Enlightened

John 1:1-14
Christmas Day
Elizabeth M. Deibert

All-powerful and unseen God, the coming of your light into our world has brightened weary hearts with peace by your presence. Open our eyes anew to the great good news of your Word made flesh, Jesus, that we might forever seek to know him, to love him, and to serve him. Amen.

We heard the familiar lessons and carols which tell the story of Jesus’ birth last night, and today with the help of John’s Gospel, the poetic prologue of John’s Gospel, we reflect on what happened. By energy level and by attendance and by mood, we all know that the climax has come and now we begin to wind down the Christmas season, but in the church officially, the Christmas season is just beginning. Europeans understand this, as some of them culminate with gift giving on Epiphany, the traditional time of remembering the arrival of the Magi with their gifts. But we tend to start as soon as Thanksgiving is over with an enthusiastic and vigorous Advent, and when Christmas comes, we’re done, we’re exhausted. Some of us keep the decorations up, and we Deiberts are among them, so we will encourage you to remember Epiphany by coming to our house with gifts of leftover food and drink and we will make merry and light many candles on the 12^th day of Christmas, to remember the light of Christ, the light we celebrate this morning in the Word made flesh, who is God from the beginning.

Hear the Gospel:

John 1:1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴ in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸ He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹² But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. (NRSV)

How can the Word share at the same time both the life of the Creator God and the life of the enfleshed creature? It is no wonder that the world did not know him—why would we accept a fellow human being as the source of all life? Who would expect the divine wisdom to hide under such a thick veil of historical conditioning? How can it possibly be that through a creature darkness is overcome, all are enlightened, and we are given power to become children of God? (Cynthia Rigby, Feasting on the Word)

“And the Word became flesh” is not only an astonishing pronouncement; it is also, arguably, the most significant claim of the Christian faith. According to John, it is the very basis upon which we become the children of God. St. Gregory, a fourth-century theologian, testified powerfully to why it matters that God entered fully into creaturely existence. “That which is not assumed is not redeemed,” he proclaimed. His words have shaped our understanding of Christ and salvation ever since. The humanity of Jesus Christ is no mere costume. Jesus Christ was not just “veiled in flesh” as Charles Wesley’s hymn, Hark the Herald Angels Sing states.

“Fully flesh, the Godhead see” would be a more accurate line to sing. I’m sure Wesley from the heavens knows we should be singing it that way. Apparently Wesley originally named it the Hymn for Christmas Day. And for those who get upset about the words of carols changing, Wesley’s first line was not “Hark the Herald Angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.” It was “Hark how all the welkin ring. Glory to the King of Kings.” If you’re like me, you haven’t used the word “welkin” recently. It appears eighteen times in Shakespeare’s plays, but hasn’t received a lot of play in the last couple of centuries. “Welkin” is a word for the vault of heaven, the place where stars and angels dwell.

Furthermore, written in the mid 1700s, he intended it to be sung to traditional music, not that wild melody of Mendelsohn’s, which Wesley would have considered entirely inappropriate and not sacred at all. And Mendelsohn who lived in the mid 1800’s was not pleased either, for this Jewish composer did not want his music attached to to a poem for Christmas Day. But how much control do they have now?

But back to John’s Gospel, which speaks of the Word becoming flesh. It is not a temporary condition or thirty-three-year experiment on the part of God. The real Word really became real flesh. This is the content of the gospel. This is the miracle of Christmas. It is through entering into our flesh that Jesus reveals to us who God actually is, has been, and will be. It is through plunging deeply into the sinful, ignorant realities of our existence in this world that Jesus restores us to that for which he created us. It is in this unlikely way that he is our true light. Apart from God’s full entrance or assumption of our flesh, God is not really with us. Correspondingly, understandings of the incarnation that compromise on the full divinity of Jesus Christ fail to convey that it is God we know, truly, in him. No theological insight has exercised more influence in shaping Christian doctrine than that the Word—known to us in Jesus Christ—was God. At the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE, the church affirmed that Jesus Christ is not simply like God the Father (homooisios), but is of the very same substance as the Father (homoousios). With John, the church concurred that this particular human being is not only godlike, but actually God. (C. Rigby, Feasting on the Word)

All other Christian doctrines are premised on this crucial truth. But this is not a day to be long-winded about Christian doctrine but to glory in the goodness of the One who joined us here, who brought light to our darkness.

So to conclude the sermon, I’ll share some poetry from Ann Weems about the Word made flesh, the light coming to enlighten all the people.

“In a wave of wonder, in an extravaganza of imagination, in a roar of deafening waters, in a drum roll of thunder, God said let there be Light! And the dazzling sun of Day made her entrance, singing her song of Life. Then in a stunning display of fireworks, lightning leaping in bolts, stars hurling through ink black sky, moon floating above, the Light of Night took her bow.

The stage was set, right from the beginning the Word was there, with God. The Word was God.” “And without the Word was God…Right from the beginning the Word of God was spoken in miracles. Right from the beginning, in the light of God’s love, the people of God were created for covenant-keeping. I will be your God and your will be my people. Right from the beginning the Word was Love and the Word was Light and the Word was Life. Right from the beginning God’s people were invited to way in the way of the Word.

God saw that it was good. It was very good. Until, that is, somebody left the door open in paradise, and Death walked on stage and turned off the light. (Lights off)

Somebody or somebodies thought they didn’t have to listen to God… Somewhere along the way we thought we didn’t have to listen to the Word of god, thought we didn’t have to walk in covenant. We turned off the light and quarreled in the darkness. (Ann Weems tells the story of our brokenness, our sin)…The people of God had chosen Death instead of Life. God was grieved to the heart… But God loved the people, even though they walked in darkness…And God forgave them and God sent a great Light, the Word of God Incarnate…

Our darkness begins where our covenant ends. If the love of God is not written on our hearts, there is no covenant light, and flailing in the dark gets us nowhere.”(Ann Weems, From Advent’s Alleluia to Easter’s Morning Light)

But God entered into that darkness to show us that the Light which was from the beginning, the Word is still creating, is still calling, still leading us to be enlightened. “What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. 
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out. (as Gene Peterson translate it.) The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.”

