E Pluribus Unum

Based on 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

E Pluribus Unum, “out of many, one.” That is our nation’s motto. It simply expresses the core of our national identity, and what makes the United States different from other nations. We see it in our tendency to use hyphens in identifying groups of Americans. We identify African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Latin-Americans, less commonly European-Americans, which is one example of how Europeanness or whiteness is understood to be the norm and it is non-white ethnicities that are to be hyphenated. Be that as it may, we don’t conceive “American” to be an ethnicity, like English, or French, or Japanese, or Chinese. We often say that America is an idea, a great experiment to see if it is possible to have a nation that from the beginning was comprised of people who came from many nations and ethnicities, even as our constitution failed to fully incorporate African slaves and the indigenous peoples who already lived here. It is an idea, e pluribus unum, that has a complicated history, and an ideal that we are still trying to achieve in all its fullness.

I remember when I was younger being taught that America was like a great melting pot. All these different peoples, different ethnicities, and races, somehow all become assimilated into the American way of life. But then I heard a different metaphor that made more sense to me. It was the idea that America is like a great bowl of gumbo. It’s all the different ingredients thrown together into a gumbo that makes it taste so good. This image lifts up appreciation for difference, and how the differences make America unique as opposed to the idea of assimilation and conformity, the minimizing of difference with the image of the melting pot. I’m still biased toward the metaphor of America as a bowl of gumbo than a melting pot.

E pluribus unum, could also be a motto for the church, the body of Christ. I thought of that motto when reflecting on this passage from 1 Corinthians. That’s what Paul is saying to the church in Corinth. Although they are comprised of Jews and Greeks, slaves and free, they are united through baptism and through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Their differences don’t disappear. They retain their differences even as they are united as one body. Maybe my bias is showing, but I would like to think that Paul would be ok with identifying the church as like a bowl of gumbo. All the differences united in one body is part of what makes the body of Christ a rich, dynamic, impactful global presence. For, indeed, the body of Christ is a global body, not bounded by ethnicity, language, nation, or political arrangement. The body of Christ reflects the diversity of the human race. In reality, the body of Christ truly is e pluribus unum.

Just think about the rich diversity in the body of Christ. Paul specifically names Jews and Greeks, slave and free. This touches on ethnic diversity and the diversity of social status. That was the diversity present in the church in Corinth. But there is so much more. I don’t know if it can be said that every ethnicity on earth is somehow represented in the body of Christ, but I think it’s pretty close. The wealthy and well-connected to the lowest and poorest caste in India has representation in the body of Christ. But that’s not the only diversity. We are a diversity of many histories and cultural traditions, from our own traditions here to the traditions of central America, Russia, Ethiopia, Syria, the Philippines, and more. We have a diversity of communions, Protestants, Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox. We have literally thousands of different Protestant denominations and non-denominational churches. We have a great diversity of theological differences. We hold a diversity of moral and ethical positions. There are a variety of spiritual gifts, which we talked about last week. It is astounding how diverse the body of Christ is.

At the same time, we are united in baptism and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Any Christian you meet anywhere in the world is a person who has been baptized one way or another. When you meet a Christian of any cultural tradition, ethnicity, language, or theological persuasion, you are in the presence of someone who is possessed of the Holy Spirit. The experience of baptism and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is what all Christians have in common. It is important to claim this common bond that we share with all Christians everywhere.

As we affirm the unity that is ours through baptism and the presence of the Spirit, Paul also reminds us that we need the diversity of the body, a diversity that God has determined to exist. This diversity, not only in spiritual gifts but in all the ways we are diverse, is on purpose. God has designed maximum diversity in the body of Christ so that God’s purpose can be fulfilled. As Paul says, if the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If we had only one cultural tradition, how could we relate to the variety of cultural traditions in human society? If we had only one language, how could those who speak other languages communicate with us? If we all held the exact same theological, moral, and political positions on all matters, how would we be able to find common cause with those who do not hold the same positions? As it is, the body of Christ reflects the diversity of the world so that the witness of Christ can resonate and be communicated to all of human society.

We see an example of this in the book of Acts when the apostles receive the Spirit and then immediately begin to proclaim the mighty works of God in the native languages of all who were gathered in Jerusalem. People were amazed that it was in their own native language that they heard what the apostles were saying. God intends for the body of Christ to be as diverse as possible so that the diversity of the human community can resonate with and experience the mighty works of God in their own, native ways.

All that said, it appears that the core issue that Paul is addressing with the church in Corinth is the issue of dissension. Paul makes it clear in vs. 25 that there ought not be dissension in the body of Christ but that there be equal concern for all. Paul calls for mutual concern for each other. Paul is saying to us that our energy is not to be spent on enforcing uniformity. Nor are we to fixate on our differences and either boost our own sense of superiority or regard ourselves as lacking or not good enough or irrelevant. Paul urges us to set aside hubris and comparing ourselves to others and instead to recognize the reality that we are one body. I love how Paul says in vs. 15, if the foot should say “Because I am not a hand, I don’t belong to the body” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. Whatever we say about ourselves and our relationship with one another as Christians doesn’t change the reality that we are in relationship. The unity we have in Christ is not something we create. The unity is a given. God has determined it to be so. The dissension that Paul saw in Corinth and that we see in the church today reflects a failure in acknowledging the unity that exists by God’s own doing. Paul is calling us to acknowledge the unity that God has already forged and to relate to each other based on this real unity that God has provided.

We see how Paul sets aside any focus on the diversity of difference in the body of Christ. In this passage we are reflecting on today, Paul says quite a bit about the diversity in the body and how all the different parts of the body, all the diversity we have in the body of Christ, is there by God’s own design to fulfill God’s purposes in the world. But then Paul shifts to talk about mutual concern for one another. For Paul, it is not enough just to appreciate the diversity within the body of Christ or to tolerate all our differences. Paul calls for a community of mutual care, one in which if one part of the community is celebrating, then everyone celebrates with them. If one part of the community is grieving, then everyone grieves with them.

I want to confess something. There have been times when I have witnessed parts of the body of Christ who are flourishing, making big impact in the world, transforming lives, doing incredible ministry, and my response has been one of jealousy or dismissiveness. Or sometimes feeling inferior or even a failure. Celebrating their success and effectiveness was not happening. And then there have been other times where leaders who were able to build incredible ministries fell due to a moral failure and rather than grieve how this has impacted the lives of so many and has hurt the community, I have felt some kind of vindication, that this fallen leader had gotten too big for their britches, that they weren’t all that. I didn’t grieve for them or the impact that had on the ministry or all the people that had looked up to and followed that leader, or the hurt inflicted on the community. I’m not alone in this. Pride and hubris, feelings of inferiority and irrelevance wash through the body of Christ. This sinful poison was present in Corinth in Paul’s day and continues to course through the veins of the body of Christ today.

