e-vo for week of December 4

Dearest e-votees-

John the Baptist is front and center in the gospel lesson for this Sunday.

But, by the end of the lesson, John is already shuffling to the back and to the side. (as John says in John 3:30 "He must increase. But I must decrease.")

Peace,
Karl

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3 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.’”

4 Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Matthew 3:1-12, NRSV

The task of Advent is to let ourselves be put aside so that the one who is coming--the one who is much more powerful than we, the one whose sandals we are not worthy to carry--can come and take his rightful place front and center. He will come and baptize us and all with the Holy Spirit and fire.

We are waiting for Jesus to come and take his place in the manger. That place isn't front and center. That place is behind and below. God came into the world to bring salvation and the world couldn't be bothered to provide a proper birthing place. If Jesus were to come again into the world as a peasant baby do you think he would be treated much better? If maybe a travelling pair of young parents-to-be showed up on our doorstep would we have room among all of our holiday fixings and rushing abouts? Would our jam-packed days and mile-long to-do lists have any room for God made flesh coming into the world unexpectedly? I suppose we wouldn't be so very different than those who were too full to make room for the one who brings true fullness to the empty places of our lives.

We are waiting for Jesus to come and take his place at the end of time. That place will most definitely be front and center. All will know when Jesus comes again. God will come into the world to usher in the kingdom we pray about so very often. The kingdom will undoubtedly look different than we expect. We so often miss the mark in terms of what God's plans and visions are. There is one way to prepare for this kingdom to arrive. We are to repent. That is, we are to let God turn us around. We have wandered away like sheep. God wants to turn us back. There were presumably sheep with the shepherds at the manger--we are the sheep that are invited to surround Jesus when he comes again. He will be front and center. We will be around and adoring. We will experience what we have been praying for all these many years. Thanks be to God that God's promises are sure and good.


God, help us to wait and to give you your rightful place. Amen.