Our job is to draw near enough to Christ’s face, to be enlightened by the Light which has already invaded the darkness. What child is this? No ordinary child. This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angel sing. This infant is the Light shining in darkness, the Word which IS GOD!

Amazed

Luke 2:1-20
4th Sunday of Advent
Elizabeth M. Deibert

How can we capture the amazement of this season once again? It is so easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of creating “Happy Holidays” that we forget that this is Christmas. Christ’s Mass. The greatest of day all of days, the day when God entered our humanity, became one with us. There are many reasons for our love of Christmas – family memories, musical concerts, favorite foods, festive lights, an excuse to shop and throw parties, but the real reason for this season is this amazing gift, the one that Mary wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. There is something amazing about Almighty God becoming a helpless, little baby.

Let’s unwrap the brightly colored, excessively consumer-oriented, tinsel-covered holiday and discover the real gift of Christmas – the real amazement of this Gift of all gifts. Before we read the story which will be read countless times all around the world this week, let’s stop and think for a moment about how odd this story of the Incarnation really is. An unwed young mother, Mary, a virgin, visited by an angel. A devout fiancée, Joseph, who hung in there despite all the glares from others. It’s good he listened to the voice of God coming through his dreams, telling him not to abandon Mary because ancient law allowed for her stoning. And this child, given by the Holy Spirit, must be carried in the womb, all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem. That’s no a walk around the park. That’s a walk from here to Tampa. No wonder the poor girl went into labor.

Part of the amazement of the nativity for us is the idea that the Son of God was
born not in a neonatal unit but in a room full of animals. But actually it was pretty normal for them. We learn from linguistic scholars that the inn may not have been the stable of a first century Motel 6 but the upper part of a regular house. The lower part was where the animals came inside at night for protection. So Jesus was born in ordinary conditions – not extraordinary – in an ordinary house, in the lower part of the house, where the animals came for food and rest at night.

I think the most amazing part is that the first birth announcement went not to
important people but to a bunch of migrant shepherds! Let’s hear the afresh the story of the humble birth and be amazed with the shepherds who received first news.



NRS Luke 2:1-20 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.



Luke tells us that an angel of the Lord with the glory of the Lord shining all around dares to stand in front of some Jewish sheep-herders and make them the first human beings on earth to hear the news the a savior has been born, that Israel’s Messiah has come? Why not somebody important? What about Emperor Augustus, doesn’t he need to know? Or Quirinius? Or the chief priest?

Or a Pharisee or scribe? Or, how about having it first announced during worship at the Temple. At least the angels should announce to Mary and Joseph themselves there after the delivery. They had been visited by angels, but not by the multitude of heavenly hosts. But the angels visit shepherds. They are beyond amazed. They are scared, terrified. But the angel insists that they should not be afraid, because it is good news. Prior to this in Luke’s story, the verb “feared” came from the angel commanding NOT to fear (1.13); from the angel Gabriel to Mary commanding that she not fear (1.30); Jesus as he calls James, John, and Simon commands that they NOT to fear their career change to catching people (5.10); Jesus tells Jairus NOT to fear that his only daughter has already died (8.50); Jesus commands his fearing disciples NOT to fear dying as they proclaim the Gospel, but instead He tells them to fear losing their soul by not proclaiming it (12.4-7); Jesus COMMANDS his disciples NOT to fear giving up all material goods to gain the Kingdom of God (12.32).

As I read this passage to Gretchen this week, this verse was her favorite.
The angel said to them “Do not fear, for I bring you good news of great joy which is for all the people.” No one left out here, the news is for all the people.

And the angel continues: “This will be a sign for you: you will find an infant, wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” A baby, some rags, and a feeding trough. That’s what the angel of the LORD standing in the glory of the LORD gives some no-name shepherds as the evidence of the greatest news ever brought to this world. “The shepherds hurry to the feeding trough, and there, they bring the amazing news to Mary and Joseph. Can you imagine the sense of relief and confirmation for them. How many times did they wonder if they were crazy for listening to angel voices in the night. Confirmation they receive: This ordinary baby is the ultimate sign of God’s favor for humankind — Savior, Messiah and LORD all rolled into a sticky, wrinkly newborn” lying in the dirty hay. Amazing.

So the shepherds resolve to go and personally see what the Lord has MADE KNOWN to them (2.15), they in turn immediately MAKE KNOWN to others that the Incarnation has happened in an infant (2.17)! And all who heard it are amazed. I have never noticed this verse before. Who was there? People in the house, people in the neighborhood, animals, Mary and Joseph. All who heard it were amazed.

The shepherds’ revealing of the Incarnation begins to happen right here in this scene, because Mary herself hears it (2.19)! It’s as if they immediately begin to tell about it to whomever is around. That’s what happens I guess when you have a terrifying and amazing experience. When you share it, others are amazed too.

Let’s think about the faithful actions of the shepherds. They see and hear. Shepherds are not so preoccupied, so busy with their own sense of self-importance. They have time under the stars to listen for the voices of angels. Do we? They have a spirit of openness to being amazed by the work of the Lord. Do we? The shepherds do not hesitate to go, as the angels told them. They do not form a committee to study and explain this appearance of angels. They do not make a long range plan to visit the child at some later date. They apparently do not even worry about their sheep. They had experienced a life-changing visitation from the heavenly hosts, so they were amazed and went hastily. Apparently, they left a lot of sheep behind, because anybody knows you can’t go somewhere fast with a bunch of dumb sheep. Sheep were their livelihood, but when the angel of the Lord spoke to them, their work became secondary to seeing the infant King. Would ours?

The shepherds saw, heard, and obeyed. (Look at the amazement on their faces.) Are we so quick and so uncalculating when God speaks to us? Or do we stop and make a more sensible, reasonable plan. Would we have dropped our work and gone to a barn in some little town to worship an humble new baby born to a poor young couple? Would we dare to imagine that the Son of God would be born to us under such conditions of poverty and embarrassment?

