The Next Episode

The Next Episode.

Sermon manuscript (preliminary) for Green Lake Church of Seventh-day Adventists

For Sabbath, December 28, 2013.

Being intentional about the direction of our lives, and especially our characters.

Texts:

OT: Micah 4:1-4

In the last days, the mountain of the LORD's house will be the highest of all--the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.

People from many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of Jacob's God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths."

For the LORD's teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. The LORD will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The LORD of Heaven's Armies has made this promise!

NT: Luke 3:3; 10-16

Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. . . .

The crowds asked, "What should we do?"

John replied, "If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry."

Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, "Teacher, what should we do?"

He replied, "Collect no more taxes than the government requires."

"What should we do?" asked some soldiers.

John replied, "Don't extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay."

Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. John answered their questions by saying, "I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am--so much greater that I'm not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Summary:

The Baby is born. Now what? What plans are we making to participate in the vision of God the Child incarnated? How can we honor the great gifts we have received?

Now what?

We've done Christmas. It's is over.

Now what?

In the Gospels, the Christmas story is the opening episode of a series. When you read through either Matthew or Luke, when you come to the end of the Christmas story, you feel yourself being immediately pulled into the next episode. What's going to happen next.

Angels sang to shepherds on a dark night. Wise Men traveled 900 miles following a mysterious star. An ancient priest in the temple pronounced a grand prophecy over the baby. And at every stage, we are eager to turn the page. We want to know, now what?

In the Gospel of Luke when the author moves past the childhood stories, he begins by reporting on the preaching ministry of Jesus' cousin, John. John was a riveting, commanding speaker. He stirred the entire Jewish nation. He drew crowds of thousands. As they got caught up in his visions of a new age, the messianic age, they asked, “Now what?”

John replied, "If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry."

Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, "Teacher, what should we do?"

He replied, "Collect no more taxes than the government requires."

Soldiers asked, "What should we do?"

John replied, "Don't extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay."

Here is the sequel to the Christmas story. The story God began writing in Jesus Christ, he continues writing in the lives of ordinary people who commit themselves to an exalted ideal.

Notice John the Baptist's words:

If you have two shirts, pass one along. If you have plenty to eat, share.

The idea summarized in these words is so central to the meaning of Christianity Luke does not even report these as the words of Jesus. Christians—followers of Jesus Christ—immediately recognize them as part of “our convictions.” These words articulate the essence of our most fundamental ideals.

These words are especially potent here in our culture in the weeks following Christmas. Most of us have participated in an orgy of giving and receiving. We have more than two or three shirts. We have more than a single pair of shoes. Many of us have several months income saved as a rainy day fund. We upgrade our cell phones every two years, voluntarily extending our bondage to Verizon. We are rich. The very first answer to the question, Now what? For those of us who are so rich is to practice generosity.

We have received. What are our plans for giving?

Christmas is over. What next? How can we pass on the gift?

The very first place to go when we ask what does it mean to be a Christian is to check our generosity. We are to use our prosperity as a measure for evaluating the condition of those around us. Do we have more? Then what can be done so they can join us in our blessing?

In this vision there is no place for gated communities. No place for tinted windows. No place for the notion that I earned mine. Let them earn theirs.

The next couple of questions and answers explore the very foundations of a healthy civil society.

The tax collectors asked, “What should do?” The soldiers asked, “What should we do?”

We should not confuse “tax collectors” with the IRS. A far better comparison would be to compare the “tax collectors” in this passage to organizations who have the power to use the system of government to increase their profit. When those who have the power to influence Congress use that power to enrich themselves, they are acting the part of the corrupt tax collectors of that ancient era.

Can you imagine the impact it would have on our society if we were to severely limit the power of corporations and other special interests to shape tax policy?

What impact would it have on economies in other parts of the globe if the elite quit using their access to government to enrich themselves?

John's response to the tax collectors acknowledged the legitimacy and value of a a taxation system. He does not tell them to quit collecting taxes. He simply challenges them to act within limits. And especially to limit their own self-interest.

John's answer to the soldiers is along the same line. Do extort. Don't use you power to enrich yourself. Don't use dishonesty. Can you imagine the sweetness of a world where these values, these principles become normative?

Finally, imagine John's final challenge: Be content with your pay. What CEO in the United States would allow his pay to be set by other people over whom he had no power? What if CEOs pay were based on their effectiveness in increasing the spread of company wealth among its employees? What if machinists' pay was based on the value they added to the company?

Christmas is over. We have celebrated God's engagement with humanity. We have celebrated a story that shows us a baby sleeping in a feed box in a barn and announces this baby, this peasant child is the very person of God. Christmas brings God to earth. It links religion and spirituality with the well-being of children and disadvantaged people.

The Christmas story begs us to ask, “Now what?” What are we going to write in our part of the story? Are we going to carry forward the vision of people as the bearers of the presence and dignity of God?

This vision of the triumph of justice and generosity, of equity and morality runs all through the Bible. And it is important to note that it is not merely a vision of individual morality—as important as that is!

2500 years ago the Prophet Micah wrote,

In the last days, the mountain of the LORD's house will be the highest of all--the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.

People from many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of Jacob's God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths."

For the LORD's teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. The LORD will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The LORD of Heaven's Armies has made this promise! Micah 4:1-4

Obviously, we are not there yet. Still this is God's dream for his world. The birth of Jesus was envisioned by the prophets as a giant leap forward toward precisely this goal. When we line up our lives with the ideals and values of Jesus, we are cooperating with God in his mission to accomplish peace and harmony, prosperity and freedom.

Let's not scold ourselves overmuch for not having already fixed everything. God has been working on it for at least 2500 hundred years, so it's no surprise that we haven't gotten everything put just so. But neither let us become complacent. Let's not accept things as they are, shrugging our shoulders, saying what can be done?

Christmas is over. What now? A year devoted to sharing. To the cultivation of appreciation for what we have, honesty, the use of our power for the good of all. In doing so we will find the deepest communion with God. We will taste Christmas joy all year.