That Other Christmas Story

Christmas Eve 2023
John 1:1-5, 10-14

It is well known that Luke and Matthew have two very different Christmas accounts. Luke’s is the best known, with the journey to Bethlehem, no room at the inn, the choirs of angels appearing to shepherds, and the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. From Matthew we get the wise men (or kings), their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrr, and of course, the star. Our nativity plays tend to follow one story or the other. The Christmas musical called ‘Journey to Bethlehem’, that was released in cinemas this year, and which featured Antonio Banderas as a maniacal, singing King Herod, is based on the story of Matthew’s Gospel. The Christmas special released by the makers of ‘The Chosen’ for this Christmas is based on Luke’s Christmas story. Sometimes both accounts are combined so that shepherds and sheep are mixing with magi and camels in the stable, while angels and a star share the sky overhead. It’s a bit busy, but you cannot get more Christmassy than that!

Less known to most people is that there is a third Christmas account in the Gospels, and that is the one at the beginning of John’s Gospel which we have just heard. Of all the Christmas accounts it is the most profound, the most filled with meaning and, in my view, the most impactful. Yet I have never seen a Nativity play or Christmas film based upon John’s Christmas account.

The problem is a practical one. If you are putting on a nativity play based on the account from Luke, you need to find people to play shepherds, angels, Mary and Joseph. Plenty of parts to go around. And for the backdrop you will need a stable, manger and perhaps a few farm animals. Casting, costumes and scenery are pretty straight forward.

If you decide to put on a nativity play based on Matthew’s account you will need to find people to play the kings, or magi. And the Bible doesn’t say there were only three, so you can fill up the cast on these. You still need a Mary and a Joseph. Even though the magi appear sometime well after the birth in Bethlehem and the family have certainly moved out of the stable by then, most go with the stable setting. It is certainly easier as a backdrop than a Middle-Eastern mud and brick house. As backdrop you will need some camels, a stable and a star. A maniacal singing King Herod is optional. Once again, casting, costumes and scenery are pretty straight forward.

But what if the pastor says, “You know what, I think this year we should go with the account in John’s Gospel for our nativity play.” Well, what to you do then. The account in John chapter one is certainly powerful. But then we begin to look at the practical aspects. The main cast consists of God, the Word (who is also God), the Light (which is also God and the Word). Oh, and that crazy prophet who wore animal skins and ate locust, John the Baptist, also makes an appearance. But his part comes some thirty years after the birth of Jesus, so perhaps easier to leave him out. I wonder what casting and costuming are going to do with God, the Word, and the Light?

The setting for the first scene is in the beginning, before anything was created. So the backdrop to that scene is pretty straight forward. Nothing. Then comes Darkness, and Light that shines into the darkness. Perhaps we could turn the lights down and then turn a spotlight or torch on.

Oh, and we also have the world. All of it. The same world that the main character, the Word, has created. But that is a different story. A bit hard to fit the world on stage. Perhaps an old globe would do. And then all the people in the world need to see the glory of the Word made flesh, full of grace and truth. So we will need to work on how to depict glory, grace and truth – and should they be characters or scenery?

And then the climax of the story. The Word, which existed way back when nothing else existed and is God, takes on human flesh (that is, is born as a baby) and comes and lives among us. But this is all really important, because everyone who sees the Light, who believes that the Word was made flesh as a little baby and lived among us, is ‘empowered to become the children of God.’ Not sure how we will show people transforming into children of God, but I suspect some sort of costume change might be needed here.

Okay, so admittedly, putting on a nativity play based on John’s Gospel would present some challenges. And no one has been able to pull it off before. But we’re up for a challenge, right?

Or maybe we could just stick with shepherds and angels and Mary and Joseph. After all, we already have the costumes. And we can keep the stable and manger because we already have those too. Perhaps It is as good as way as any to show that ‘the Word became flesh and lived among us.’

And the crazy pastor who wanted to do everything this year based on John’s Gospel? Well, perhaps he could simply read the story from John after the traditional nativity play and explain it. And as for the beginning of the World, God, the Word, the Light, Darkness, glory, grace and truth – We will just have to use our imaginations until we can find a very creative and hopelessly optimistic Christmas play director.

Until then, we will just have to rely on shepherds, sheep, angels, stables and kings bearing gifts to get the point across.

A blessed Christmas everyone!

And may the light of the world, the Word made flesh who came and dwelt among us, bless you and keep you.

Pastor Mark Worthing.

That You May have Peace

Sermon for 4 Advent 2023
Peace Sunday
St Peter’s Lutheran Church, Port Macquarie

John 16:25-33

Peace is the traditional theme of the final Sunday in Advent. It is also a major theme of the Christmas season. I looked back over sermons from previous years for this Sunday and found that I often started by noting that there seemed to be a short supply of peace in the world. Last year in was the war in the Ukraine, the year before that Myanmar was the focus of attention. And before that in the war with ISIS in Syria and Iraq, and before that it was the war in Afghanistan. This year, the focus of the world’s attention is on the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. In fact, for the past one hundred years there has been a significant and horrendous conflict going on somewhere in the world. And of course, prior to that one hundred year period was the small matter of the first world war, billed at the time as the ‘war to end all wars.’ I think you see the pattern.

Yet every Christmas we wish one another peace. We sing about peace on earth, just like the angels did to the shepherds. And we pray for peace. It seems that one of the few things that has changed over the past 100 Christmases is that we now hear a lot more detail about the human suffering brought about by war and we hear about it much more quickly and in much more graphic detail. So how on earth do we sing about peace on earth and goodwill to all people when there is always at least one major, tragic war going on in the world? And why do we even bother? Perhaps the angels were simply naïve when they sang their song. Perhaps Jesus was simply being overly optimistic when he spoke of peace. Or perhaps, we are missing something.

Today’s gospel text is a good place to start. It finishes with Jesus telling his disciples that they will have peace. In the ancient Near East the wish for peace was a common greeting and farewell. In Hebrew and Aramaic, spoken by Jesus and his disciples, ‘Shalom’ was ‘hello’ and also ‘goodbye’. Only the intonation was different. And sometimes goodbye was the double ‘Shalom, Shalom!’ The Arabic greeting ‘salaam’ also means peace and comes from the same original core word as Shalom. So perhaps Jesus was simply wishing his disciples ‘goodbye’ in the familiar language of the day and not actually promising them an elusive peace.

To put Jesus’ wish for peace for his disciples into context, we need to look at the conversation he was having with them when he said these words.

In today’s text Jesus is coming to the end of his long Last Supper discourse to his disciples. He has just a few more words to say to his closest companions, then he will pray for them (John 17). And then he will be arrested. Much of what he has been saying to this point perplexed his disciples. At the end of chapter 13 Peter interrupts him to ask why he cannot follow where Jesus is going (13:37). This in chapter 14 both Thomas and Philip interrupt him. Thomas asks how they can know the way to where Jesus is going when they do not even know where he is going (14:5), and then Philip asks Jesus to simply show them the Father (14:8). And then Judas (not Iscariot) interrupts to ask how it is that Jesus will reveal himself to those who follow him, but not to the world (14:22). And then earlier in chapter 16 Jesus gave them the riddle, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’ (v. 16) which left them all puzzling over what he meant.

But now Jesus says to them that he will no longer speak to them in figures of speech, but will now speak plainly.

Then he tells his disciples: ‘On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father’

And to this his disciples respond: ‘Now at last you are speaking plainly and not in figures of speech!’ (v. 29).