The shepherds were the very first evangelists. They told the news which they had
received and all who heard it were amazed. In the telling of the news, amazement happens to others. What might have happened if the shepherds had been too busy to hear angels, too distracted to see visions of heavenly hosts, too calculating about their income to sacrifice the flock by traveling so hastily to find the baby? I suppose God would have found someone else who had time to be amazed. Could God have come to you? Would you have had time to see and hear, to be amazed enough to go? Could you have been one of the first evangelists, telling the good news of great joy which has come for all the people? Speaking of amazement creates amazement.

In their courageous, naive amazement the shepherds found confirmation of the message the angel had brought them. In their courageous, naive amazement they were able to be the first visitors to the newborn Savior of the world. Because of they had time to see and hear and go, they observed first-hand the helplessness of a God, who chose to come among us as one of us. As the story of Christ’s life unfolds in Luke’s Gospel, there is more amazement. Mary and Joseph’s AMAZEMENT at Simeon’s prophesy while holding Jesus (2.33); the home-town folk’s AMAZEMENT at Jesus’ first sermon in Nazareth (4.22); the disciples AMAZEMENT at Jesus’ control over the storm (8.25); the crowd’s AMAZEMENT “at all that Jesus was doing” shortly after He healed a boy (9.43) and after he healed a mute man (11.14); Peter’s AMAZEMENT at finding Jesus’ linen clothes in the empty tomb (24.12); the disciples’ AMAZEMENT when they saw and touched the risen Jesus’ bodily wounds (24.41) after the walk to Emmaus.

I hope that as you busy yourself this week wrapping and unwrapping gifts, you will make time to unwrap the real presence of God who comes to bring peace to all people. Immanuel, God with us, comes to all of us and is not ashamed to live with us in the dangers and the desperation of life. The amazing marvel of Christmas morning is that God’s power is made perfect in the weakness of an infant child. Will you take time see and hear the angels voices and be amazed? Will you go to Bethlehem to bow before the supreme gift of Christmas - the presence of God in a humble child?

If you can lay aside your fears and be amazed and share your amazement with others, you will find yourselves like the shepherds, returning to your life after this celebration of his birth, glorifying and praising God for all you’ve seen and heard. Our presents for one another bring pleasure for a season but God’s presence, the real gift of Christmas, brings peace for a lifetime and beyond.

Blessed

Luke 1:39-56
3^rd Sunday of Advent
Elizabeth M. Deibert

Usually when we call someone “blessed” we mean things have gone well for them in some measurable way. But we know that in scripture, being blessed is not always defined by success, but by obedience in hard times. The Beattitudes from Luke say, “Blessed are you are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate and exclude and treat you terribly bad, because your reward will be great. Elizabeth called Mary blessed. Elizabeth called Jesus, the fruit of Mary’s womb, blessed. Why did she say that Mary was blessed? Because Mary believed, she trusted the word of the Lord. Faith is a gift, but trust is an active verb. Let us hear the story of the Visitation of Mary and Elizabeth and see what we learn from the Blessed Mother Mary, venerated by the whole church for 1500 years, then somewhat ignored by the Protestant part of the church, anxious not to put Mary in the place of the Divine. Well, reverence for Mary is returning to open-minded Protestants, just as weekly communion is returning, as we recover from our over-reaction in the Reformation. How can we not call the mother of our Lord “blessed”? After all, she is the perfect example of faithfulness for the church.

Luke 1:39-56

³⁹In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, ⁴⁰where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit ⁴²and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ⁴³And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? ⁴⁴For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."

⁴⁶And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, ⁴⁸for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; ⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. ⁵⁰His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. ⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. ⁵²He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; ⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. ⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, ⁵⁵according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." ⁵⁶And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

(NRSV)

How can we not hold Mary in highest human regard, for she is the god-bearer, the one who carried Christ, not just an ordinary child. She carried to full term God incarnate, Immanuel. Talk about being receptive to God! Mary was. Mary is worthy of our fullest regard and honor. She is not only the mother of our Lord, but she represents the church, as we are called to embody Christ for the world. She has shown us what it means when we sing, “let every heart to prepare him room.” Christina Rossetti wrote a beautiful poem about gifts for Christ: What can I give him, poor as I am, if I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb. If I were a wise man, I would do my part. What can I give him, give him my heart. Mary gave him chromosomes. Mary gave God her womb, and by her gift, a new covenant of love with us was born. God became one of us, and by living with us and suffering with and for us, dying and rising, he defeated death for us. We have much for which to be thankful at Christmas, but maybe today, we should simply give thanks to the One who bore for us savior, when half-spent was the night. Thanks, Mary, for listening to the Angel and believing this incredible news so you could live courageously into it, despite the risk of all family and cultural disapproval.

Just yesterday I stumbled upon a new version of Mary’s Song, written to go with a familiar English Christmas carol. So, thanks to my friend, Gia, who graciously lets me import music at the last hour, I want to sing now in the middle of the sermon, because after all, I’m preaching on one of the oldest songs in the church, Mary’s Song. If Gia will give me a low starting pitch, I’ll sing the first verse for you acapella, as they have sung Once in Royal David’s City to open the Festival of Lessons and Carols for nearly one hundred years.

Mary Gladly Told Her Cousin (“Once in Royal David’s City” PH #49)

Mary gladly told her cousin, “Praise the Lord! My spirit sings!”
Young and humble, she’d been chosen! God was surely changing things!
God of love, her words ring true As we sing her prayer to you:

“Now my soul is gladly singing At the greatness of the Lord.
I rejoice, for God is bringing His salvation to the world.
All who live will say I’m blest Even in my lowliness.

“God is mighty, just and holy, And he’s done great things for me.
Those who fear him know the mercy That God gives us endlessly.
Mighty ones are brought down low; Lowly ones find blessings flow.