There is an antidote. Paul speaks of it in chapter 13, and we will look at that next week. It is the pursuit of the greater gifts of faith, hope and love. Love is the antidote. Love expressed by celebrating with those who celebrate and grieving with those who grieve, of mutual concern for each other, this is what overcomes those feelings and attitudes that stir up dissension in the body and that causes the body of Christ to be dysfunctional. May God forgive us when we remain in our dysfunction, and may God give us grace to express equal concern for all who belong to the body of Christ.

As we practice mutual and equal concern for all who belong to the body of Christ, let us not neglect those who do not identify as Christians. What would our community be like if the equal concern for each other as Christians also included our fellow citizens, indeed every person in our community? What if we had equal concern for every person in society? That is asking a lot. And as we observe and sometimes perpetuate the dissension, the divisiveness, the dysfunction, in our greater community, our nation, and the world as a whole…my goodness. Yet, is it not desperately needed in these times, mutual concern for one another? Not just our own tribe, or political persuasion, or shared moral views, but mutual and equal concern for every person. To attempt that kind of equal mutual concern would absolutely transform our society. To actually manifest e pluribus unum, I can’t even begin to describe to you how radical that would transform how we live together as the human community. But oh how I wish we lived in that kind of community. It is a vision, indeed a divinely ordained vision, in which to strive. Only love will get us there. And we will talk about that next week.

Gifted for the Common Good

Based on 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

This weekend we remember and celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King and his leading role in the civil rights movement. He has been identified in many ways: prophet, visionary, communist, rabble rouser, black Moses. He identified himself as a Baptist preacher. And oh how he could preach. His oratorical skills were incredible. He moved a nation with his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. His visionary leadership went beyond equity for black Americans. He wanted to see a world devoid of racism, militarism, and economic exploitation. He dreamed of what he called the beloved community. It is that vision of beloved community that inspires me personally and has come to guide my work as a pastor and with the Shalom Zone. I believe that beloved community describes God’s dream for human society, even all of creation. This vision of beloved community has been an inspiration for millions of people all around the world.

That’s important to keep in mind as we remember Martin Luther King. This was not a one-person movement. King didn’t advance civil rights all by himself. Countless numbers of people in big and small ways did their part. King was able to cast a vision of what can be in a way that inspired the multitude to action, to build a society that reflected that vision. The advances of the civil rights movement and the work of realizing the dream of the beloved community is a group effort. It is about people being engaged in their communities, being engaged in politics, making economic choices, helping people in need, offering grace and forgiveness, doing what you can for the common good. The revolution of love that King called for must be a group effort.

The civil rights movement and the living legacy of Martin Luther King’s dream are examples of what Paul has in mind when he spoke of the spiritual gifts. Paul said that each of us have been given a spiritual gift, as the Spirit determines, and that those gifts are to be activated in our lives for the common good. Let’s break this down.

First, each one of us has been gifted. You may say to me, “I don’t have a spiritual gift, or if I do, I don’t know what it is.” I understand. The gifts we have may not be obvious. It may take some discernment to identify what your gift is. You may have to live some life and have some experiences that call upon you to respond, and in that response, you discover what your gift is. You likely will have someone who knows you point out to you what your gift is. For those who don’t think they have a spiritual gift or don’t know what it is, I want to assure you that you do have a gift. You can find spiritual gift inventories that can help you identify your gift. You could look at the different lists of spiritual gifts like the one we heard today, and reflect on those gifts. Which ones resonate with you? Also, keep in mind that the lists of spiritual gifts we find in the scriptures are not all inclusive. It could be your gift isn’t listed. For example, some people have the gift of hospitality, of creating a space where people feel welcomed and safe to be themselves. But that gift isn’t in any of the lists. What I would say is, your spiritual gift is how you are naturally compelled to act for the common good.

Second, we didn’t get to choose our gift. Many of us provide our beloveds a wish list as Christmas is approaching. That wish list could also be called a shopping list if we aren’t careful, especially if the wish list is very specific about what we want. But we also hope that we will get a couple gifts that weren’t on the wish list. That is, a gift that we didn’t think of that is just right. Sometimes, though, we get a gift that, well, it also wasn’t something we thought of. That gift will either sit somewhere collecting dust or find its way to a white elephant gift exchange. Let’s not forget that a gift is by definition something we didn’t choose. Even if we provide a highly detailed description of the gift we want, someone has to decide to get the gift. We don’t get a gift for ourselves. That’s not a gift, that’s a purchase. The Spirit has determined what gift we are to have. We may have our preferences of what kind of gift we want, but in the end, we receive the gift we have been given.

Third, the gift we have been given is meant to be used for the common good. The Spirit didn’t randomly give you a gift. The gift you received was given with intention and purpose. What a shame if you kept that gift on the proverbial shelf or somewhere in the attic collecting dust. Nor was your gift given for your own personal glory, to impress people, for your own personal benefit, or anything like that. The intent of these spiritual gifts is so that we can use these gifts to impact society, so that the world will be more like how God wants it to be.

When we use our gifts, this is how God is manifesting in the world. We believe that God is present and active in the world, not sitting somewhere removed from the world watching to see how things work out. Nor does God just magically make things happen. Even miracles involve the actions of people. Creation itself is involved in any miracle. The world that God dreams is manifested through the actions of people. God is present and active in the world through us. We are in a relationship with God. We fulfill God’s purposes for the world when we activate the spiritual gifts that God has given us. Our gifts are meant to be used so that God can work through our actions. This is why it is important for us to not only know what our gift is but to activate it in our lives. This is how the world God dreams of is manifested in the world.

For those of you who know what your spiritual gift is, I hope you are encouraged to activate that gift for the common good. Your efforts may seem small but remember that what you do is actually God working through you, so it matters and it makes a difference. All the ways each of us engages with society adds up and collectively makes a difference. I know that there are times when we look at the state of the world with its brokenness and ugliness and worry about where things are headed, what kind of world our kids and grandkids will endure. I worry about it too. But I also imagine what the world be like if there was no one trying to make the world better. It truly could be so much worse if God was not active in the world through our lives.

So, I want to end with a quote from someone who deeply shaped the spirituality of Martin Luther King. It was said that wherever he went on his travels, King would take with him two books: the Bible and a book written by Howard Thurman entitled Jesus and the Disinherited. Howard Thurman was a mystic, a poet, one who was deeply committed to the work of reconciliation, of creating a world that reflected beloved community. I invite you to reflect on this quote, especially if you are not sure what you have to offer, what your gift is or how you can make a difference in the world.

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” What are you passionate about? What do you do that gives you energy rather than saps your energy, that makes you come alive? Whatever that is, there’s a good chance that this is a manifestation of your spiritual gift. So do that, not just because you enjoy it, or that it energizes you or makes you come alive, but because that is how God is able to work through you to make a difference, to realize God’s dream of the beloved community.