Now I do not know about you, but these last words of Jesus seem no less perplexing than the things he has been telling them which they found so difficult to understand. And yet their response is one of clear relief. ‘Thank goodness you are now speaking to us plainly!’ And not only that, but these words prompt them to confess that they now believe Jesus knows all things, does not need to have anyone question him, and has truly come from God (v. 30). And this is perhaps a reference to the fact that they have been peppering Jesus with questions the entire evening as he sought to explain to them what was about to occur.

Now it is the readers’ turn to scratch our heads, wondering just what is was that Jesus said in these few short sentences that is not only now so clear to the disciples, but which provokes such a response of faith.

What we are missing is the first century Jewish context. Jesus has been talking much about the Father and his relationship to the Father in John’s gospel. Some of his words have been such explicit claims to be God that the Jewish authorities took up stones and tried to kill Jesus. But now, after twice in this extended Last Supper discourse telling his disciples to ask anything of the Father in his name and they will receive it (14:13f; 16:24), Jesus comes back to them saying that when they ask in his name he will not ask the Father on their behalf. This is because there is no need for him to do so.

What Jesus has been saying to his disciples from the beginning of his time with them now suddenly becomes clear to the disciples. Jesus does not need to ask the Father on their behalf because he and the Father are in fact one. When they have loved Jesus, they have loved the Father. When Jesus goes on to say, once again, that he came into the world from the Father and is now leaving the world to return to the Father, echoing the language that John began his gospel with, the penny finally drops for the disciples. Jesus is from Father. He is one with Father. And is now leaving the world to be fully one with the Father again. Jesus is not just a great prophet. He is not simply the Messiah. He is God himself. Suddenly the eyes of the disciples are opened and what Jesus says is plain to them. This is what prompts their confession of faith in Jesus.

And Jesus responds to them not with great praise for finally getting it, but with these sardonic words: ‘Do you now believe?’ In other words, at this very last hour, at the end of my final words of teaching for you, you at last get it!

Well, and good. Better late than never. But now that the disciples finally clearly understand who Jesus is, he has some hard news for them.

‘The hour is coming,’ he says, ‘and is indeed now upon us when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will all abandon me, leaving me alone. But as you have now understood, I will not be alone because the Father is with me’ (v. 32).

The disciples now understand, but there is no time to explore what this means. There is no time to rejoice in their now firmly cemented faith. Jesus needs to tell them that very difficult times are coming and coming very soon. The disciples are about to flee into hiding.

Just when they finally fully understand just who Jesus is, their time with him is at an end. And things are going to become very difficult for them. And it is precisely here that Jesus promises them peace. In fact, he tells them that he has told them these things, about he and Father being one. About him leaving the world to return to the Father, about the difficult times about to come – in order that they might have peace.

It does strike us at first as a strange kind of peace. To be told your friend, your teacher, your Lord, is going to leave you. To be told that persecution is coming and you will all go into hiding – these are not the kind of words we would normally associate with bringing peace. But that is exactly what Jesus says. He doesn’t sugar-coat anything, he doesn’t beat around the bush. He tells them bluntly that things are going to change, and that trials are coming. But he tells them this to give them peace. And this peace is possible because of who Jesus is. The peace Jesus promises is possible because Jesus is returning to the Father where he himself will hear their prayers. This peace is possible because, despite the persecution they are about to face, Jesus assures them: ‘I have conquered the world.’ (v. 35).

Notice the past tense. Jesus is not about to conquer the world. He is not hoping to conquer the world. He is not in the process of developing a plan to conquer the world. Jesus has already conquered the world. By taking on human flesh and living among us. Jesus has already redeemed and ‘conquered’ the world. His death and resurrection are yet to play out, but the victory has already been won.

Here Jesus uses military imagery here. A great peace comes after a great victory. Jesus has won a great peace through a great victory. But it is a victory that no one saw coming, and a peace like no one had envisaged.

And this is not the first time Jesus promised his disciples peace during his last evening with them. In chapter 14:27 we read that Jesus told his disciples ‘Peace I lave with you; my peace I give to you.’ This was his promise to the disciples as he explained he was going to be with the Father. And notice it is not just any kind of peace he promised by ‘my peace’, the peace of Jesus. That is the peace Jesus is now reminding his disciples of at the end of his talk with them at the last supper. This is the final thought that he wants them to take with them into the difficult times to come.

We continue to pray and work for peace on earth, and not only at Christmas. We do this because Jesus has made peace with all people through the cross. We do this because through his resurrection Jesus has defeated death and so offers us a peace that goes far beyond a simple earthly cessation of hostilities. Even when physical peace between nations and peoples seems in short supply, we know that have a peace with God through Christ that shines brightly in our lives and in our world regardless of the troubles that rage around us.

At Christmas time, regardless of what turmoil we might be experiencing in our lives, or whatever troubles are unfolding in the world around us, we have real peace, the peace of Christ that rises above all else, a peace that transforms us and fills us with joy and hope.

And now in the words of the Apostle Paul which we heard in our epistle reading this morning, ‘May the peace of God was transcends all human understanding guard you in heart and mind, now and always.’ Amen.

Pastor Mark Worthing

God’s Christmas Gift

The Text: Luke 2:11 (ESV)

Christmas is a time to give gifts. There’s a story about unexpected gifts at Christmas which were regarded as heaven-sent. The story comes from about 100 years ago in Germany. It was after World War I. In those days in Germany there wasn’t much work or much money to go around.

One Christmas, a factory owner asked a young man to be St Nicholas for his family. He gave him a bag filled with apples, nuts, chocolates and toys, to bring to his house. On Christmas Eve the young man dressed in his costume and set out for the factory owner’s home. There was a thick fog that afternoon. As Santa made his way, people suddenly appeared out of the fog, startled to see him. Soon there was happy laughter, as they realised it was the night for Santa to be doing his rounds.

At last he arrived and came up to the home ringing a bell and stamping his feet. He knocked at the door and immediately went in, because that’s what he was expected to do. But he was very surprised by what he saw. There was no Christmas tree and decorations. There was only one light on. A woman was lying on a bed next to a stove and near her was a girl of 5 or 6, sobbing bitterly.

The young Santa didn’t know what he should do or say. It wasn’t the factory owner’s home after all. In his confusion he heard the child say, half-crying, half-laughing, “Santa is here, Mummy! And you said he wouldn’t visit us!” “Mummy’s sick, you know,” the little girl said to Santa. “And she said that because she’s sick, you wouldn’t come to us.” Then, turning to her mother, she said, “But he’s come after all!”

The young man realised he’d become lost in the fog and had come to the wrong house. He couldn’t say, “I’m sorry. I got lost. I have to be going to a different house.” He did the only thing he could do. He took the bag off his shoulder, reached in and took out the gifts. Then he patted the girl on the head and shook hands with the amazed mother. He heard the woman say, “Whoever you are, I don’t know. But you are a gift from Heaven”.

On arriving at the home of his boss, he explained what had happened. “I couldn’t help it, Herr Schroeder,” he said. “I gave your gifts to someone else’s child without authority.” “It’s alright, my boy,” Schroeder said. You did the right thing. It wasn’t you who did it. It was Someone else. He led you to that place. That’s what can happen at Christmas. As for the bag, we’ll fill it again, right away.”

And so the young Santa went to the children’s party to give out his gifts, as he’d originally set out to do. He soon found out who it was he’d stumbled on by mistake. But the mother and her daughter never discovered who the young Santa was, whom, as the woman said, “Heaven had sent”.

Presents bring joy at Christmas, especially to children. But the greatest gift of all, which is the real reason for Christmas, isn’t merely something from this Earth that’s Heaven-sent.