“God has filled the poor and hungry, And he’s sent the rich away.
God is active here in history, In a real and wondrous way.
God has promised, and I’m blessed, For I know God’s faithfulness.”

It is impossible to overestimate the significance of Mary’s hymn, the Magnificat. The only extended speech in Luke given by a female character, it casts Mary as a prophet. In the tradition of Hannah and Miriam in the Hebrew Scriptures, Mary celebrates God’s unfolding salvation of her people Israel. She announces God’s compassion for the lowly and introduces a key theme of Jesus’ ministry – the reversal of social structures. “Mary proclaims the topsy-turvy future of God as an already accomplished fact—possibly because that future can already be glimpsed in God’s choice of Mary as the bearer of the Messiah. The song proclaims the reality and promise that the singer embodies…”

Her song inspired the Feast of Fools celebration in Medieval times, as people had a little fun reversing the social status and privileges of people, not taking themselves so seriously. (Feasting on the Word) Christians who are part of the Occupy Wall Street movement could easily be quoting Mary’s song this week, imagining the powerful coming down their thrones, the hungry filled with good things, and the rich sent away empty.

While more Americans than ever (15%) slipped below the poverty line this year the wealthiest 1% now controls 40% of the nation’s wealth. It was half that, 20% in the early 80’s. Another way to size it up: the top 10% hold 70% of the wealth, and the bottom 50% of country’s population hold 2%. That kind of disparity is damaging to our nation. Economic injustice should always be a concern to faithful Christians, because our Scriptures call us to another way, the way championed by Mary’s Song. We may have different ideas about how to solve the problem of the growing wedge in our economy, but we cannot be indifferent to it. Mary affirms that the God who came to us in Jesus Christ lifts up the lowly and fills the hungry with good things. Remember that the first words out of Jesus when he began his ministry were, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me …to proclaim good news to the poor.”

I wonder what the new megachurch pastor who is in Lakewood Ranch now to start a new church would say about Mary’s Song. The recent newspaper article says he preaches a prosperity gospel, encouraging people to feel good about being rich. On Celebration Sunday, congregation members bring all kinds of gifts like brand new flatscreen TVs and computers to give away to anyone, including first-timers who attend.

We haven’t tried that method of outreach. But we will give you postcards today encouraging you to share them with your friends, family, and neighbors who might be interested in special Christmas services at Peace. We cannot promise to give them any fine material gifts when they visit, maybe a recyclable grocery bag that says Peace with a pen inside. But we will offer inspiring worship and nurturing discipleship. We will offer authentic relationships and compassionate outreach.

We will encourage a responsive stewardship that commits to helping those in dire need, as we are doing in four ways this very month – gifts to our missionaries in Pakistan, Alternative Gifts International – a way to give things to your own family and friends while making a difference for those in need, Angel tree gifts for Beth-El and our own buddie, the Tuite family in Vero Beach, and last but not least, the Joy Offering, a Presbyterian collection for racial ethnic colleges and retired or struggling ministers.

We will not promise you health or wealth here, nor do we aim to be mega-in-size, but just mega-grateful and mega-faithful, and mega-generous toward God and our neighbor. But I will promise you will be blessed at Peace. You will be blessed like Mary, if you seek to be like Mary. Remember the commercials a few years back when Michael Jordan was the basketball phenomenon. “Be like Mike.” Well, I challenge you today, “Do not tarry to be like Mary, even if God’s call is scary, or your life is feeling harried.”

Be like Mary. Be receptive to God’s will for your life, even if it is disconcerting to you, as it surely must have been to her. You know about a year after we got here, I nearly left this call, thinking it must have been a mistake. Some of the early movers and shakers were leaving Peace and criticizing me constantly on the way out. I feared the few left would lose hope because of the others. Our three older kids were not very happy. In a dead-end position at Eckerd College and misunderstood by some in the church, Richard was not happy. Even Ben the golden retriever thought the neighborhood was a little stifling with all the HOA rules. I was thinking surely God had brought us to the wrong place, and we would have to toss in the towel. But God was teaching us something about trusting. We were learning to have faith in the uncertain times, trusting God to provide, and God did. Now we rejoice in the church growing here, which is deeply attentive to God’s Spirit in Christ, prayerful and pious, in the best sense of that word, yet also committed to acts of compassion, to social justice. We are to be like Mary, who one verse is saying “Here am I, servant of the Lord, let it be with me according to your Word.” And a few verses later is boldly announcing God’s concern for the poor and intent to bring the powerful down from their thrones.

I have often wondered how a young woman like Mary could handle the strain of her news and then sing this song of praise. “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” There is only one way she could sing this powerful song of praise, with vision for social change. She had earlier said to the Angel: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me, according to your word.”

That kind of receptiveness to God’s word and will is what made her the perfect servant of God, mother of Christ, and model for the church. “Where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.” For Christ to enter, we have to get ourselves out of the way – that’s meekness – not having an ego too large, submissive to God’s Spirit. All generations have called her blessed, because she gave birth to Immanuel, God with us. Her womb is more spacious than the heavens to be able to hold the all fullness of God inside herself. We cannot understand the logic of that any more than we can understand what happens to us in the Eucharist when we receive Christ by faith, and become Christ for the world. But we simply say humbly with Mary, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me, according to your word.”

God chooses ordinary people, young people, even powerless people by the world’s standards, to accomplish challenging and unfathomable goals. Are you open to hear the voices of angels calling you, to serve God with your whole self? That’s what it means to be blessed, even as you are being a blessing to God’s world, still in need of the full reception of Christ’s presence and power? A beautiful change is in gestation in the church. The final triumph of life over death is inevitable. I pray we will welcome Christ into our lives as Mary did. I pray we will nurture his growth in us, trusting him to fill us with all goodness and truth in believing. How will you greet Christ this Advent, this Christmas? Will he know you have been waiting for him, especially in the dark nights of your soul? Will he find you eager to embrace him and to do his will?