Remember Your Baptism

Based on Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

“Remember your baptism and be thankful.” These are the traditional words that accompany the action of coming forward to the baptismal font, dipping your finger in the baptismal waters, and claiming anew the baptismal covenant that you entered in to. “Remember your baptism.” Do you remember yours? This is where I got stuck for a long time. I don’t remember my baptism. Probably like most gathered here, I was a baby when I was baptized. I have been told about my baptism. It was at the church I grew up in, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City. Rev. Mack Stokes was the pastor who baptized me, who four years later became a bishop. My mom said I didn’t cry. That’s all I can tell you about my baptism. I sometimes envy those who got baptized when they were old enough to remember it. When they go before the font and are told to remember their baptism they can go back in their mind’s eye to that place, visualize who was there, feel the sensation of the water on their heads, or even their whole bodies if it was full immersion. Those folks can remember their baptism and be thankful. But not those of us who were baptized as infants. It’s like we got cheated. The best we can do is remember that we were baptized; that getting baptized was something important for our parents. That we are baptized is something we are to be thankful for. We just can’t say much about how it happened.

Today, we remember Jesus’ baptism, a baptism that was remembered differently by the gospel writers. As Mark tells it, Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan and just as Jesus was coming out of the water, he saw the heavens ripped open. It wasn’t a gentle parting but a violent rending. That’s the way Mark describes it. And then the Spirit like a dove descends on Jesus, and he hears the voice from heaven saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.” As Matthew tells it, John resists baptizing Jesus, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” For John the gospel writer, he doesn’t explicitly say that Jesus was baptized. Instead, he relates that John the Baptist saw the Spirit descend on Jesus like a dove, and then John heard the voice say to him, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” Why John the gospel writer refrains from saying that Jesus was baptized was maybe to avoid the problem of why Jesus was baptized in the first place, a problem that Matthew addresses head on when he tells of John and Jesus having that conversation, with John asking the question that the rest of us have. If the baptism John is offering is for repentance, then why is Jesus getting baptized? Jesus answers the question by saying he does this to fulfill all righteousness. In other words, it’s just the right thing to do.

So far, we have heard Jesus’ baptism described in three different ways by the gospel writers. Luke has his own version of events. It is similar to Mark’s version…brief. But Luke adds a couple of details that are important. He begins by saying, “When all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized…” There is no dialog with John. Luke doesn’t even explicitly say that John baptized Jesus, we just assume that’s what happened. What Luke does give us is the image of people standing in line to receive the baptism of repentance, so that they can experience a fresh start, a clean slate. And Jesus got in line with the rest of them. Did Jesus need a fresh start or a clean slate? No. But he didn’t stand apart while everyone else got in line. As an act of solidarity, Jesus got in line with everyone else. Jesus participated in baptism with the people. Solidarity.

The second detail Luke gives us is that after Jesus was baptized and was praying the heavens opened, the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.” For Luke, he stresses that Jesus prayed. In key moments throughout his ministry, Luke notes that Jesus prayed. He prayed at his baptism. He prayed before he chose his disciples. He prayed before he told them the first time that he would be crucified. He prayed at his transfiguration. He prayed before he taught his disciples the Lord’s prayer. He prayed before he was betrayed and arrested. He prayed when he took his last breath on the cross. There is one place in Luke’s gospel when after Jesus had done many healings, Luke says that Jesus spent the night alone in prayer. This is one of the major points in Luke’s telling of the gospel, that Jesus took time to pray, especially in key moments of his life.

Jesus’ baptism was clearly a key moment. Jesus is praying and then the heavens are opened, and the Spirit descends upon him. It seems it was the act of Jesus praying that caused the heavens to open and the Spirit to come down to empower him for his ministry, and to hear the voice of his Father say, “You are my Son, my beloved. I am so proud of you.” Jesus receives empowerment and affirmation because of his praying. That came in handy because immediately after his baptism the Spirit drives Jesus out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. After passing those tests, Jesus began his public ministry. At thirty years of age, the time of preparation was over. The time had come for Jesus to fulfill his destiny, to do what God had sent him to do. He needed the power of the Spirit. He needed to hear that affirmation from his heavenly Father. Prayer caused that to happen. Prayer opened the heavens for blessings to come down. In the same way, when the disciples were gathered in the upper room, as we read about in the book of Acts, they were praying together when all of a sudden, the Spirit came upon them like the sound of a mighty rushing wind, with tongues of fire alighting on each of their heads, like they were human candles. Prayer caused that to happen. So, when we pray, perhaps the heavens are opened, maybe the Spirit descends on us, we may even hear a reassuring voice saying, “You are my beloved, you are forgiven, be encouraged, there is hope, all will be well, I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Prayer makes these experiences possible. How good it is that Luke adds this detail of Jesus’ baptism.

Today, we have an opportunity to renew our baptism. When we renew our baptismal covenant, we don’t get baptized again. As United Methodists, we believe only one baptism is enough. Baptism is an action of God by means of water and in the power of the Holy Spirit. God doesn’t need a do-over. But we can renew our baptismal covenant as often as we wish, in an attitude of prayer, following the example of Jesus. Renewing our baptismal covenant is just like when a couple decides to renew their wedding vows. It is an opportunity to remember what was promised and to recommit to those promises.

It is a good thing to come back to our baptismal covenant, to remember that we are baptized. Our baptism was a watershed moment in our lives. It didn’t seem like a watershed moment to you if you were baptized as a baby or even as a child. But it was a significant moment in your life, whether you were aware of what was happening or not. It was at your baptism that the people of God publicly witnessed God claiming you as one of God’s own children. You were marked publicly as a child of God. We claim this identity anew when we renew our baptism, that we are children of God. When we were baptized, we were initiated into a covenant with God that we live out of for the rest of our lives. We get baptized once, but the implications of that baptism play out for the rest of our lives. We do not live out this covenant on our own. In fact, a good definition of the church is this: the church is a community where we help each other live out our baptismal covenant. This covenant journey begins at baptism and concludes when we stand before the throne and hear God say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” All through that covenant journey we are never alone because God is with us, and we have our brothers and sisters in Christ to help us along.

So, it is good to renew our baptism from time to time. It makes sense to do it on the Sunday that we remember that Jesus was baptized. It also happens near the beginning of the year. Now is a good time to start fresh. And it’s not just because it is January. We are also in winter. This is the time when, for us in the northern hemisphere, the earth is sort of in reset mode, a time to prepare and get ready for the burst of growth that will be unleashed in the spring. Winter is the prelude to the vitality of spring. Maybe for us right now can be the prelude to a season of spiritual vitality and renewal. Remembering our baptism can be a part of that prelude to spiritual renewal.

