Sermons for the Month

Don't Ask What's In It For Me
DATE: December 17th, 2006
SERVICE: Third Sunday In Advent
TEXT: Luke 3:7-18

“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN

Perhaps you too have been following the greedy antics of Zoe and Hammie of the Baby Blues comic strip. They were having trouble narrowing down their Christmas lists in their letters to Santa. So, in a moment of insight they decide to ask Santa for everything, for every present in the world. And, as could happen only in the comics, their request was granted.

For days they tore into packages, but little by little it began to dawn on them that their situation was not as wonderful as it at first seemed to be. The reality of their greed began to sink in and they realized that because of them other children had no gifts. So, they decided to write Santa and to apologize, asking him to come and pick up ALL the presents.

However, Hammie had second thoughts, as he clings to a particularly cool bike he suggests an edit to the letter, "What if we said, 'Please come and take away MOST of these presents.'"

Now isn't that typical, and not just in the comic strips. We often repent - "sort of" - experiencing, but not living out, our regret. If Zoe and Hammie had gone out to the wilderness to see John the Baptist they might have been included with the crowds in the welcoming greeting, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"

John wants to see transformed lives. Even those who feel righteous because they are Jews are challenged not to trust in their heritage, their roots. It is fruit, not roots, that John values. He looks out into that crowd and believes that their lives are barren, like the desert, and immediate action is required if they are to have hearts that are ready to receive the Messiah.

Baptism is the first step in this turning around process, but climbing out of the river wet is not enough. The second step is to bear fruit, to walk the walk. As far as John is concerned this is not negotiable. As one writer observed, John the Baptist expects more from us than the world does, more that we expect of ourselves. Should we act impressed with ourselves, self-satisfied, self-congratulatory, John is there to remind us, in no uncertain terms, that God can just as well turn stones into saints should we choose to live unfaithful lives. (1)

And we call that good news? I've always found the closing verse of this scripture lesson to be amusing, "So with this and many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people." Did I say good news? This is the passage that is assigned on the Sunday when the Advent theme is joy. How could that be? Where is the joy in John the Baptist's difficult words? For whom is this possibly joyful?

The answer to that question is painfully obvious, and yet in more than 18 years of preaching it did not become clear to me until the middle of the night on Monday. Go with me back to the text. After John has delivered the "ax to the root of the tree" line the crowds get nervous and ask, "What then should we do?"

He tells them, if you have more than one coat, you must share with anyone who has none. (How many coats are in our closets?) And, if you have food, you must share that too. (How many of us are struggling with eating too much?) Tax collectors, who routinely demanded more than the required amount and pocketed the excess, are to be honest in their dealings. Soldiers who trade on their power are to become worthy of trust. In other words, all victimization of people is to cease.

Now, given all that, for whom are John's words good news and reason to be filled with joy? The answer is obvious; it's fantastic news for the cold, the hungry, the exploited and the powerless. For them there is joy because the transformation of humanity directly impacts their lives.

And all that fits exactly with the ministry of Jesus. Remember how our Lord spoke in the synagogue in Nazareth at the beginning of his ministry? He unrolled the scroll and read the words of the prophet Isaiah that proclaimed that the one on whom the Spirit rested would bring good news to the poor and proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind. That one would let the oppressed go free. Then he announced that in him that scripture was fulfilled.

This is the turn-the-world-upside-down way of Jesus. We live in a world that promotes the "I want everything" attitude of Hammie and Zoe, or of another comic that was in the paper this week. A little boy is pictured sitting on Santa's lap, happily announcing what he hopes will be under his tree on Christmas morning. Santa does not appear jolly, but has an annoyed look on his face as he asks, "What's in it for me?"

This week I was one of a few pastors who hosted an Advent appreciation lunch for the Synod Staff. We enjoyed a lovely worship service and lunch, and then one of the pastors brought out a sheet of well known Christmas songs with new words. One of them was, "The Nine Days at Bailey Road", a shortened version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." It was about life in the Synod office on Bailey Road, and the first verse was, "On the first Day at Bailey Road they made it clear to me, "Don't ask what's in it for me." (Let's sing that together, but we'll substitute Bailey Road with Market Street.)

Well it is humorous, but it's also a true reflection of our lives as disciples. When we find ourselves thinking, or saying, "What's in it for me", repentance is needed. On the other hand, we will know that we are on the right path when two things are true. When our actions bring joy to the lives of those who are struggling and suffering, and when by the power of the Holy Spirit we can live out the beautiful words we read from Philippians 4.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

So, while the words of John the Baptist seem harsh, they direct us to a way of living that is indeed Good News and a source of deep joy. Just remember, though, "…don't ask what's in it for me."

AMEN

(1) SermonWriter, Advent 3C, Luke 3:7-18, pg. 8, www.sermonwriter.com

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