Comforted

Isaiah 40:1-11
2^nd Sunday of Advent
Elizabeth M. Deibert

Where do you go when you need comfort? Do you turn to a comfortable friend or family member? Do you have comfort foods? Comfortable place in the house. I remember as a little kid when I was scared or sad, I would go to the smallest room in the house, a half bathroom, just off the kitchen. That small place felt more secure than the 18 x18 rooms of the Civil War era house I grew up in. One night recently I was coming home from making two pastoral visits, one of them to Gretchen and John, and a profound sadness came over me. I realized Richard had gone to visit his aunt and Rob Tuite in Vero Beach for the night. Andrew and Rebecca had their plans, and I was going to have the rare experience of being completely alone on a Friday night. Usually I relish such time alone, but for some reason, this time, it was not very comforting. I was thinking about how hard it is to die and to watch someone die slowly. I was thinking about how hard it is to have someone die suddenly too. I was thinking about how many people are so stressed or depressed or just plain unhappy much of the time.

Sometimes I get that same feeling of dis-comfort, dis-ease when I view the world, when I think about the struggles of people, who are poor or grieving, when I watch our government wrangle over issues without solving anything, when I think about global issues of imbalance between the haves and the have nots. And sometimes when I consider the fact that so many people in today’s world see the church as irrelevant or useless, I feel sad.

Where can we turn when life is heavy, when we are feeling like we’ve received more than our share of bad news, when we feel trapped in a difficult situation and see no way out? We can turn to our God and shepherd, to our friends and family, especially at church, who can provide the support of faith and love for us, when we feel far away.

Today’s scripture is one of comfort. The Israelites had been in exile in Babylon, taken from their homes, forced to live in a new place and to mix with people they did not understand. Exile usually means being away against your will from your own homeland, but to stretch the term a bit, we could refer to any experience in which we feel profoundly estranged. Maybe it is your new single life, after divorce or death, that makes you feel exiled. Maybe it is your workplace or school, where you do not fit in. Maybe it is in your own nuclear family or family of origin, that you feel misplaced, trapped, or misunderstood. I had an exilic-type experience when we moved to England with four children and I was no longer the pastor of a church. No one forced me to go there, and there was much to be excited about, but I felt like a stranger in a strange land.

To comfort myself on Sunday afternoons, I’d play familiar hymns on the piano and cook warm and comforting egg custard. I’d drink tea, like a good Brit, and find the long, dark, damp cold afternoons a little more bearable. Richard and I still find tea-drinking to be one of those comforting experiences. But more significantly, we find prayer, worship, and scripture reading to be a comfort in hard times. Gretchen Frueh, as she nears death, has been eager to hear words of comfort, so we read Isaiah 40 together this week. Many Christians and Jews who are grieving are eager to hear the 23^rd Psalm, which reminds us of the comfort of the Lord our shepherd.

Hear these words of comfort from the second part of the Book of Isaiah, words which comforted exiles long ago and now for two thousand years have pointed to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who came to bring comfort, hope, and joy to all the world. Scholars say that this is the conversation of God’s heavenly council. Seems to me that when we read these words as Christians who believe in a Triune God, these could be the voices of a Triune God, speaking within God’s self and to the prophet, 2^nd Isaiah about the things that are coming to comfort God’s people.

Isaiah 40:1-11

Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. ²Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.

³A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. ⁴Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. ⁵Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

⁶A voice says, "Cry out!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. ⁷The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. ⁸The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.

⁹Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!"

¹⁰See, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. ¹¹He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.

(NRSV)

First there’s is the comforting reassurance of “enough.” Yes, they have had enough suffering to bear. They sinned, as we all do, but their painful consequences have over-shadowed their failings at this point. Sometimes people get worse than they deserve, and God sends a message of “Comfort.”

The next word after “comfort” is “prepare” Now since it was our word for last week’s message, I will not dwell on the preparation part but will simply note that these words are quoted by John Baptist in the Gospels in his charge to prepare for Christ’s ministry. They have also been made familiar in song, through the music of George F. Handel in “Messiah” and in the anthem the choir will sing today.

The charge is to make straight the path in the desert for God because when God comes everything’s is going to be leveled. Valleys raised. Mountains lowered. Rough places smoothed out. Hard times made easier. Mountains were dangerous places to travel in those times. The leveling was a safety issue. Some economic leveling could be a safety issue for us too. We waste a lot of government money on people who are under-educated, who don’t receive enough primary and preventive medical care, people who are caught in a cycle of poverty and violence and addiction. The promise of leveling everybody and everything brings more good news: when it happens, the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people shall see it together. All people. All people together will see. That’s a great message of comfort.

The next part of the text is perhaps the most significant for us, in these days of ours. The voice tells the prophet to cry out and he says what should I cry? And the answer is: People are like grass, like flowers. They fade away. You know that to be true. Stop and think about how quickly life goes by. Your grandparents gone. Your parents gone. Your siblings. Your friends. Your spouse. Soon it will be you. Our lives are so short, so powerless compared with the power of God’s word and God’s breath. So life is not about us; it is about God.

And in particular, it is about the coming of God. So our message is not “Look at me. See what I can do.” That’s a juvenile message. Unfortunately, some adults are juvenile enough to keep saying that, only in more sophisticated and convoluted ways than a five year-old child. They live as if it is all about them. No, our message is not about us. It is about someone much greater than ourselves. The message we are shouting out is this: “Here is your God and our God!” See the One who loves us best and loves us all. See the One who is coming, who has all the power and all the honor and glory. See the One who is coming, who is but a child himself, weak so he knows our weakness, yet powerful as only God can be. See the One who is coming, who is the Good Shepherd of the flock, who always leaves the flock to find the lost, who comes especially to take care of the young and those with young. Our God cares most about the most vulnerable people in society.

Jesus showed us and the prophets teach us that God is most concerned for the weakest of society and so should we be concerned – concerned for their food, their education, their healthcare and their over-all welfare. We should equally be concerned if the weaker ones develop an unhealthy dependence on welfare and lose their will to make a meaningful and responsible contribution to society.