Renewing our baptism with prayer opens the heavens for the Holy Spirit to come down upon us again. We can perhaps feel God’s presence as we touch the baptismal waters. Maybe we will hear in our hearts that affirmation of God’s love, to hear God say, “You are my son, my daughter, and I love you.” We need to hear that affirmation now and then from those close to us, our family, our dearest friends, to be told, “I love you.” We need to know that somebody loves us. It makes a difference. In the same way, it makes a difference for us to know that God loves us, and to hear God say that in the quiet of our hearts.

Renewing our baptism also gives us the opportunity to reclaim the authority we have to be ministers of Jesus Christ in the world. If you think I’m the only minister in this room, you are wrong. The church I grew up in listed all the church staff in the bulletin, the senior pastor, the associate, director of music, youth director, etc. But at the end of the list, it had listed for minister “the congregation.” We are all ministers by the authority of the baptism we have received. When it comes to ministering in the world, of sharing the love of Jesus and helping others in Jesus’ name, you don’t need my permission. You have all the authority you need. Reaffirming our baptism reminds us of the authority we have to be ministers of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

In a moment, we are going to participate in the renewal of our baptismal covenant. I will invite you to come forward as you feel led to do so to stand before the font and to touch the water. Please don’t feel obligated to come forward. If you have not been baptized, don’t let that stop you. Come forward in anticipation of your own baptism. I would love to talk with you more about what baptism means and arrange for you to experience baptism yourself in any way that would be meaningful for you. If you are listening to this message at home, I invite you to come up with your own way to remember your baptism, and to be thankful.

Rise and Shine!

Based on Matthew 2:1-12

Sunshine is a premium in Ohio during the winter. We can go for days even weeks, without seeing the sun. You watch the news, and the news anchor is prodding the weather forecaster to tell us, “When will there be any sun?” This guy I know was joking, “Partly cloudy means cloudy.” I don’t know about you but when the sun breaks through the clouds this time of year it immediately energizes me.

I remember a time several years back when I was sitting in my office at the church I was serving at the time. It was early February. I don’t believe the sun was seen for the entire month of January. That morning, through the blinds of my office window, I finally saw sunlight. It was so bright! It was so good to see the sun. It lifted my spirits instantly. To this day I still have a clear memory of that moment. It was at least fifteen years ago. To see the sun after being behind the clouds for a long time is a joyful experience.

It is in that spirit that we hear these words from the prophet Isaiah, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” In a time of darkness and gloom, a time of oppression, of exile, of loss, the prophet offers a word of hope. Jerusalem was destroyed. There was no king from the line of David sitting on the throne. Much of Israel was living in exile in Babylon. Things were grim. But it would not always be that way. God will act. God will make things right. The glory of the Lord will rise again over Israel. There will be a restoration. For Israel there will be a new dawn. The prophet proclaims a word of hope. It is this hope for a brighter future that gives us the possibility to stand up and face our future. Without this hope, all is lost.

In an interview with the BBC, Martin Luther King said, “I have my moments of frustration, my moments of doubt, and maybe temporary moments of despair, but I have never faced absolute despair because I think if you face absolute despair, you lose all hope, you have no power to move and act, because you really feel there is no possibility of winning.” Hope is necessary to survive tough times, those times when everything is grey and cloudy, when nothing seems to be going right.

We have a basis for hope…the God of hope. We know that God is with us. We know that God loves us. We know that God has provided for us the way of salvation, the promise of eternal life. We know that God keeps God’s promises, that God’s will will be accomplished, that God’s reign of peace and justice will be established. Or, as someone else has said, “the arc is long, but it bends toward justice.” We know that love wins in the end. These beliefs provide for us a foundation on which we can stand and face the future with hope. This is what makes it possible for us to respond to the words of the prophet. We can rise and shine for the glory of God is shining on us, on our hearts.

This Sunday, we are recognizing the day of Epiphany, which actually falls on Jan. 6, the twelfth day after Christmas. Jan. 6 for us now has the distinction of being a day we remember the U.S. Capitol being overrun by a lot of people who had become convinced that the presidential election was fraudulent. What an epiphany that day was for a lot of the world as they looked on in dismay. Epiphany is one of the first Christian holidays. It’s been around longer than Christmas. For the first couple hundred years of the church’s existence, there were only two major holy days: Easter and Epiphany. It was on Epiphany, still is for Eastern Orthodox Christians, that the birth of Jesus, the visitation of the magi, and the baptism of Jesus are all celebrated. As the years went by, the church in the west started spreading these events out. Now we celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas, remember the visit of the magi on Epiphany and then remember Jesus’ baptism the following Sunday.

When we use the word “epiphany” these days, it is when someone has an epiphany, an “a-ha” moment. It’s when you suddenly “see the light” or gain a new insight. These epiphanies tend to show up when we least expect it. Maybe that “a-ha” moment happened while you were lying in bed in the middle of the night. Or you were in the shower, or driving down the road, or something catches your eye. Whenever it is, something clicks, the dots are connected, and you suddenly see things in a new light. Things suddenly make sense. You have clarity.

An epiphany may provoke excitement, even joy. You have been struggling with some question, a mystery that you just can’t solve. Every answer you come up with doesn’t quite fit. But then someone asks you a question that shifts your perspective on the problem you are trying to solve. Suddenly, the solution appears right in front of you. It all makes sense! Problem solved. Epiphanies can also sometimes provoke anxiety. It may trouble the waters. That’s what happened to a lot of people as they watched the Jan. 6 insurrection unfold. For those who had an epiphany that day that our democratic foundation is fragile, was an anxiety generating experience. Not just anxiety, but actual alarm and fear about what that event was revealing about our politics, even the binding of our union. This epiphany has impacted our perspective about where we are as a country. How will we move forward together with this breakdown of trust in the election process? What will the mid-term elections be like this coming fall? Epiphanies sometimes stir up anxiety and more questions.

An epiphany came to Herod and the rest of Jerusalem when some astrologers from Persia showed up asking where the king of the Jews was so they could pay him homage. This came out of nowhere. For generations the people had been praying for, longing for, the day when Israel would have a king that was not appointed by Rome, a king from the line of David, who would be the messiah, the anointed one who would restore Israel to its glory and finally get Rome off their backs. And then, suddenly, it was happening! A king had been born and no one knew about it! How can this be? What do these astrologers from Persia know? Their presence has turned everything upside down. The status quo has been interrupted.

We can understand why Herod was troubled by this epiphany. He was currently the king appointed by Rome. There can be only one king. So, he knew that his rule was under threat. This was a problem for him. The people of Jerusalem were also fearful. Even though this was something they had hoped for, now that it is happening, this meant Rome would take notice. That might mean a military assault to squash any insurrection in order to assert Roman control. The epiphany that the king of the Jews had been born did not signal a time of peace but of revolt. The waters were troubled by the news. Something had to be done and, if we read further in Matthew’s gospel, we know what the response from Herod was…the slaughter of boys under the age of 2 while Jesus and his parents fled to Egypt for asylum.

