watching and listening. Nine months of not being able to speak to his wife, let alone argue with her; of not being able to answer a question, or give instructions. Nine months during which Elizabeth does indeed conceive, knows the anticipation of new motherhood, and receives a visit from her young kinswoman Mary, who also heard from an angel and is pregnant in the most miraculous way. So now we get to today s reading. The promised son is born, and as all the relatives and friends gather for his circumcision, the question comes up about what to name him. They don t believe Elizabeth when she says that her baby is to be named John, so they turn to Zechariah. Still mute, he takes a writing tablet and writes these words: His name is John. And just like the angel said, his mouth is opened and he can speak

3 Every single parent who has ever held their newborn child knows this joy and wonder. Every single parent who has ever held their newborn child ponders what that child s life will be like, imagines the promise of the future for that tiny new life. Zechariah is no different. Imagine him holding his infant son in his arms and singing a song of praise to the God he serves. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them. Imagine him holding his infant son and remembering what the angel told him: You, my child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way. What amazing words. This song of Zechariah is sung every morning at morning prayer, just as the song of Mary is sung at evening prayer. We sang it this morning as our first hymn. Our daily lives are bracketed by these ancient songs of praise. John the Baptist s calling was unique in the Bible. He was called to be a prophet of the Most High, the latest in a long line of prophets that began 700 years before Jesus with Amos and ran all the way to Daniel. Prophets were men and occasionally a woman who were called by God to speak God s word of judgment and God s word of promise to the people of Israel. Like them, John was called to speak God s word, to call the people to repent. But he was different. He was the prophet who would actually stand in the presence of God s Word, God s word made flesh in Jesus Christ. John s calling from his birth was to prepare the way of the Lord. Father Richard Rohr has written that a prophet s life is never fashionable or safe. John the Baptist was certainly not fashionable. He wore animal skins and ate bugs and lived in the wilderness. His message was a difficult one he called people to bear good fruit because every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into - 3 -

4 the fire. (Luke 3:8-9) And he certainly was not safe. His life would end in a prison cell; beheaded in a power play between King Herod and his wife. Preparing the way of the Lord means clearing away whatever is unnecessary and extraneous. It means clearing the decks, sweeping out the corners. Preparing the way of the Lord means that the impurities get melted away, the crooked places get made straight, the rough places get smoothed out. Preparing the way of the Lord means taking a good hard look at whatever is holding you back from following in the way of Jesus. What might that be? Is it your fear? Is it your comfort? Is it your achievements? Is it your desire for perfection? Is it your assets? Is it your liabilities? Preparing the way of the Lord means allowing the dawn from on high to break upon you, giving light to those dark and shadowy places. John the Baptist is still preparing the way for Jesus by giving knowledge of salvation to his people. And his message is still not fashionable, still not easy and still not safe. There is one more detail in this morning s gospel. The angel Gabriel has instructed Zechariah and Elizabeth to name their son John, which means beloved by God. Every single one of us has been given a name as well. Most of us would agree that our given name is a crucial part of our identity. But for all of us who are baptized, the most significant name we bear is the same name that John was given: Beloved. Beloved by God. God has given you this precious life of yours. God has given you everything that surrounds you your family, your friends, your colleagues, the place you live, the means to live fully. Why not take this Advent moment to dedicate your life, your gifts, and your talents to point the way for others. Why not take this Advent moment to remember your own baptism and turn back to God in repentance. Why not take this Advent moment to - 4 -

5 prepare the way of the Lord in your own way, to serve God in ways that are not fashionable, not easy and not safe. And when you do, you will find that, like John the Baptist, you will be standing in the presence of God s word made flesh in Jesus Christ. There are 180 days left until Christmas. What are you waiting for? - 5 -