Christ is coming again, as we discussed last week. And will feed his flock like a shepherd concerned that each one has enough. He will come to protect the little ones from danger. Painful as it is to ponder the abuse of young children by coaches, priests, and even family members, I thank God that people are getting caught more often. It has always happened, but now people are talking and children are getting rescued from miserable situations.

So do not fear to lift up your voice, to speak of the One who comes. How will people know if we do not share the news? This One, the Lord, our Shepherd, is a comforter to all who feel alone, estranged, silenced, forgotten, weak, tired, and unfairly punished. Life is hard. We get tired. We get old. We fail. We wither and perish, but God’s word of love and comfort is stronger than death, wider than the oceans, and more reliable than your best and most loyal friend. God’s word can be trusted. Don’t look for ultimate comfort anywhere else. It cannot be found in the refrigerator or in the bottle or in the pill or in the bed. All those means of comfort will wither and you will not need more. Ultimate comfort cannot be found in wealth, in power, in success. There is never enough to satisfy. Let us find ultimate comfort in the God who comes to be one of us, one with us, the shepherd who feeds and provides for us. Let us sing and shout with the angels of heaven to all the world, “Here is your God. Here is comfort. Make straight the path to prepare for his coming.”

Prepared?

Mark 13:24-37
1^st Sunday of Advent
Elizabeth M. Deibert

The highest holy days in the Christian year have seasons of preparation. In preparation for Good Friday and Easter, we have the forty days of Lent. And in preparation for Christmas, we have the four weeks of Advent. Advent is a time of preparing not just to celebrate the wonder of Christmas, remembering the birth of Jesus Christ, but it is a time to prepare for the second coming of Christ, especially in the first two weeks of Advent. All the passages in the first two weeks are about the second coming of Christ, not about the first coming.

Talk of the second coming of Christ (mentioned 17 times in the New Testament) is something that generally makes Christians like us a little nervous. Well, it does.

First of all, we have heard the predictions of Christ’s return given in great detail even with dates, and that kind of audacious certainty among some Christians and sects has not seemed plausible to us.

Secondly, we tend to avoid thinking of end times, because we cannot imagine very easily the end of our own life, much less the end of the world. But if we are honest, we do sometimes wonder what happens between this life that we know and the life beyond death, which we do not exactly know.

Thirdly, there are many confusing terms associated with the discussion of end times. Eschatology is the five dollar word for the study of the last times. Parousia is the Greek term meaning arrival, coming, or presence. The term Epiphany, also from the Greek, is used to speak of Christ’s appearing and also the celebration of 12th day of Christmas. The word “Apocalypse” which literally means “unveiling or revelation” is also used to refer to the end of the world.

A literal interpretation of the Bible names four important events:

The Millennium: Revelation describes an important interval lasting for 1000 years when Christ rules. 1 This is a golden era; a time of universal peace.

The Tribulation: This is a 7 year interval when a world religious-political leader called the Antichrist takes power.

Armageddon is a terrible war provoked by the Antichrist. Most people on earth will die. God's anger, hatred, and wrath are poured out over the earth at this time. A series of violent events as prophesied in Daniel 9, Matthew 24, and Revelation 4-19 will occur.

The Rapture: 1 Thessalonians 4 describes a miraculous event when Christ will descend from the heavens towards the Earth. Many conservative Protestants believe that faithful "born again" Christians who have previously died will be resurrected, rise from their graves, and ascend to meet Jesus in the sky. Immediately afterwards, "born again" Christians who had not died will also ascend into the air. They will abandon cars, airplanes, factory jobs, homes, families, friends etc. Others will be “Left Behind” as the series of books says.

These passages of scripture are difficult to understand. They have spawned many conflicting beliefs about the end times. A lot of church strife has resulted from disagreements about end time prophecy. For example, the Roman Catholic Church and most mainline Protestants do not have expectation that a rapture will occur in the way I just described. There are at least six major theories on the end times, but we do not have time in this sermon to address them in all their complexities. I can only recommend that you come to the Bible study on the Book of Revelation in the new year, where some of them will be discussed. Peace has an unusually high number of teaching elders, ministers, people who have been well-trained in Biblical studies (at least half a dozen beyond Tricia and me), so I encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities you have to grow in faith here at Peace.

But let’s get on with Mark 13 now, where the charge from Jesus is to be ready, be prepared, be alert, be awake. Pay attention to darkness and light, to subtleties like fig trees producing tender branches, to the words of Christ, which will never pass away, even though heaven and earth will pass away.

Mark 13:24-37

"But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, ²⁵and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory. ²⁷Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

²⁸"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁰Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. ³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

³²"But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. ³⁵Therefore, keep awake-- for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, ³⁶or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. ³⁷And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."

(NRSV)

Notice that in this text Jesus says that no one knows the day or the hour – not the angels in heaven and not even the Son himself. Obviously, knowing the hour or day, or trying to predict it is a futile exercise, while being ready, while not knowing the exact day is the key to faithfulness.

We Deiberts made a rather late start on our Thanksgiving trip Tuesday evening. It was difficult to stay awake. Richard and I were drinking coffee and eating ice chips and hot cinnamon candy to stay alert. We struggled to make conversation until finally, we pulled into the hotel north of Jacksonville, where we would spend the night and have breakfast with Richard’s brother and father, on our way to spend Thanksgiving with my family in N. Carolina. I walked into the hotel lobby to get the room key, and the night time front desk operator, happy for some company at 1:00 am, noticed my cross and engaged me in a conversation about the end times and the Christian poetry she writes. She wanted me to read some of it online. All I wanted was a room number and a key, so I could put my head on a pillow, but she wanted a friend with whom to share her belief that since 1959 all the pieces are in place for Christ to come again. I smiled, said something about how we don’t really know when Christ will come again, but affirmed with her what I could affirm and that was that we want to be ready. Ready, even at 1:00 am.