So, we get why Herod and the people of Jerusalem were fearful and upset. But why were the magi filled with joy? In the scriptures we read that when the magi saw the star stop over the place where Jesus lay that they were overcome with joy. Why? What did they know? It was not uncommon for dignitaries from other nations to go and see future heirs to the throne to pay homage. For the magi to go and pay homage to Jesus is not strange. But why would this be a joyful occasion? Why the future king of Israel causes the magi from Persia to be overjoyed isn’t clear. Maybe they were joyful because they were looking at the one who would restore Israel’s sovereignty and limit the power of the Roman empire. Maybe there was something about that star that stopped where Jesus lay. It signaled to them that the royal line this baby represented would never end. Who knows? But for whatever reason, the magi were overcome with joy as they paid homage to the child, presenting gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. For them, this epiphany prompted by the star that stopped, was a joyful experience.

I came across this prayer that had this line, “Each day is Christmas because we receive from you the gift of another day with Jesus.” That’s true. Each day is a gift. Every morning we have another day to unwrap and enjoy. It is true that Jesus is with us through the whole day. I knew all this, but this prayer also sparked in me an epiphany. It was the idea that every day I can put myself at the manger in simple adoration that God came to us in human flesh. We can celebrate the birth of Jesus every morning. I guess we can’t keep up the Christmas tree and holiday lights year-round. But we don’t have to only celebrate the birth of Jesus one day a year. We can celebrate that God is with us as a human being every day.

Let’s return to that line Isaiah spoke; “Arise, shine; for your light has come.” This is not a suggestion the prophet gives us. It’s a command. It is as if your mom is knocking on your door telling you to wake up, it’s morning, time to get moving. Rise and shine! We are to get up from our beds of gloom and discouragement and to shine, to reflect the glory of the Lord that shines over us. What does this mean? How do we do this?

Part of it must be an act of will. We have to choose to rise and shine. In our times of discouragement, confusion, sorrow, and anxiety, we have to decide for ourselves to claim that God’s glory is over us. We have to determine for ourselves that we are in the light of God. We have to decide for ourselves to walk in the light of God. We have to cling to the hope we have that God is with us and that God’s grace is sufficient for this day. And then we have to get up and go.

There is a story told by the missionary Lesslie Newbigin who was doing his ministry in India. One early morning, before the sun was up, he and a group of others were walking up a hill, the top of which was a popular site for pilgrims to pray. As they got closer to the top of the hill, another group was going down the hill. The group that was going down was facing east. And as the sun was just coming up, the sunlight was reflected off the faces of those approaching them. This give Lesslie an epiphany: when we turn ourselves toward Christ, the one who is the light of the world, we reflect the light of Christ out into the world.

We can’t do anything about cloudy days in Ohio. There’s not much we can do about the cloudy and grey times in which we live, with all that is happening in the world today. But we can rise and shine. We can return to the manger and pay homage to the Christ child, maybe with a little joy in our hearts as we simply adore him, Christ the Lord. And then as we move through the day with our eyes on Jesus, we can reflect the light of Jesus out into the world. We can let our little lights shine.

It's Amazing

Based on Luke 1:36-45

This is a hard time of year for preachers. It’s Christmas time. And, just like Easter, the Bible stories we hear has been told so many times in so many ways that it is extremely difficult to say anything really new about it. What new twist can be found? What new kernel of wisdom or insight? We have heard the story of Elizabeth and Mary so many times. We almost have the telling of Jesus’ birth memorized. These stories are so familiar to us. What can anyone say about these stories that we haven’t already heard before? It seems all we have left to ponder is the story itself and maybe that’s enough. Maybe that’s all we need, to hear these familiar stories and marvel once again at how God came into our world as one of us, taking on human flesh, in this way, with these women, in that time in history. It is a marvelous story.

Consider how marvelous this story is. Some may even say it is absurd. Mary has just had a conversation with the archangel Gabriel, telling her that she would get pregnant by the Holy Spirit, and will have a boy who is the Son of God. That is some big news for a teenage girl who, according to tradition, had spent all her life within the Temple of Jerusalem, having been offered by her parents Joachim and Anna in service to God, just like what Hannah did with her son Samuel. Of course, when you get news like this, that you are expecting a baby, you don’t just sit on that news. You get up and tell somebody. And the first person you tell is likely the most important person in your life. Notice that apparently it wasn’t Joseph. Maybe that was for obvious reasons. She would have some explaining to do! Instead, Mary gets up and hurries to a small, unnamed village in the hill country of Judea, to a relative who must be the most important person in her life, Elizabeth. Tradition tells us that Elizabeth was Mary’s aunt, which would make John and Jesus cousins. Isn’t that amazing? What a family! Elizabeth was someone who was dear to Mary, who Mary was comfortable sharing such amazing news. In those days, Mary had to slip away from the watchful eyes of the priests in the Temple and run to the village where Elizabeth lived to tell the good news. In these days, Mary could have just called Elizabeth. I doubt if she would have posted it on Facebook though. “I’m pregnant and God is the father.” Would you click the “like”, “love”, or “ha ha” emoji? Would you respond with “congrats”? That would be an odd Facebook post.

With a story like this, that you are expecting, and the pregnancy is the work of the Holy Spirit, this is a story you would only tell the closest people that you can trust; someone who would believe you and not think you are crazy. Elizabeth fits the bill. After all, Elizabeth’s pregnancy was unusual as well. She was barren and an old woman. She was just like Sarah, Abraham’s wife, who although well advanced in years conceived and gave birth to a son and named him Isaac. These ancient stories are coming to life with these women, aren’t they? The word was out that Zechariah, Elizabeth’s husband, had seen an angel that told him that Elizabeth, barren and well past childbearing age, would give birth to a son who is to be named John. Mary surely reasoned that if anyone in the world could understand the message she had received from the angel it would be Elizabeth. In fact, there would be no one else in the world who would understand what Mary was experiencing than Elizabeth. So, Mary had to go to Elizabeth to share her news.

But what happens next is even more amazing. As Mary approaches Elizabeth, John kicks her. Now there is nothing amazing about a baby kicking their mother’s uterus. What is amazing is what Elizabeth says. She doesn’t say, “Oohhh, I felt that one.” Instead, she said, “The child inside me leaped for joy as soon as I heard you say hello!” And, the scriptures say, the Holy Spirit fell on Elizabeth. Now this is something impressive. In those days the Holy Spirit rarely fell on anyone. Only prophets received the Spirit for the purpose of speaking God’s message. And 99% of those prophets were men: Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah, etc. But here is elderly Elizabeth, the priest’s wife, who has been granted the blessing of carrying a special child who will prepare the way for Jesus. John is already preparing the way in utero by leaping in his mother’s womb. That’s how Elizabeth interpreted that kick. The one who carries the greatest prophet in her womb becomes a prophet herself.