The greatest gift is that ‘someone else’ in the story. He came from Heaven and was sent by God the Father. He was God’s Son from all eternity who came into our time as a little baby, the son of Mary. The message of the angel of the Lord to the shepherds of Bethlehem is also God’s good news for us: “For unto you is born … in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord”.

By nature, all humanity is a captive of sin and the devil, without peace and hope. By nature, all people are in a worse position than the sick mother and her distraught daughter. Because we live under the verdict of death and eternal punishment because of our sins, the birth of the Saviour, the Rescuer, is more than good news. It’s the best news.

Jesus, God’s Son, is the best of gifts. He’s the gift of God’s Love to us. He is Christ, that is, He’s the Anointed One. He was anointed by His Father with the Holy Spirit at His baptism, to be the one who would take into Himself the sins of all people and who would pay for those sins by His death on a cross. He could do it because He’s also the Lord, just as the Father and the Holy Spirit are the Lord. As we say in the Nicene Creed, He’s “God from God”.

Christ, the Lord, was conceived by the creative power of the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary. He came bound up in the wrappings of human flesh and blood. Gift wrapping you can throw out. God’s Son didn’t throw away the wrappings of His flesh and blood. He came to rescue us from our sins by giving His body into death and shedding His blood on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins. His saving work done, He triumphantly rose from the dead in His body, to show that He’s the victor over sin, death and the devil. Now He shares His victory with us.

He came from Heaven to Earth to unite Heaven and Earth. He came to bring about peace between God and sinners. He came to send us the Holy Spirit who brings about repentance in us and faith in God’s good news for us. All who believe in Him are rescued from sin and shame. We have great joy and peace and hope. Like the angels at Bethlehem, we also give glory to God who has brought about peace between Himself and us.

In our story, the identity of the young Santa remained concealed. When Christ was born to bring us God’s gifts, His identity was proclaimed by angels, so that all might believe in Him. His identity and location were proclaimed firstly to shepherds. They immediately went to find Christ, the King. When they found Him, they told everyone what the angels had told them about Him. They went back to their work, giving glory and praise God. The song of the angels was now their song.

We too give praise to God. We thank Him for the best of gifts: Christ the Lord, born to rescue us from our distress. God also tells us where we can find the Christ for our salvation. We find Him in the Bible, because there we’re given His words, by the power of the Holy Spirit. We find Him in His Baptism, where He places His name on us and makes us part of His family.

We find Him in His Supper, because there He feeds us with His own body and blood. Where He gives Himself to us, He brings us His forgiveness and love, and fills us with peace, joy and hope. Jesus wasn’t only Heaven-sent. He came from heaven so that we also might have a place in Heaven. He’s God’s Christmas gift to us.

Amen.

‘Despite everything – Joy’

Sermon for 3 Advent, 2023
St Peter’s Lutheran Church, Port Macquarie, NSW
John 16:16-24

It is easy, or at least is should be, to be happy when all is going well. But true happiness, and indeed true joy, is not dependent on everything going well. It is not dependent upon having our dream home, driving our dream car, doing well at school or work, having lots of friends. If we seek joy through these things, good though they be, they will eventually and inevitably fail us. Genuine joy, the kind of joy that lasts, is instead to be sought and found in the midst of hardship, struggle, difficult times, pain and grief. All three of our readings today talk about joy. But each one talks about joy in the midst or aftermath of pain and hardship. Did you catch that?

In our first reading from Isaiah 65, we read that when God creates the wonderful new heavens and new earth, ‘the former things will not be remembered or come to mind,’ but that instead, we ‘will rejoice forever in what God is creating.’ This means that the joy of God’s new creation will overwhelm all memories and thoughts of pain and suffering. The Joy of God’s new creation arises out of the context of human suffering. It does not deny or ignore it. It simply overwhelms human pain with the joy of God’s work.

Similarly, in the epistle reading for this Sunday, from 1 Peter 1, we read that we rejoice, or find joy, in the new life we have in Christ ‘even if now for a little while we have had to suffer various trials.’ The ‘indescribable and glorious joy’ that Peter writes about are not the result of a charmed life, of living in a good neighbourhood with and having many friends – as nice as these things might be. But the joy he describes comes also and especially those who have suffered.

In the Gospel reading for today the link between the joy we have in Christ and the reality of the pain and suffering of this life is even more profoundly underscored in the comparison Jesus makes with a mother giving birth.

But before we get to this illustration that Jesus used to describe the joy we have in him, we need to first look at the strange riddle he put to his disciples. Jesus, in today text, is still sitting around the table of the last supper with his disciples. He is telling them things they need to know. In in the midst of these talks Jesus says to them ‘After a little while, you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.’ (v. 16).

In essence, Jesus tells his disciples that they will soon not see him, and then they will see him again. And the disciples note that this is because Jesus is going to the Father (vv 16-17). Of course, the disciples are completely baffled by this. The words are a genuine riddle for them. So the discuss its meaning among themselves and Jesus asks them why they are discussing what he meant – as if his words should be obvious. But the meaning of this saying was not obvious to the disciples. Even today, Bible scholars debate the meaning of this saying. Is Jesus referring to the fact that he will soon die, and they will not see him, but then in a little while he will be raised from the dead, and they will see him again? This certainly makes sense. But in what way does Jesus go to the Father in his death?

So perhaps Jesus was referring to his ascension to the Father, after which the disciples would not physically see him. But he would come back and they would see him again. This would also make sense, even though the ‘little while’ in which he was gone would certainly be from God’s perspective and not ours as it has now been just over two thousand years and counting! Some would argue that Jesus had both of these things in mind. Others that he was referring to something else entirely. So, when Jesus asks his disciples if they were discussing what he meant by ‘a little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’ we would expect him to clarify what he meant.

But that is not what Jesus does. Jesus talks instead about the pain his followers will feel while he is away from them. And he comforts them by assuring them that this ‘pain will turn into joy.’

Now his disciples would have immediately recognised that pain and joy are opposites. They go together like war and peace, famine and feast, hatred and love. So now they have two riddles. Not only are they still confused about not seeing Jesus in a little while, and then in a little while and they will see him again, but now they must surely also be wondering, how can joy come from pain?

But it was not Jesus’ intention to confuse either his disciples or us. His words are not riddles to solve, but words of comfort, hope and joy. The disciples were indeed wondering just what Jesus meant by a little while and they would not see him, and in a little while further, they would see him. But Jesus is concerned not with explaining the meaning of these words, but with preparing them, and us, for the time in which he is not with us. For the time in which the world will rejoice and we well be tested and experience pain. Jesus is concerned that his disciples are able to cope with the first ‘little while’ of his absence, until the abiding joy of his return. And to do this, he uses the example of a mother giving birth. In this way he explains to them how it is possible for joy to come from pain.

Jesus says: ‘When a woman is in labour, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world.’ (v. 21).

Now, I want to say right up front that I have never given birth. I cannot speak from direct personal experience. But being a father in the current generation, in which fathers were not made to wait outside the birthing room for news, I was with my wife through the birth of four children. Each birth was different and each was memorable. But in all of them, my wife experienced great pain.

The first time around her labour lasted just over twenty hours. I did all I could to help with encouraging words like ‘hang in there’, ‘it won’t be long, now,’ ‘millions of women do this every year, you can do it too,’ and best of all, ‘Surely its not that bad.’ And of course, I said these words of comfort while gently holding her hand.