So what does it mean to be ready for the second coming? Let’s think about what we do to get ready for a visit from someone special. We clean up and get dressed. We prepare food or beds or rooms that will be welcoming and pleasing to the guest. We set aside time, so that we will not be distracted. How can we turn our Christmas preparations into Advent of Christ preparations? Can we focus on adorning our hearts even as we focus on decorating our homes? Can we focus on spiritual food as much as physical food? Can we give lasting gifts, such as the blessing of a compliment, the gift of helpfulness, the affirmation of a listening ear, as much as the gifts of clothing or knick-knacks or new technology? Can we give a young child the gift of generosity without spending more money than necessary?

Can we emphasize the reason for the season by making the worship of Christ our focus, rather making church that something extra we have to squeeze into our already frenetic schedules?

When Christ comes again, I would hate for him to be as upset with his Church about our hypocrisy as he was about the Pharisees’ arrogant posture of faith. I would hate to hear him say “I told you to be ready. What are you doing here?” It is our job to help prepare the way for Christ’s coming. We are to live authentic Christian lives, to be humble about the error of our ways, eager to be faithful, ready to receive the gift of God’s grace daily yet willing to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, to be busy serving others, and slow to condemn them.

Staying awake means having an active faith, exercising discipline in our lives. When my family arrived at my brother and sister-in-law’s house for a Thanksgiving Family Reunion on Thursday morning, it would have been disappointing to find them in their pajamas asleep. (Actually, I think my 25 year old nephew was in the shower when we arrived.) But it was clear that my brother, his wife, and to a lesser degree their adult sons, had been preparing all week for the arrival of 30+ family members. When we arrived, they were ready.

We do not know exactly when or how or where or what the second coming will look like, but we know we are to be watching for it, ready for it, awake to it. Many things will distract us during this busy season. In the verses prior to our text, Jesus warns against false messiahs and prophets. Many advertisers and merchants will hold up false messiahs, which are aimed at making you or your family happy. But real joy is not found in material possessions. The real joy you give will not be purchased with money, but will be the interest you show in your family members and friends, and the kindness, forgiveness, and generosity of spirit you exhibit in your togetherness.

At such busy times, especially when we are stressed out and sleep-deprived, it is easy to fall asleep on Christian love. We can get so busy creating a Christmas in our own image, rather than Christ’s image, that we fail to be truly generous with those who really need our gifts – the poor and the lonely. We do not want to fall asleep on the things that make a huge difference for people in need, Alternative Gifts International and Angel Tree Gifts for the Families at Beth-El Farmworker Mission. We do not want to fall asleep on comforting those who mourn, showing up for the Blue Christmas Prayer Service to be in solidarity with those who are lonely or sad at Christmas.

As one Advent rolls into another, and we proclaim each year that it is time to be ready, it will be tempting to simply fall asleep on the eschatology of this present moment, because it is not nearly as natural as eating sugar cookies, going to concerts and parties, buying stuff, and watching football games. Do we subconsciously busy ourselves with more than we can accomplish because we don’t want to deal with what really matters? Have we created an idol of our own Christmas celebration, forgetting the One whom we celebrate on Christmas?

It was a teenager at Peace who was amazed that the session would have to decide to have a Christmas Day service when Christmas falls on Sunday. “Isn’t the day about Christ’s birth?” she asked. So why would we even consider cancelling worship on Christmas Day? I was sorry to have to inform her that attendance at Christmas Day services is not usually high, even on Sunday. I hope you will remember this teen at Peace when you make your decision about Christmas Day worship, because your action will shape all of us.

As children we all learn that the anticipation of the big day is almost more fun than the day itself. So let us anticipate Christ’s coming well. Let us prepare our hearts, our souls, our minds, as well as preparing our homes. Let us prepare for the second coming as well as preparing to celebrate the first. Let us prepare in such a way that we keep alert to the things that really matter – giving gifts that truly bless others -- gifts of love, joy, kindness, helpfulness, and generosity toward those in need. Let us limit our activities so that we are not put to sleep by the exhaustion of the season.

One year, after the Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols Service, when our four children were small and just tucked in bed, Richard and I had a glass of wine while lounging by the fire place at about 10:00 and before we knew it, we had fallen asleep unprepared for Christmas. We woke up on the floor, very startled to realize that it was 4:00 am. Never have we been so focused and so fast. I’m praying to have the same sense of urgency every Advent as I had that Christmas morning. The master of this universe has left us his servants, in charge of the house, while he is bodily away from us. He will return some day or night. Will we be ready? Will the house be as he wanted it? Have we paid attention to his desires? Will we be glad to see him, or wish that we had a few more hours to scurry around, to clean up the mess we’ve made?

Please pray with me, the word of a 17^th century Advent hymn:

O, Lord, how shall I meet you? How welcome you aright? Your children long to greet you, my hope my hearts’ delight. O kindle, Lord most holy, a lamp within my breast, to do in spirit lowly all that may please you best.” Amen.

Judged

Matthew 25:31-46
Christ the King Sunday
Elizabeth M. Deibert

May the word you speak to us today, Lord, take root in our lives and bear fruit that is pleasing to you.

This is a difficult passage. In 21 years of ordained ministry, I have avoided preaching it. I prefer to talk about God’s mercy than God’s judgment. This passage makes me uncomfortable because I know I don’t have enough money or time to help everyone who needs help. But this year, I decided it was time to face my fears and deal with this text. In one week’s time here at our ministry center, I have had two encounters with people in need, one of them quite startling. I was here Thursday night in the dark, and had not locked the door. A man needing help walked in. It took every ounce of faith I could muster to look him in the eye and treat him like he was Jesus, because he startled me badly, and I found myself frantically reaching for my cell phone. We did not stay in the building. When I learned he needed gas, we exited quickly to drive in separate cars to the gas station, where I could more safely be compassionate.

Jesus uses sheep and goats to describe the difference between those who were faithfully compassionate and able to enter into his kingdom and those who were not. Now before we read the text, let’s get on board with the differences between sheep and goats. In Jesus’ time this would be understood.