Elizabeth is a prophet because as soon as she saw Mary and felt John leap in her womb, she knew that Mary was pregnant. Mary had not yet told anyone she was pregnant. She just found out herself! But Elizabeth already knows. The Spirit had revealed it to her. And right away Elizabeth sings a song of blessing over Mary and the baby in her womb. Mary follows up by singing a song of her own which, by the way, seems like an improvisation of the song Hannah sang after she gave birth to Samuel. Go back and look at 1 Sam. 2:2-10 and you will see the similar theme of how God turns things upside down, lifting up the poor and hungry and lowering the arrogant and greedy rich.

And there you have it, two women carrying two miracle babies in their wombs. Here, in an unnamed village in the hill country of Judea, you have an old woman and a young woman embracing each other with joy and singing songs of blessing. One has inside her womb the greatest of all prophets. In the other, the Son of God, our Lord and Savior. Amazing.

Why did it happen this way? This is why some think this whole story is absurd. Here is the account of how the greatest prophet of all time and the savior of the world came into being. It isn’t among the powerful. It isn’t in Jerusalem, Athens, Alexandria or Rome. It isn’t among the elites. And men are only ambiguously involved. Zechariah is only involved by divine intervention and is not allowed to speak because he didn’t immediately believe what the angel said to him. Joseph had nothing to do with it at all! This amazing event, an event that turns the tide, that ushers in the salvation of the whole world, is first experienced and shared by an old woman and a young girl in a small village in the hills of Judea. This is how God decided to break into our world. And we are left to puzzle why, of all the ways God could have come into our world, that God chose this particular time, in this particular place, with these particular women.

As hard as you may try, the question of why this way and not another can’t be answered except to conclude that this is how God does things. God tends to act in ways that we don’t always expect or notice. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. God’s ways are not our ways. God has a bigger view of things than we will ever perceive. It’s almost as if God intentionally chooses to act in unexpected ways among unknown and marginalized people to further demonstrate just how amazing God is. We are all left to marvel at how it happened, that two women on the margins of society are the first to realize how it is that God will come to save the world. Not only do they know how it will happen, they are instrumental in its unfolding. It’s just amazing. I don’t know what else to say about it.

If there is one message we can take from this, it is that God can work through anyone who has a heart open to God. It’s not just the wise people, or the people of great talents, notoriety, and wealth. It is anyone who is open to the possibility that God could use them for ministry. And it’s not the size of the ministry that counts. It is true that large ministries can have large impact. People who have successfully grown ministries from just a few people to the participation of thousands can be inspiring and may have some things to teach us about God and about the practicalities of growing a ministry. Leaders of these large ministries have people coming up to them all the time asking for guidance or encouragement. They have tons of Facebook friends and thousands of Twitter followers. They command a lot of influence for good. God definitely uses people like that and the large ministries they shepherd. But if the Bible shows us anything, it is that God tends to work through people who are not well known or well connected. Elizabeth and Mary were ordinary people, at least on the outside. But on the inside, they were open to the possibility of being used by God to accomplish amazing things. We can follow their example by allowing ourselves to be open to what God may want to accomplish through us. Whether God’s intention is for you or me to one day birth a massive ministry that reaches thousands or even millions or it is to bless just one person today, that is up to God. Who God is looking for is people who are open to God’s leading, who are willing to say “yes” to God, no matter how challenging or even ludicrous that invitation may be. Elizabeth and Mary said “yes” to a couple of mind blowing and life altering invitations. They are ordinary people, like you and me.

Elizabeth carried a prophet in her womb. Maybe you have a prophetic word inside of you that needs to be expressed. Mary carried in her womb our Savior Jesus. We believe that by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior that he dwells in our hearts. As Mary carried Jesus in her womb so we carry Jesus with us in our hearts. Every day we have opportunities to share Jesus with others, by what we say but mostly by what we do. We can announce the good news that no matter what, God is with us. Perhaps this is something we can take with us as we rush toward Christmas: that when it comes to being available to be the means through which God blesses the world, all of us are included. When God is looking for faithful servants, God is looking at you and me. Just like Elizabeth and Mary, you and I can be in on what God is up to, something that most people miss entirely because we aren’t famous. Being famous isn’t required to be selected by God to do something that can literally change the world, at least the world of one person, maybe even your world.

What Should We Do?

Based on Luke 3:7-18

You have been traveling for days. Others have joined you on your journey through the wilderness. People from all over are making their way out to the desert to hear from a prophet named John. A large crowd has gathered to hear a word from the prophet and to receive from him a baptism for repentance. The crowd quiets down as John steps up, eager to hear what he has to say. He opens his mouth and shouts, “You offspring of snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming wrath?” That’s a provocative opening statement.

Maybe there’s a reason why John lived his whole life in the wilderness. No social skills! Can you imagine going all that way into the desert only to be called names and humiliated by the person you came out to see? Some who were more sophisticated about the crude nature of prophets may not have been surprised and even expected John to lead off with salty language. Prophets are known for using provocative language that gets a rise out of people. It’s the smooth talking prophets that tickle the ears of their listeners that you have to be concerned about. But I imagine there were a good number of people who were put off by John’s opening words, and maybe a bit defensive. Who is he to call me the child of a snake? Does John wish I would have stayed away so that God’s wrath could get me? How rude.

John may not have been everyone’s cup of tea. But he stands in a tradition that is a gift for the rest of us. Like drill sergeants and no nonsense supervisors, we need people who will speak hard truths, who are direct and to the point. We sometimes need someone who will give it to us straight, no chaser. Sometimes we don’t need the teaspoon of sugar to help the medicine go down. We need prophets who tell us the plain truth of the matter in a way that gets our attention and communicates that this is serious business.

When John saw this crowd, he wanted to make sure they knew that what John was up to was serious business. He didn’t want them to get the impression that they could get off easy just by going out into the wilderness and getting wet in the Jordan river. It wasn’t enough to say “I’m sorry” when it came to all they had done that had offended God. They couldn’t rely on being descendants of Abraham to escape the wrath of God and being cut off from the people. John wanted the crowd to know that just showing up wasn’t enough. If the people wanted to escape God’s wrath, they had to live differently. They had to do life differently. They could not continue to behave the way they were and expect to avoid judgment.

So, John let them have it. If they want to come out here to receive the word of the prophet, good. If they want to repent of the way they have been living and want to make a change, good. If they want to mark that repentance by receiving a baptism of purification in the Jordan, good. But it’s not enough if they want to avoid the wrath of God. They cannot leave this place in the desert and go back to business as usual. They had to live differently, or this was all a big waste of effort. All God cares about is what people do. That’s what people will be held accountable for, the kind of life they live.

Here’s the bottom line of John’s message to the crowd. Time’s almost up. The wrath of God is coming. The ax is lying at the root of the trees and getting ready to be swung. If you aren’t bearing good fruit, if you aren’t living right, then God is going to cut you down and throw you in the fire.