Oddly, these words of encouragement were not received in the spirit in which they were intended. In fact, it became increasingly clear to me that my wife was angry with me, as if I were somehow to blame for her pain! She didn’t want me to hold her hand. Then she did. She wanted me to massage her back, but was angry at me for not getting the right spot. (I never did find the right spot). I suggested, as my presence was obviously not as soothing as I had hoped, that perhaps I leave her in peace for an hour so while I went to get a cuppa. Well, she could have simply said. ‘No thank you, dear. I would prefer if you stayed.’ Now this might be hard for those of you who know my wife to wife to believe, but what she actually said through the gritted teeth of yet another painful contraction, was: ‘’Don’t you dare leave. You’re gonna stay here and suffer with me until this is over!’

Things went downhill from there. By the time we passed eighteen hours of labour I was pretty certain that my relationship with my wife was beyond repair. And then the baby finally came. Just under 10 pounds. That explained a lot. It was a little boy, all pink and wrinkled and odd looking, like all new babies are. And they placed him on top of my wife, now exhausted, to hold. She took one look at him, smiled, and said, ‘Isn’t this wonderful. It’s the most wonderful moment of my life.’

Well, I was perplexed. This was quite a sudden change in mood. Cautiously I took her hand. Something I had not been allowed to do for the past couple of hours. ‘Are you still angry with me?’ I asked.

‘Angry?’ ‘Why would I be angry?’

Later, it became clear that she did not remember half of things she had said to me in during labour. The worst pain, pain that pushed her to the limits of her endurance, was suddenly not just gone, but now largely forgotten. And in its place was simply joy, the joy at bringing new life into the world.

So when Jesus uses this example with his disciples, they understand that even the greatest pain can be turned to joy. Mothers teach us that.

And that is exactly what God will bring of all the pain and struggle in this life. As Jesus gives birth to a new life in us, a new life of forgiveness and the promise of a life with God forever, our pain turns to joy. And it is a special kind of joy indeed. Jesus tells us that it is a joy that no one can take from us (v. 22) and that it will be a complete or perfect joy (v. 24).

Imagine that. Something that can never be taken away, that will never fade, never diminish. I had a special bike once that brought be much joy, then it was stolen. I had a car when I was young that I put a lot of work and money into. It brought me much joy and I was going to keep it forever. Then the rust set in. But the joy that we have in Jesus is in a whole new category. It is perfect joy and joy that lasts. It is a joy that no one can take away from us.

On this Sunday in which we focus on the Joy that the coming king brings us, we do not deny or supress the pain and struggle we all at times experience. Instead, we are reminded of Jesus’ words of comfort that our pain will be turned to joy, a joy that is perfect and which cannot be taken from us. A joy that so transforms us that we will hardly remember the pain we have experienced. Because our joy, our true and perfect joy, is based upon the love that Jesus has for us, on his forgiveness, on the transformation he brings into our lives. In Jesus, and only in Jesus, do we find complete and lasting joy. Amen.

Pastor Mark Worthing.

Reflecting the true light.

The Text: John 1:6-8, 19-28

A few years ago, China landed a rocket on the moon and obtained some samples from the moon’s surface. We humans are fascinated by moon travel and expeditions to other planets.

Sometimes, when we see a full moon rising in the early evening, it appears so big and bright that we can see so much detail on it.

In some ways, John the Baptist is like the moon. He came rising onto the scene out of nowhere – from the wilderness – and told the people that he is not the light but was pointing the people to the light: He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. And that’s what the moon does. The moon does not produce its own light but it merely reflects the light of the sun. And what’s interesting is that the sun is nowhere to be seen – it’s at the opposite end of the world, and yet it shines bright enough to bring light to the deepest darkness.

In the same way, we Christians have been called to reflect the light of Christ. Jesus says – “You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” So just as John was a witness to the light, we are to be a witness to the light. The light of Christ. And we do that by reflecting the light of Christ in all that we do. Because people look at us and they don’t just judge us by the things we do or say but they judge God as well.

As we look to see how we are reflecting the light of God it is often helpful to look in the mirror to see what others are seeing. Quite often we don’t realise what we are reflecting. We might think we are looking okay – until we look in the mirror and see our shirt button isn’t done up or we have some breakfast remains on our face. We might think we are leading great examples of Christian living; but it’s not important what we think, but what others see in us.

Luther’s explanation to the 10 commandments in his Small Catechism, helps us reflect on how we break each of the commandments in 2 ways – known as acts of commission and acts of omission. We break the commandments not just by what we do – acts of commission – but by what we don’t do – acts of omission.

Usually we’re pretty good at refraining from doing the wrong thing – acts of commission, such as in the 5th Commandment: “You shall not kill. What does this mean? We are to fear and love God so that we do not hurt our neighbour in any way.” Yep, I can check that one off.

But Luther continues – “BUT, I am to help him in all his physical needs.” That’s the part I’m not always so good at. “Look, I’m a little busy at the moment – can’t somebody else help you?” Or the seventh commandment: “You shall not steal – we are to fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbour’s money or property.” Check. No worries with that one.

“BUT – we are to help him improve and protect his property and means of making a living.”

“Sorry but I’ve got my own business to worry about – I have to make enough to pay my mortgage – my credit card – and save up for my retirement. Can’t my neighbour get his act into gear? I’ve worked hard to get where I am – why can’t he do the same?”

Sometimes it’s not the light of what we are doing that is reflecting on people around us – but what we are NOT doing that people are taking notice of. As the old saying goes – “all it takes for evil to succeed is for good people to do nothing.” Sometimes it’s the acts of omission that do the most harm. And so it can be a real struggle reflecting the light of Christ because of the things that we don’t do to help our neighbour.

And there are also times when we can fall into the danger of not reflecting the light of Christ because we are trying too hard to reflect our own light. A sort of, “Look at me – look at all the good things I’m doing.” And that’s where John had to try hard to keep reminding people that he is NOT the light. He said – I’m not even Elijah or one of the prophets. I’m just one who is pointing you to the true light of Christ.

St Paul shares with us how we CAN reflect God’s light not by doing good works in order for the world to be impressed with our service. No, Paul says – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. What a freeing thing that is when we forget about trying to impress others by our good works and just rejoice, pray and give thanks for all the good things God has done for us..

It’s so easy to rejoice, pray and give thanks when we realise how much God has done for us in Christ. But it’s just as easy to reflect the opposite, to grumble about everything instead of rejoicing. Like the Israelites who grumbled about their conditions rather than rejoicing that God had freed them from slavery in Egypt, many of us complained about the restrictions that were imposed upon us during the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead of rejoicing that God had saved many lives through the actions of the medical profession, and some of the restrictions put in place by the government of the time, we grumbled that we had to wear masks in church and use individual cups for holy communion. It’s so easy to forget to rejoice and give thanks and pray for our government and our medical profession, even though they’re not perfect, like all of us. That’s when we need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, “What image are we reflecting to the world? What light are we shining? Are we shining our own light or Christ’s?”

So often we believe it is up to us to take the ‘fight’ to the world. We think that it is up to us to defend the rights of God and the church. And often what happens is that we replace God’s light with our own. And that’s what John was avoiding when he said: “I’m not the Christ, I’m not Elijah – I’m not one of the prophets. In fact I’m not even worthy enough to untie the sandals of the one I’m pointing you to.”

Yes, we all want to defend God – we all want to defend the church – we want to defend the name of Christ in an increasingly Godless world. But the best way we can do that is by rejoicing in the midst of it all – giving thanks in the midst of it all – and praying for all. And Paul says – pray without ceasing – because the challenges on the church and on God’s name are without ceasing. And in doing that we will be reflecting the light of Christ even if sometimes we don’t always live perfect lives. And even when that happens, we are assured by the Word of God, that, “the God of peace himself will sanctify you entirely; and your spirit and soul and body will be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The one who calls us is faithful, and he will do this. Amen.

