Fourth Sunday in Advent, 2007              December 23, 2007    Rev. Laird Duran

The reading mentions that John the Baptist was in prison. What do you think it’s like, being in prison? I don’t think anyone here has been to prison, and neither have I. But I have visited people who were or are now in prison. They all said that prison is really bad, really depressing. In prison, you less like a human being, and more like an animal just to survive. After a few months, nothing matters, except getting out of prison.

John the Baptist was in prison, probably for several months before Herod ordered his head chopped off and placed on a silver platter. When John was on the outside living in the wilderness, his message of the coming kingdom of God was really powerful and very popular with most people. He was a gruff man who wore camels’ skin clothing and lived off the land. He became something of a folk hero. He foretold the coming of a powerful messiah, who would turn away all the evil of the world with his “winnowing fork in his hand.” He baptized thousands of people for repentance.

King Herod actually like listening to him, but couldn’t allow him to go on. Herod liked his kingdom and all the power that came with it, and had John arrested as an enemy of the state. So John is in prison, sitting there, day after day. No doubt he’s hoping that the messiah God promised said was coming soon. He was hoping that this messiah would immediately free all the prisoners like him would be set free. And he knew that his days were numbered.

John heard about Jesus who was just beginning his ministry. He’s heard that people were thinking that Jesus was the Messiah John proclaimed. But Jesus didn’t have a winnowing fork. He wasn’t separating the wheat from the chaff like he expected. Rome was still occupying the nation. Herod was still king, even more ruthless than before. He wondered how Jesus could be the Messiah God had promised for the world. By way of his disciples, John asks them to ask Jesus a question, a loaded question. “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Underneath that question, he’s asking, “Are you the real messiah, or are you an imposter.”

There is great disappointment when a person comes to realize that their visions and dreams didn’t materialize. It’s the disappointment that comes when you get really bad news at Christmas from your doctor about your laboratory results. It’s the let down that happens when you come home on a few days before Christmas and your wife and children are gone to live with another man, and there’s a note on the kitchen table. It’s the sinking feeling you get when that your boss calls you in and tells you your job is being fazed out, and you’re finished at the end of the month.

Even great preachers like John the Baptist and Billy Graham face such disappointments. What does a faithful person do when the glorious dream of God’s kingdom is differed? a I recently heard an interview with Billy Graham, the well-known evangelist. After more than 50 years as an evangelist, Billy was reflecting back on all the blessing he’s had over the years. He talked about his family, and how much he misses his wife who died recently. He gave thanks for her life and their wonderful marriage. He gave thanks to God for the success of thousands of crusades he led around the world and the millions of people that made a commitment to Christ.

But then, he also talked about the hopes and dreams he had that did not come out as he expected. When he began his ministry in the 1950's, he really hoped that our whole nation would make a commitment to Christ, and that the Christian faith would spread throughout the world. He recognized that his vision has been differed. Today the country is not turning to Christ as he expected, and the percentage of Christians in the world is no better. So what do you do with disappointments? What do you do when your hope is differed for a later time?

I think we can hear the answer by hearing the answer Jesus gave John the Baptist. Jesus answered John’s disciples saying, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

Jesus did not use a winnowing fork to separate the chaff from the wheat. He did not bring down the king or the emperor. What Jesus did was heal the sick, open the eyes of the blind. He raised the dead, and most important brought good news of God’s kingdom to the poor. Through these simple acts grace, Jesus was bringing God’s kingdom to all people.

Later, Jesus met with a similar fate as John because those in power took offense at him. The messiah John was hoping for was killed by crucifixion. But God raised him up to show us that the kingdom has begun. Now we know that he is God’s messiah, God’s only Son. We are called to follow him knowing that the kingdom of heaven has come to us.

When we do even a simple act of grace in the name of Jesus, we are following Jesus. When we answer the call to bring good news to the poor, we are following Jesus. We are his disciples whenever we feed the hungry or clothe the naked.

It’s true that the kingdom is not hear yet. Billy Graham can see that, but the work he did in his long ministry is remarkable. Through his work in evangelism, millions of eyes were opened to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s also true that there are still many poor people in the world. Jesus once told his disciples that the poor would always be with them. He didn’t mean that it was hopeless, and we ought to give up. But for all the ways we bring good news to the poor, the hungry and the forgotten in the name of Jesus, we are following Jesus.

I’m proud of our ministry hear at Grace. We have followed the command of our Lord in helping the poor, and healing the sick. I give thanks to God for all that we are able to do in the name of Jesus. I’m proud that today, we’re going to celebrate James’ baptism. It makes me especially happy baptize an adult. I give thanks to all who have brought him to Christ.

This baptism is not just for him. His baptism gives us all the opportunity to remember our baptism, and the eternal covenant that God made with us. We can all remember that God claims us for the eternal kingdom that Jesus gave us no matter what disappointments we face in daily living. And in return, we can also remember the covenant we made with God.

No, it’s nothing flashy like a winnowing fork separating chaff and wheat. It’s just water and a few words. But we have, these words are God Word, the promise of eternal life. When the water and the Word come together, we receive God’s eternal covenant. James’ this is you day, and it is a cause for joy. In return, James, you are promising to follow Jesus into his eternal kingdom. And we are all promising to follow Christ with you. It’s a beautiful covenant, a beautiful sacrament that Jesus gave us. Let’s enjoy this baptism for all of us. Amen!

AMEN