That message was enough to get the attention of the crowds. They were properly provoked and alarmed. John had given them a dose of truth and they were engaged and determined to not get struck down by that divine ax. So, the crowd cried out to John, “What should we do?” They want to be trees that produce good fruit. But how?

I can almost see John rolling his eyes. “You all don’t know what to do? Are you really that clueless?” John gives the crowd simple, practical examples of what producing good fruit looks like. If you have two tunics, give one to somebody who doesn’t have a tunic. If you have extra food, give it to somebody who doesn’t have any food. In other words, share. Tax collectors asked what they should do. John told them to be fair. Soldiers asked what they should do. John told them to not take money from people and be satisfied with their wages. Don’t be greedy. Don’t abuse your power.

This isn’t complicated. Do you want to avoid God’s wrath and produce good fruit? Put your love into action. Do good. Share. Be fair. Practice the golden rule. Express love with deeds. That’s it. You don’t have to believe the right things. You don’t have to know all the answers. You don’t have to say the right words. The fruit God is looking for is simple acts of kindness and generosity. You know, like what we learned in Kindergarten? If you can do that, then you will be ok.

I thought of John’s message when I caught a clip of an interview given by Bob Dole. I don’t know if it was the last interview he gave but he was clearly well advanced in years when he gave it. He said that every day he would try to make a difference in one person’s life. He said he didn’t always meet that goal, but he committed to always work at it. That is an admirable goal to set. Make someone’s day each day of your life. Bearing good fruit.

The homily at Bob Dole’s funeral was given by the Senate chaplain Barry Black. He did not serve the Senate when Dole was there, but he did help him in the process of building the World War II memorial. About Dole, Black said that he didn’t wear his religion on his sleeves. It was his deeds that demonstrated his faith. Black said that Dole lived his life in the words of someone who said, “I want to see your sermon instead of hear it.” Or, in the words attributed to St. Francis, “Preach the gospel at all times, using words only when necessary.” Bearing good fruit.

One of my favorite times of the week is around 6:50 on Friday evening. CBS evening news ends their broadcast with a segment of Steve Hartman “On the Road.” Do yourself a favor and go to YouTube and type in the search box “Steve Hartman on the road.” You will be inspired by one story after another of people doing something simple, an act of kindness, that has an impact that will warm your heart.

There is a story about a high school that was plagued with fights. Over a period of days over twenty young people were arrested. It was out of control. In response, a group of men took it upon themselves to hang out at the school. They greeted the students in the morning. They wandered around the halls during the day. They said goodbye to the students at the end of the day. They joked and teased the kids. They occasionally gave “the look.” The presence of this group of men changed the atmosphere of the school overnight. Hartman said to the group of men, “None of you are social workers. You do not have masters degrees in social work. You are not trained in law enforcement. No education degrees. What are your qualifications?” One of the men said, “We are dads.” They talked about how for many of these kids they do not have any male role models in their life. They said that these students are all their kids. They act like dads for these students. And it has made all the difference. Bearing good fruit.

There is the story of a general store in a small town in Vermont that was on the verge of closing. Why? Because there were literally no employees. The last worker had quit. It left the owner alone to run the store. But for the community, this general store was the heart of the town. So, people took it upon themselves to do the work that needed done, whether it be stocking shelves or running the cash register. Retirees, professionals, people who just had spare time, they would come in and work at the store, volunteering their time. All these people did it because they didn’t want to lose that store. Bearing good fruit.

Closer to home. Debra, the director of the Free Store, was sharing with me a story about the recent Holiday Express Breakfast. She said that as a family was going along to get their breakfast of pancakes and sausage, one of the kids, with a big grin on her face, said, “This is like Bob Evans!” Bearing good fruit. A neighbor in Westgate put out on Facebook that her husband was coming home from the hospital after having back surgery and asked if anyone had a wheelchair they could borrow. At Parkview, we have a couple that are never used. So, I met her at the church and loaned out the wheelchair. She brought it back when they were done with it and expressed gratitude about how helpful that chair was so that her husband could get around the house. Bearing good fruit.

“What should we do?” That was the question that the crowd asked John the prophet. Maybe John rolled his eyes. Maybe not. But actually, that’s not a bad question. I invite you to carry that question with you. Have that question on hand when you are confronted with a situation. When you learn about someone in need, or a problem in our community, ask yourself the question, “What should I do?” And then, listen for a response. It doesn’t have to be hard or complicated. It can be as simple as sharing what you have. Do you have spare clothes, spare food, spare time? Share what you have. Bear good fruit.

What is Your Assignment?

Based on Luke 3:1-6

When our kids were younger, we would read them a bedtime story. One of the books they wanted us to read every night was the classic “Good Night, Moon.” Kim and I almost had that story memorized by the time the boys were ready to hear a different story. Night after night, we would read that story, kiss them good night and turn off the light. “Good Night, Moon” was part of the bedtime ritual. We couldn’t change the story.

This time of year, we hear the same stories, again and again. Soon, on Christmas Eve, we will hear again the story read from the gospel of Luke of the birth of Jesus and the shepherds keeping their flocks by night when all of a sudden a host of angels appears in the sky. It would make no sense but read the birth story of Jesus on Christmas Eve.

There is another story that we hear every year during Advent, and that is the story about John the Baptist, the one who was out in the wilderness, wearing a cloak made of camel’s hair, who eats locusts and wild honey. John and Jesus were cousins. And while Jesus was trained by his father Joseph to be a carpenter, we are told that John grew up in the wilderness. It was out in the wilderness where John received a word from the Lord. And he proclaimed that message to prepare the way for the Lord.

Just as it makes sense to tell the birth story of Jesus on Christmas Eve, it makes sense to tell the story of John the Baptist in the weeks leading up to Christmas because John’s message was one of preparation. Advent, these four weeks before Christmas are a time of preparation for us. But what are we preparing for, exactly? It has to be more than just the preparations involved with decorating the house, buying and wrapping presents, and preparing the Christmas Eve service. Advent should be a time when we are doing some inner work, some preparation in our hearts. We want to create some space so that we can ponder and marvel over what Christmas is all about, that God became human, being born as a baby. God became one of us. God can relate to what it means to be human because God became human. We need to take this time to pause, to consider the mystery of the birth of Jesus, and prepare ourselves so that when Christmas Eve comes, and we hear that birth story again we are ready to receive this mystery and delight in it.

How do we prepare our hearts? That’s where John’s story comes in. He tells us to make the paths straight. We are to fill in the valleys and lower the mountains, straighten out the crooked paths and smooth over the rough places. It’s like he is telling us to create a smooth, flat surface. It’s a lot easier to go from one place to another when the surface you are walking on is flat and the road is straight.