‘The Contagion of Love’

St Peter’s Lutheran Church, Port Macquarie, NSW

John 15:9-17 –

The theme for the second Sunday in Advent is love, and there is no better text in John’s Gospel concerning love than today’s reading.

Jesus begins by teaching his disciples about the chain reactions that love produces, and places his disciples (and us) squarely in this chain. First, God the Father loves God the Son. It is no surprise that the basis and foundation of all genuine love is trinitarian, and is based on the nature of God. Now, at first this might look simply like self-love, which used to be viewed as a negative trait (narcissism in its extreme form) but today is much lauded and promoted. But the love God the Father has for God the Son is far more than this. The nature of the trinity reminds us that God is not only one, but also three. And it is from this later perspective of the three-ness of God that we need to understand this passage. The dynamic, living nature of the trinity includes the flow of love from the Father to the Son. It is the love of the other within the One.

Jesus explains to his disciples that this is where it all begins: the great chain of love. ‘Because the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. (v. 9). Because the Son is loved by the Father, the Son passes on his love to those who remain in him, that is, those who put their trust in him. So we have moved now from the love of the Father for the son, to the love of the Son for us. And the impact on us? Quite simply, this love is in turn passed on further. Jesus says to his disciples: ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.’ (v. 12)

You perhaps may remember a movie called ‘Pay it Forward’ from 2000. In it a 12 year old boy, inspired by a challenge from a school social studies assignment, decided to do a good deed for three different people and asks each of them ‘pay it forward’ to three other people. In essence it is a kindness pyramid scheme. The chain reaction of his actions has significant and unexpected consequences. Imagine the love of Jesus from the Father passed on to his disciples with the instruction to pass in on. Now imagine running this deep version of ‘pay it forward’ for the past two thousand years and counting. We can begin to understand something of the scope of what Jesus has called us to do in loving one another.

But it might seem that loving one another as Christ has loved us doesn’t seem to be having much impact at the moment. We have seen all too often in all too many places in recent times how contagious fear and hatred can be. One group or people or nation keep track of all the wrongs done to them by another group, which in turn keeps a similar list. Every unkind, unjust and even evil action draws like responses. And the hatred just seems to continue to spread and be passed on from one person to the next and from one generation to the next. In the midst of the despair caused by this situation we can all too easily forget that love also is contagious. Wars and feuds are often ended by someone’s act of love or self-sacrifice. How often have we seen the resolution of some painful conflict in our family, workplace or congregation simply dissolve because someone took the first step and said ‘sorry.’ Or perhaps someone simply offered help or a kind word in time of need.

I once inherited a feud with a neighbour from the previous pastor. According to long established tradition the neighbour would hold loud late night parties on Friday night and toss their empty beer bottles over the fence into the manse yard. The pastor would then get up very early on Saturday, throw all the bottles back, and then mow the lawn with a very loud mower, whether in needed mowing or not. When this behaviour happened two weeks in a row I was informed of the feud I had inherited. This information was not included in the call information! I wondered how to respond and took he question to church council. The head of the property committee offered to bring over a particularly loud mower. He also pointed out that some chain sawing needed to be done. We could up the ante. I liked the way he thought. Then our head elder, one the oldest members in the congregation, said very thoughtfully. ‘Well, that hasn’t worked for the past seven years. Perhaps you could pick a basket of peaches from the tree by the fence and leave in on their doorstep.’

That was a radical thought. It was worth a try. So I put aside the kind offer of a chainsaw and obnoxious lawnmower and went to work picking. I delivered a basket of choice peaches on the neighbours’ doorstep. I didn’t leave a note. The tree was visible from their house and was the only one in the neighbourhood. That night there was a knock on our front door.

A large, bearded man with arms and neck covered in tattoos stood at the door. ‘Did you leave a box of peaches in front of our door?’ he asked testily.

‘Yes,’ I admitted.

‘I thought so,’ he said, turned and walked away.

The next night I came home from work and found our rubbish bins had been brought in. I knocked on my neighbour’s door. ‘Did you bring my rubbish bins in?’ I asked.

‘Yeah. That was me,’ he said. ‘I hope you don’t mind, but it seemed easy enough to do as I was bringing mine in anyway.’ And that was it, the feud was over. No more beer bottles in the back yard, the music went quiet at 11 p.m. and no more early morning lawn mowing and chainsaw work. If I had followed by basis instincts my successor would probably still be having this feud. Thankfully one of my elders not only knew the words of scripture commanding us to love one another, and even to love our ‘enemies’, but understood the importance of applying them.

Jesus tells us that passing on the love he received from the Father and that he has shown to us is not simply a good idea. It is a command. ‘This is my commandment,’ he says, ‘that just as I have loved you, you will in turn show love to each other.’ And so, despite many glitches, false starts and missed opportunities, the Christian community is characterised by our love for each other, our love for others. It is in the end not possible to feel and understand, even imperfectly, the love that Jesus has shown for us, and not respond by passing on the love we have received. That is how the contagion of love works. It the best response we have to the fear and hatred that infects our world.

Love changes us. It transforms us. This is the case even in human relationships. My wife loves me. No one can work out the reason for it. Her mother certainly never understood it. I, too, remain baffled by it. But it has changed me. I am a slightly less cranky, less impatient, and less anti-social character largely because of her love. Take a moment to think of someone in your life, either in the past or in the present, whose love, care and acceptance of you has positively impacted your life. Have you thought of someone?

Have you thought of the impact they have had upon you? Now consider Jeus love for you and the impact his love has had and continues to have on your life. The impact of Jesus love for us occurs in so many ways we may miss many of them. But the impact of the love of God in Christ for us is on a scale of magnitude far above any human love.

And what is the nature and extent of this love? Jesus explains that to his disciples in today’s text. ‘No one,’ he tells them, ‘has greater love than this, to lay down his life for his friends.’ Then, after what I imagine was a very significant pause to let this soak in, he adds the kicker. ‘You are my friends.’

Jesus is willing to die for his disciples. He is willing to die for us. He is willing to die for all people. When he spoke these words to his disciples he knew he would be arrested later that night and put through a show trial and torture before being crucified. These words spoken on Thursday night are going to come back to the disciples on Friday. But it will take until Sunday and the empty tomb for them to begin to understand the full depth of their meaning. Jesus ends the hostilities, the feud, the breach between God and human beings by sacrificing himself for us – his friends. That is what love ultimately is. That is the love that Jesus shows to us. The love us Christ transforms us and transforms our world. And that is the love that Jesus calls those of us transformed by his great act of love to pass on to others.
Amen.

Pastor Mark Worthing.

Same story – different challenges

Text Mark 1:1-8

One of the challenges during Advent and Christmas is hearing the familiar story we all know so well. Not that there’s anything wrong with the story, but sometimes we sort of switch off – we’ve heard it all before – we want to hear something new. We all know the story. We’ve all seen the Christmas pageants and know the script. We’ve seen the Nativity scenes with Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus in a manger, the cow, donkey, the sheep and shepherds. It’s become almost too familiar. And what is the old saying: ‘Familiarity breeds contempt’”?