Goats are rough and tough. They can run and jump and climb much better than sheep. They can fend for themselves. Many goats have horns, which they are inclined to use. Goats are rowdy and self-reliant. They are selfish. They are bullies. They are too smart for their own good. They never stay where you put them. They can jump over or shimmy under pretty much any fence. They refuse to conform. They like to break things…and eat things…and get into things.

Sheep are friendly, gentle, trusting, even naïve and innocent. They stay together in herds and follow each other around. They might get lost, but they are not mean or mischievous. I read online about modern-day farmers, who said, “We were never able to keep sheep and goats together in a harmonious group. The feisty goats kept picking on the more docile sheep.”

The goats would bully the sheep away from the good grass and the water. Separation of sheep and goats is often necessary for the survival of the sheep. So Jesus uses the imagery of the sheep and the goats to help his disciples understand God’s intention to protect the weaker ones. Then he makes the connection between the animals and the peoples, as if dividing those who would bully from those who would be gentler and kinder. He makes reference to caring for the needy – the hungry and thirsty, the stranger and the one in need of clothing, the sick and the one in prison. It seems that neither the sheep nor the goats were aware of their own compassion or lack of it. Jesus takes that opportunity to identify himself with those who are poor and needy.

Matthew 25:31-46

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³ and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. ³⁴ Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'

³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸ And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹ And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' ⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'

⁴¹ Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' ⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (NRSV)

Christ morphs from shepherd to king in the passage. There are only two references in the New Testament to eternal punishment and this is one of them. There are many references to eternal life, and to God’s grace superseding our sinfulness. I find lots of help in interpreting this passage by reading this portion of A Declaration of Faith: We are warned that rejecting God’s love and not caring for others whom God loves results in eternal separation from him and them. Yet we also told that God loves the whole world and wills the salvation of all humankind in Christ. We live in tension between God’s warnings and promises. Knowing the righteous judgment of God in Christ, we urge all people to be reconciled to God, not exempting ourselves from the warnings. Constrained by God’s love in Christ, we have good hope for all people, not exempting the most unlikely from the promises. Judgment belongs to God, not to us. We are sure that God’s future for every person will be both merciful and just.

Some think Jesus was reassuring his disciples who were the weaker “sheep” of society that the bullies around them would get their just reward for persecuting his followers. But for our day, I think perhaps it helps to remember all the places where Jesus reverses things, or reminds those who think they are first, that they might just be surprised to find themselves last.

Instead of trying to sort out who we are, I am inclined to think of us all as chimeras, a crossbreed of sheep and goat. I see this warning of the separation as a reminder to all of us living in unhealthy, selfish ways. It is not that we can measure ourselves up to figure out whether we are sheep or goat. No, notice in the story that each is totally surprised. “When was it that we saw you in need and helped you?” Jesus, the one who came to serve, makes it clear that service is key for those who want to live in his kingdom.

“God wants to save our souls and redeem us and give us the gift of life—true, deep, authentic human life. God wants to save us by touching our hearts with love. God wants to save us by persuading us to care and see other human beings who need us. God wants to save us from obsessing about ourselves, our own needs, by persuading us to forget about ourselves and worry about others.” “The story of the sheep and goats is a diagnostic tool designed to inspire faithfulness, root out self-centered living, and help each of us measure who and where we are as we grow in the likeness of Christ.” “There is not a word in this passage about having correct theology. There is only one criterion here, and that it is whether or not you saw Jesus Christ in the face of the needy and whether or not you gave yourself away in love in his name.” “Jesus teaches that God’s reign—the full revelation of which we await—is characterized in the present, not by powerful works and miracles, but by deeds of love, mercy, and compassion, especially toward those most in need. Jesus’ kingly ministry is to be reflected in his followers’ exercise of shepherding care.” (Feasting on the Word by Armstrong, Stegman, Buchanan, and Douglass)

I’m going to close with a story about a eighty-seven year old man named Carl, WW2 vet and quiet servant of the church, always there, quietly caring for the shrubs and flowers in the church yard. He was watering one day, when three rough and tough teens walked by and insulted the older man. He offered them some water, but they gave him the finger and walked on. A couple of weeks later, it happened again. This time when he offered them water, they turned the hose on him laughing, and stole his wallet and his watch. In the scuffle, Carl got tangled in the hose and fell. Shortly thereafter, the pastor arrived and found Carl pulling himself together.

About a week later, Carl was startled to find one of the boys back again. He quickly said, “I brought you your stuff back. Your money too.” Carl nodded and smiled, and the teen continued. He said, “I felt bad after that day we were so mean to you.” Carl said, “Thanks. What’s your name, kid?” He said, “Joe” And the two talked for a while about Joe’s life and why he had gotten involved with a rough group of teens.

Several months later Carl died, and at his memorial service, the pastor noticed Joe seated at the back of the church. Afterwards, the pastor and Joe talked about Carl and agreed that Joe would take over Carl’s watering job. Eventually, Joe became involved in the church and got baptized. You see, it seems that Carl was a gentle-minded sheep and Joe was a bullying goat, but Carl’s kindness transformed him.

We cannot really separate ourselves into sheep and goats. Only Christ can. We cannot judge ourselves or others. Only Christ the Shepherd King can. We can only live in tension between God’s warning and God’s promises. We can humbly respond with surprise and thanksgiving if we did anything pleasing to God and apologetically, if we failed to see and to care as we should have. “Lord, have mercy on our souls.” When I read this text, I understand what the Old Testament calls the “fear of the Lord” as an awe-inspiring respect and desire to please God. At the very least, this text should keep us from a cheap grace and a lazy faith.

'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸ And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹ And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' ⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'

Let us pray: Lord, inspire us to care for the people who are most needy. To remember as Mother Teresa said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other….Let us care for the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work. For we know that intense love does not measure, it just gives… Help us to see you in the poverty of being hungry, poor, foreign, or in prison. Help us also to be compassionate toward those who are unwanted and unloved, starting in our own homes and neighborhoods. Please forgive us for failing to see your face in all the people around us.