The first church I served was in Alva, Oklahoma, home of Northwestern Oklahoma State University. It is located just to the east of where the Oklahoma panhandle is located. Sometimes, I would have to drive from Alva to Guymon, which is located in the middle of the panhandle. I would point my car west and drive along. I could go for miles without passing another car. The road was as straight as an arrow. So, as I flew down the road, I would maybe prop a book up on the steering wheel and read a little bit. When Kim was driving out there, she would also be balancing the checkbook. When the land is flat, there are no cars, no towns, and the road is straight, that’s an easy trip.

What does this have to do with John’s message? John is saying that the Lord is coming, so we need to prepare the way of the Lord. We prepare by making the passage as smooth and easy as possible. We want the Lord to get from point A to point B as efficiently as possible. We don’t want the path to be weaving back and forth. We don’t want anyone to stumble over a stone. We don’t want to deal with walking down and back out of a valley or have to walk up and back down a mountain. We want it to be straight and smooth for the Lord. We don’t want any obstacles blocking the way of the Lord.

But I want to draw our attention to what is unique about how Luke tells the story of John the Baptist. In his telling, he doesn’t tell about how John wore camel skins and ate locusts and wild honey. Instead, he expands on the quote from Isaiah that the other gospel writers include. And he lists the names of all these institutional leaders: the names of the emperor, the governor, all these tetrarchs, and who were the high priests at the time. All these people, with the exception of Phillip and Lysanias, have roles to play in the story to follow. So, Luke is introducing some characters in the story if you will. But what else may be going on here?

Partly, Luke is locating this event in history. When the word of the Lord came to John in the wilderness, this took place in a specific moment in history. By naming these leaders, Luke is stressing the point that this is not a legend he is describing but is something that happened in real time. We do this today, when we talk about historic events, by naming periods of time based on who was president: the Bush era, the Obama years, the Biden presidency. Naming presidents, those in power, is a handy way to note the time frame we are talking about. So, this is what Luke is doing.

But also, Luke is setting up a tension around power, about who is really in charge. After naming all these officials, the emperor, the governor, the tetrarchs, the high priests, Luke says the word of God came to John in the wilderness. These powerful leaders live in cities. Everyone knows their names. They are “somebodies.” John is a “nobody” who lives in the middle of “nowhere.” Yet, John receives a word from God. Not the emperor, not Pilate, or Herod, or even Annas or Caiaphas. It’s John. How is it that someone who has no institutional power gets a word from God? Who has more power and authority? 

Tiberius, Pontius Pilate, Herod, Caiaphas, they all have titles: emperor, governor, tetrarch, high priest. Their titles give them power and authority. And it is significant. No one was more powerful than the emperor. He had the command of an army to back up his power. He had control of the economy. All these other titled people derived their power from the will of the emperor. And it didn’t matter what you or anyone else thought about it. This is the way it was. Love him or hate him, Tiberius was the emperor and if you didn’t fall in line, you would suffer the consequences. Just look at the people who were crucified as a consequence of rebelling against the emperor to see what would happen to you. Clearly the emperor had a lot of power.

Except God has more power. And the word of God has more authority than any word that the emperor or any of these entitled leaders would proclaim. John, a nobody who lived in the middle of nowhere was given a message that had more power and authority than that spoken by the emperor. That’s just bonkers. But here’s the really amazing thing about how God’s power is on display through the words spoken by John. People could ignore John, could pay no attention to the word of God spoken by John, and absolutely nothing would happen to them. I would not be surprised that Tiberius didn’t even know who John was, much less hear what he had to say. And that didn’t impact Tiberius one bit.

Here’s the amazing thing. For the word of God to be effective, to have the impact that God intended, people had to hear the message and believe it. No one held a sword at your throat and demanded you listen to and accept this message from God spoken by John. You had the freedom to decide for yourself if you would listen to, believe, and act on this message. You had to give consent.

Not only do you have to give consent to accept this message, you had to go out of your way to hear it. If the emperor wanted to get out a message, he could send messengers all over the place, to every city, town and hamlet, to declare his message. Not John. Someone had to tell you about John, and then you had to leave your town and go out to the middle of nowhere to find John and hear his message. It took some effort. There was no straight path to where John was. To make that kind of journey you had to at least be open to what John was saying. No one would go into the wilderness to hear John if they didn’t care what he had to say. You couldn’t miss the emperor’s message, whether you cared to hear it or not. But to hear a word from God through John, you had to care. You had to work to get there so you could hear it. You had to contribute to the process of receiving that word. It wasn’t going to be handed to you or delivered by a town crier.

So, let’s say you have decided to make that journey into the wilderness so you could hear a message from God delivered by John. You hear the message. Now what? Do you shrug your shoulders and say to yourself, “Wow, that was a waste of my time.”? I would think that after going all that way, probably on a road that curved, where there was some rough places, and maybe even a valley or mountain to deal with, and having received that message, you would want to respond in some way. John told you what to do. You are to prepare the way of the Lord by making that path straight and easy. You are to repent, change your way of living, and mark that decision by getting baptized. Now, let me quickly say, John’s baptism is different from the baptism that we receive when we come to belief in Jesus. The baptism John offered was like a ritual act of purification that you could do, with anticipation that your sins will be forgiven. But the main thing I’m trying to say is to believe the message of God spoken by John, you have to respond. You have to do something. Or not. Like I said before, no one was going to be able to threaten you if you chose not to do anything or believe what John was saying. John had no army to back up his authority. You are free to take it or leave it. But if you decide to accept the message, then there is a needed response.

Now, wouldn’t it be a lot easier to hear the message, believe it, and then go back home and continue on with your life? The problem is that the message John speaks is not something that you can just believe and then go on like nothing happened. The message includes an assignment. We have to prepare the way of the Lord. We have to fill in the valleys and level the mountains. We have to straighten out the curves and smooth out the rough places. We have work to do. We have to be about the work of removing obstacles out of the way so that the Lord can come through.

Just think about that. What are the obstacles that obstruct the way of the Lord? What gets in the way of the Lord passing through?  Maybe one of the biggest obstacles are the mental blocks. People think they have to go on this long spiritual journey. They have to do certain things, say the right prayers, read the right books, listen to the right preachers, go to the right churches. Some people even get the idea that to find God they have to go to some theological school or be ordained as a minister. Finding God is the business of the professional.

The reality is that the way of the Lord doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t have to go down valleys and up mountains to find God. As a matter of fact, to find God, all you have to do is look inside your own heart. I think I heard someone say once that the path to God is the distance from your head to your heart. It’s that journey from knowing about God in your head to knowing God in your heart.

What is your assignment? How do you need to prepare the way of the Lord? Maybe your work is to do your own straightening out, to reconnect that path between your head and your heart so that the God you know about can be the God you come to know in your heart. Or maybe your assignment is to work on moving those obstacles for others, to help them see by your own example that the path to God is not complicated. I invite you to consider your assignment. The voice of the one crying in the wilderness says, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, fill the valleys, level the mountains, straighten the crooked places, smooth over the rough places.” What is your assignment? How will you accomplish this task?