The season of Advent prepares the way to Christmas through the wilderness. Advent makes a straight path for Jesus – the path which is usually hindered by the busyness of shopping and food preparation and the organising of holidays. Every year has different challenges hindering our preparations for Christmas. During this Advent season let this be a time of reflection and contemplation as we hear the good news of Jesus coming to us in the flesh. Let the gospel sink more deeply into our lives, let the story of Jesus’ birth speak to us differently this year. The story of Jesus may be familiar – it may be the same – but our lives are not the same so let us hear the story with eager ears.

But before we do, let us remember haw very different it was during COVID. For many, it was not the usual joyous march toward Christmas. Everything might have been planned – parents were thinking about roles for their children – the play was organised and being rehearsed, the carols and readings were all worked out. But how to fit the usual crowds into one per 4 square metres and 1.5 metres apart? And how to account for any visitors that may turn up? It was anything but the straight path to Christmas that John the Baptist proclaimed- for us there were many road blocks and potholes to be faced along the way.

During COVID all people were anxious and waiting in the wilderness of lockdowns. For many, Advent was a wilderness experience in lockdown. For many there was no clear path forward. It was a time of uncertainty, fear and grief. Christmas may have been the same familiar story but our lives were not. But while the harshness of wilderness may have confronted us during those times of church closure, the ageless truth remained the same and it is what got us through. When the angel announced to Mary and Joseph that Mary would give birth he said that this child would be called Immanuel – which means God is with us. And that kept us going, knowing that in the wilderness we were not alone.

The season of Advent reminds us that no matter where we are or what experiences we are going through that God is with us in Jesus. The wilderness is an uncomfortable place if we are alone. Peter was writing to a Christian community who were in the wilderness. They too needed reminding that the Christmas story was a story of hope in times of wilderness. The wilderness can seem like an eternity when you are alone but Peter reminds us that with God a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day.

Peter was writing to a Christian community experiencing persecution at the hands of the ruling empire. They were looking for Jesus’ return and immediate relief from their suffering. But God does not always act in our timeline. A thousand years is like a day, and a day is like a thousand years to God. And when we are suffering, the lonely nights can seem like an eternity in the wilderness but, as the Psalmist writes: ‘Weeping may last for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.’

During Advent we are given a word of hope for the future while our present seems like wilderness. The prophet John the Baptist proclaimed in the wilderness a familiar message to a people who were in the wilderness themselves. Israel has been invaded by the Roman Empire and they had no king. John pointed away from himself and toward someone greater to come. John pointed to a hopeful future by promising one who would come baptizing, not with mere water but with the eternal Holy Spirit. And we are to live out our hope by looking away from ourselves and our wilderness to one more powerful than us.

Our Advent message is that we are called to be a people that await the coming of the Lord in all circumstances. We are always in waiting—through victory and defeat, triumph and loss. And as the church, we are to proclaim peace on earth, goodwill towards all, and joy to the world – all the messages of Christmas.

And that’s what Peter said also: “While you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation”. And it’s the patience of the Lord that creates the seeming slowness in times of wilderness – his patience of not wanting anyone to be lost forever.

So just as we are pointed by John to Christ, we point the world to the Christ, the one who is more powerful, more patient, and more loving. We point to the Christ, the one who is to come.

This Advent, many of us feel like we are still in the wilderness. But let us remember that all things here on earth are temporary. Let our lives be shaped by our hope in the truth that God is coming – that God has come in Jesus who is with us always. Amen.

‘Many Questions – One Answer’

Sermon for 1 Advent, 2023
St Peter’s Lutheran Church, Port Macquarie, NSW pastor

John 14:1-14 – ‘Many Questions – One Answer’

Today is the first Sunday in the Church Year. It is a beginning. A time of preparation. Specifically, it is a time that the church prepares for the coming of Christ. The theme, of course, is preparation for his coming again in glory. But with Christmas nearing, our preparations for celebrating his first coming have become very much a part of our Advent celebrations.

This Advent, we are beginning a year-long journey through John’s Gospel. While many of the Sundays this coming year will follow the sequence of texts in John’s Gospel, we are beginning the journey with four texts from John that highlight the themes of the four weeks of Advent: Hope, love, joy, peace.

Today’s reading from John’s Gospel is about hope. The word hope is not mentioned, but you look carefully at the text, you will notice that hope runs throughout the text. There is the hope that Jeus is preparing a place for us, the hope (and certain expectation) that we will be with him forever. And there is the hope that in Jesus we have seen the Father and know the father. There is the hope that we are not lost but know the way home, and that Way is Jesus. There is great hope in Jesus’ words ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.’ Todays Gospel text is filled with hope, and that hope is centred upon Jesus Christ.

Some decades ago, when I was a young lecturer in theology, I had a lay student named Elizabeth who signed up to audit many of my classes. She would have been about 70 at that time. Elizabeth had lived a deeply troubled childhood, from which she never recovered. You see, Elizabeth, was a German Jew, and was a teenager during the holocaust, and survived two years in Buchenwald and other camps.

It is hard for us to imagine today the insane hatred of Jews that pervaded the world at that time. In Germany, and also elsewhere, people would avoid Jewish businesses. Beginning with Kristallnacht they even began to attack Jewish owned businesses. People marched in the streets in protest against Jews, they deliberated organized their marches to run through Jewish neighbourhoods to effect maximin intimidation. They blocked ports when ships carrying Jewish refugees tried to land. This happened most famously in the US with one ship with over 1,000 Jewish refugees in 1939 blocked at every port until it was forced to return to Germany. People blamed the Jews, collectively, and individually, for everything that had ever gone wrong in the world. And in Germany school children were even taken out of school to participate in marches against the Jews to show that all generations stood against them. I know, it is hard to imagine this all happening. It was so long ago. But it really happened. And of course, when people are so hated and dehumanized, it becomes acceptable, justifiable, to even kill them. And while this was happening in the Middle East and is many countries, no where was it carried out so systematically than in Germany. And that is where Elizabeth lived. She survived, but never recovered. Never married, never had children of her own, never was able to hold down a full-time job. But she took solace in her faith, her faith in Jesus. For Elizabeth of not only Jewish, but a Christian, a Lutheran Christian. Not that that made any difference to those determined to hate her just for being a Jew.

As a result of her trauma, Elizabeth had some distinct quirks. One of theme was that whenever a question was asked in class (or in a Bible study or discussion), even a rhetorical question, Elizabeth would also jump in with the answer. And that answer was always Jesus. I had to learn to be careful in my lectures not to ask rhetorical questions. But the thing I remember most from the classes Elizabeth took with me is how often the simple answer ‘Jesus’ made sense.

When I consider today’s text, I remember Elizabeth. In today’s text both Thomas and Philip ask a question. They are very different questions. But if you look closely, you will see that the answer is the same.

First, Thomas’ question ….

Thomas is the disciple most likely to ask the obvious question on everyone’s mind but which no one else is willing to ask. In this case Jesus has promised that he will go an prepare a place for the disciples and all those who follow him. This is good news. Then Jesus adds rather matter-of-factly that ‘you know the way to the place where I am going (v. 4). Well, this is all a bit much for Thomas, because he is still trying to work out just where Jesus is going, and now Jesus seems to simply assume that they all know the way. So he points out the obvious: ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going so how can we possibly know the way?’ (v. 5). Thomas’ question prompts the words of Jesus that have become among some of the best known of the New Testament: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ (v. 6).

So now it begins to come together. Jesus is going to the Father, that is to say, to be with the Father in the heavenly kingdom. And the reason Jesus assumes the disciples know the way to the Father is because Jesus himself is the Way.

So the answer to Thomas’ question, quite simply, is Jesus!

But now Philip jumps in with another question. And this one seems to be a bit off topic. Philip, seemingly satisfied about where Jesus is going and how to get there, is taken by the reference to the Father. ‘Lord’ he says, ‘if you could simply show us the Father, we will be happy.’ (v. 8).

At this Jesus becomes a bit impatient. ‘Really, Philip?’ he asks. After all this time together and after all my teaching your still do not know who I am? If you have seen me then you have seen the Father. I am in the Father and the Father is in me. (v. 9). As I have said before, ‘I and the Father are one) (John 10:30). So how can you now ask ‘Show us the Father?’

So the answer to Philip’s question, ‘Could you please show us the Father?’ is also simply Jesus. Jesus is the way and Jesus is also the destination (the Father). The hope of the disciples, the answers to all their questions, is simply Jesus.

Whatever our trouble. Whatever our worry. Whatever our great question, Jesus is the answer. It is always all about Jesus.

And what is Jesus all about? Well, here’s an interesting tie in to our first Sunday in Advent, when our focus is not only on our hope in Christ, but on our preparation for Christ’s coming again. Just what is it that Jesus is focused on as we await and prepare for his coming? The surprising answer is that he is focused on us. As we now are prepare for his coming, we read in today’s gospel that Jesus is at this very moment preparing for our joining with him in the heavenly kingdom. He is busy preparing a place for us, for each one of us. Now that is a truly amazing and surprising thought. One that fills us with hope, to know that the one for whose coming we prepare is busy preparing for us.

So let us begin this new church year with that image in mind; Of Christ, the Way to the Father, God himself in flesh, ascended to heaven and preparing a place for us. Amen.
Pastor Mark Worthing.

Christmas is coming.

The Text: Mark 13:24-37

Dear Heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit on us so that we may keep watch for the coming of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Have you noticed what’s coming? For example, have you noticed that Christmas is coming, and how can you tell?

You can tell because the shops and streets are full of Christmas decorations, wrappings, lights, gift ideas, etc. You can tell because Christmas music is playing. You can tell because the TV advertisements let you know what you need to buy to make yourself or your loved ones happy.

Or, have you noticed a number of new films coming soon? Boxing Day is traditionally when many blockbuster films open in cinemas around the country.

Or, have you noticed that the days are getting longer and warmer, and the agapanthus and jacarandas are flowering?

Or, have you noticed the Lord is coming, and how can you tell?

Well, you can tell by the signs.

Just like a television advertisement or movie trailer which changes scenes rapidly, today’s gospel reading, or rather Jesus through St Mark, is using a montage of pictures which advertise the Lord’s coming in a very contemporary way.

Try to imagine what he’s saying, picturing the signs:

The opening scene: Cosmic chaos! You watch the sun go dark; the moon goes black without the sun, the stars fall from their positions, and the heavenly authorities and powers are shaken from their foundations.

Change of scene: You see the Son of man coming on the clouds surrounded by the light of his glory. The angels whizz backwards and forwards to the ends of the earth, gathering all the chosen ones.

Change of scene: You see a fig tree at spring time, sprouting a new, green, tender shoot, advertising the coming summer; then you see a picture of the universe, and you’re disturbed to see everything, including the heavens and the earth disappear over time, yet you also notice the words spoken by God strangely remain unaffected by the ravages of time and don’t fade at all

Change of scene: You see an alarm clock about to go off, but because it hasn’t got any hands to tell what time it will happen, no-one can figure out what time it will go off. You even see the Son of God go up and inspect it, but he too doesn’t know what time it’ll go off.

Change of scene: You watch a man going away on a journey, leaving his servants in charge of all his belongings. You see the doorkeeper of his property stand at watch. Time goes by and you notice the same doorkeeper at different times of the night and day still standing, still watching, still waiting.

Change of scene: everything is going dark, but as you see this, you notice more and more people falling asleep, and fewer staying awake. The scene ends with a word, strong and clear: Watch!

Like a richly colourful and startling advertisement, this montage of pictures creates a sense of anticipation.

In the church we anticipate and eagerly look forward to the coming of the Day of the Lord. This is what the Advent season is all about. Advent isn’t designed just to make us ready for Christmas, but to remind us and make us ready for Christ coming in his glory. And while we may not see the sun going black or see any stars fall, we know the moment of his return is getting nearer all the time.

But, we are not very good at keeping watch!

We aren’t very good at waiting because we want things NOW. We’re not even patient at watching sport. Many people prefer the quick action games like one-day cricket or 20-20 cricket to the slower battle of the tests. We also want our meals NOW, that’s why we have microwaves and fast food. We want to sing Christmas carols now and then by the time Christmas is here we are tired of them. We want to see the films now. We want the new products now so we can be first in our social circle to have the latest thing. We want to get better now rather than letting nature take its course. We want the highly paid positions now rather than working our way up the ladder. We want to get paid for our crops now. We want to receive the blessings of retirement now. We want to be wise now. Even emails and mobile phones demand our immediate attention.

Why are we all so busy and feeling stressed out? Because everything has to be done…NOW! But who said everything has to be that way?

Have you noticed how we’ve become so impatient? Is this healthy for us? We have forgotten how to be patient, to watch and wait. We need to re-learn the art of silence. We need to re-learn the teaching of rest and relaxation instead of our constant work and busy-ness.

But that’s not all! We’ve also become passive watchers. What once used to make our blood boil or cause us to cry, no longer affects us or moves us to action. Many of us were deeply affected when we first saw the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre buildings or the Bali bombings on our television screens. But what about now? Terrible atrocities seem to be reported on every night in our news bulletins. What is our reaction? Not another terrorist attack that we are tired of hearing about. It also seems as the amount of violence increases on our TV screens, the less we notice it; we become conditioned to it. Violence and terror don’t move us to action the way it used to. The most we do is shake our heads and change the television channel to find something else more appealing.

In other words, we’re becoming people that hide or ignore our emotions. What once used to shock us, we now turn a blind eye to. What once used to terrify us, we now only shrug our shoulders.

Unfortunately this same attitude affects the church. For example, when the Word of God strikes deeply at our hearts, we might just consider it an “itch” and ignore it. When God urges repentance, we self-justify our actions and excuse ourselves from self-examination. When God announces peace, forgiveness, comfort and love, we simply shrug our shoulders as if nothing has happened.

Yet we are called to watch – actively and patiently. The Spirit calls us to action like a concierge standing watch. He calls us to have patience as we wait in constant anticipation.

But just like a scary movie, we might be afraid to watch. Some of us are afraid to look for the signs of the Lord’s coming, because it reminds us of our fragility, our feebleness, our weakness, or our sinfulness. Yet for those in Christ, watching for Jesus isn’t something to fear.

Even though some of the signs Jesus talks about may be scary to some, to Christians they’re something to look forward to. We look forward to them because we’re among the chosen ones!

Since we’re God’s chosen ones, even if the sun were to lose its light and energy, we’ve nothing to fear. Even if the stars were to fall from the sky, we can instead celebrate the coming of the Lord. Even when Jesus comes in glory and many shake with fear, we can clap our hands and cheer our victorious King.

We can do this because we’re among those he’ll gather up into his eternal kingdom. He’s already placed his name on us in baptism, claiming us to be his own. Therefore, confident of his love and faithfulness, we can constantly watch and look forward to his promised return.

This is the story of Advent. When Advent comes, we’re called to watch. We’re to watch ourselves and admit our impatience, our inaction and our laziness. We’re to repent of our busyness that has squeezed Jesus and his word out of our lives. We’re to repent of our sinfulness, but in such a manner that we don’t fear his anger, but instead we are confident of his mercy, compassion and forgiveness.

When Advent comes, we’re called to watch for Jesus. We’re to watch for the signs of his coming and listen to his Words of promise. We’re to look to Jesus who truly comes to us already, hidden in a child born in Bethlehem, hidden in the words of a sermon, hidden in water mixed with his holy name, and hidden with bread and wine that truly becomes his body and blood.

Just like an advertisement announcing the arrival of a film, product or celebration, Advent creates sense of anticipation. We anticipate that Jesus will return, for that’s what he said. Jesus doesn’t lie. His word remains true and valid today as the day he first promised.

Therefore stay awake and watch, actively and patiently! Watch, knowing that salvation is ours and we’re the chosen ones who’ll be gathered up to enter his kingdom. Rejoice that we’ve been selected to enter his kingdom without fear.

As we stand and watch, clinging to God’s word, we’re assured that he’s not far off, but here with us, standing beside us patiently. In this way as we listen attentively, eat and drink eagerly, we’re assured that salvation is ours even now. So the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, guard our hearts and minds as we wait and watch for our coming Lord Christ Jesus. Amen.

The final Judgment.

The Text: Matthew 25:31-46

As good Lutherans, we’ve all been taught we’re saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. We’re not saved by our good works because we’ll never be good enough. Only Christ is good enough. We believe this.

But at first glance, what Jesus says to us today challenges our thinking a bit. It seems in that great and glorious Day of the Lord when we stand in front of our God in judgment, we’re going to be split up into two teams. These two teams will not compete against each other to see who wins, because the result has already been decided.

The ones selected for the winning team will inherit the kingdom of God, which has been prepared for them since the foundation of the universe. Obviously we want to be on that team!

Why? Because the other team of losers are the ones who will enter the eternal fire of hell, which has been prepared for the devil and all his angels.

It’s entry into heaven or hell. We’ll be blessed or cursed. That’s the choice, but it’s not our choice. God chooses. By this time the result is already decided and we can’t appeal his decision.

So the obvious question is: ‘How do we know which team we’re going to be on?’

You might think from today’s text that the answer seems to be based on good works. In other words, those who do all those good things like feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick and those in prison, and so on, well, they’re in. They go to heaven.

But if you’re not merciful and gracious enough, then you’re out!

So, how many of us are confident we’ve done enough, we’ve ticked all the boxes and willingly and regularly helped those in need?

I thought so!

It seems that the greatest and most unforgivable sin Jesus mentions here is inaction! If you don’t help, serve, show mercy, or welcome people, you’re in deep trouble!

For this reason, this text has the power to make us very worried! After all, how many times have we not acted when we should have? How many times have we kept our hands in our pockets when we saw someone in need of basic help, and did nothing? How many times have we made a conscious decision not to help, or serve, or provide, or give, or visit, or bless?

How often do we think or hope that someone else will feed them, give them a drink, donate to that appeal, or visit them, and so on? How often do we think it’s only the pastor’s job or the elder’s job to visit the shut in and help the needy?

In this case, when you stand in front of Jesus, how do you think he’ll answer you when you say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, but I thought so-and-so was supposed to do that!’?

Jesus is saying our acts of grace and mercy to other people are not optional, but essential – in fact our salvation is dependent on them!

Well, so far it sounds like if we don’t perform acts of mercy by feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, providing clothes for those without, or visiting the sick or those in prison, then we’re not going to heaven!

So does that mean faith in Jesus isn’t essential anymore? Isn’t this a little different to what we’ve been taught?

Haven’t we all been taught we’re saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone and not by what we do or don’t do? Have we got it all wrong?

No, because there’s something else strange in this text.

Note the ‘blessed ones’ didn’t even know they were helping Jesus!

They’ve been naturally feeding the hungry, providing drink to the thirsty, welcoming the strangers, covering the naked with clothing, and visiting the sick and those in prison.

For them it was no surprise Jesus expected them to do these things, because they did it naturally anyway, but the surprise for them is when they did these things, no matter what the person looked like or how they acted, they were doing it to Jesus himself!

So here Jesus tells us he fully identifies himself with the hungry, the thirsty, the foreigner, the naked, the sick and those in prison, so much so, that when we provide for these people’s basic needs, we’re doing it for Jesus himself!

This is because Jesus doesn’t abandon the needy, but is there with them in their hunger, in their thirst, in their sicknesses, and in prison with them.

And we thought Jesus is only present in churches! Imagine going to prison and seeing Jesus there! Imagine seeing a homeless person sleeping under a bridge, and that’s where Jesus is!

Now, this doesn’t mean we do these things just because we know we’re doing it for Jesus, but because we’re naturally merciful to all people.

You see, for those who believe in Jesus, helping the needy isn’t an optional extra, but a natural part of their life; a natural extension of their faith in Jesus. In fact only a believer will live in the way this text directs.

To make it plain: Good works won’t save you and get you into heaven. Jesus alone saves you. So yes, you’re saved by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

But what Jesus is saying here is this gift of grace to have faith in Christ alone doesn’t come alone.

The more we are exposed to the work of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God and his holy Sacraments, the more we receive Christ’s nature. The more of Christ’s nature we receive, then the more naturally we care for the needy because Jesus identifies and cares for the needy.

So, although faith in Jesus isn’t mentioned, it’s implied because:

Only those who have received the grace of God will become gracious people.

Only those fed and nourished by God will feed and nourish others.

Only those visited by God will visit other people.

Only those healed through the blood of Jesus will visit and care for those who are still sick.

Only those clothed by the righteousness of Christ will seek to cover up other people’s shame by clothing them.

Only those who have been freed from the prisons of hate and fear and guilt will go to visit those in prison.

In other words, Christ-centred people will naturally become needy-centred people. It almost goes without saying then: self-centred people will naturally ignore the needy.

Notice we’re not expected to heal people or release them from prison, etc, but simply supply their basic needs – a meal, a drink, clothing, welcoming, and visiting. No big miracles required, just little ministries of grace and mercy. Those who love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, will also love their neighbours, and show it in real, tangible actions. This is something we can all do, no matter how young or how old – just to help as you are able.

All of us have the ability to help those who are vulnerable and needy in society: the ones most other people isolate or ignore, such as the infirm, the lonely, those in nursing homes, the foreigner, the outcast, the unborn, and so on.

Strangely, as we attend to the needs of others, we’re also attending to our own salvation. Notice this doesn’t mean we’re saved by our good works. Again, to make it clear, we’re saved through faith in Jesus Christ alone! But the result of having faith in Christ is our natural service to those around you.

This is because the fruit of our faith is shown – not through our holier-than-thou attitudes or long-winded sermons, but through our actions. Jesus expects good fruit to be produced on a good tree; and good fruit will naturally be produced on every tree firmly rooted in Christ alone. Those who don’t produce good fruit simply aren’t firmly rooted in Christ.

Christ is preparing us through his Word and feeding us with his very own body and blood, which carries his grace-filled and merciful nature to us.

The Holy Spirit is equipping us for works of service which will minister to the needs of those around us – to feed the hungry, provide a drink to the thirsty, welcome the alien or stranger, clothe those not adequately dressed, and visit those who are sick or who feel imprisoned.

Our help may not always be appreciated, but if we choose not to ignore their needs and do these things Jesus talks about, we may be surprised to find we’re feeding and helping Jesus himself.

Then we’ll be on the team surprised to hear those most welcome words of Jesus, ‘Come into the kingdom of heaven which has been prepared for you since the foundation of the universe.’

And may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.