Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18
Traditionally, the third Sunday of
Advent is Joy or Rejoice Sunday. Often, churches use a pink candle today amid
the blue to celebrate the joy. Let’s look for the causes for rejoicing in the
texts.
Today, we continue the story of John the Baptizer. He’s in the wilderness along the Jordan River, preaching and baptizing all who come to see and hear him. The variety of the people in the crown is astonishing: besides “regular” Jews, there are leaders, maybe scribes or priests keeping an eye on John, some wealthy folks, tax collectors, and soldiers.
John critiques the current
leadership and warns that a new day is coming. He shouts, “The old regime will
soon be gone, replaced by a new reign of justice. Repent, and change the way
you think and live!”
They all listen to what John is
saying, and respond. Some of the crowd are thrilled with what John has to say. Some
are furious with him. It’s probably the scribes, but it could be anyone who
says, “Who do you think you are? You don’t know anything! We are descendants of
Abraham!” John’s response is to ridicule their self-importance. “Hah!” he
declares, “God can make children of Abraham from these stones.”
And others in the crowd are
intrigued and want to know more. “What should we do to change?” And John gives
specific answers. The wealthy should share their extra stuff. Tax collectors
should charge only the proper amount – in other words, keep their thumbs off
the scales, stop charging extra. Soldiers make enough money with their military
stipend, so they should not use their swords to demand extra from people.
Luke says they all came to be
baptized. Can you imagine it? Soldiers putting their swords down or giving them
to others to hold while they are in the water? Tax collectors letting their fancy
clothes get wet? Twenty or a hundred people in a line wading into the water to
be immersed by John? All these people promising to change their ways?
So, think about this. If John the
Baptizer showed up today, would you go to see him, listen to his rants about
how people should return to God? Would you repent of some unfaithful behavior?
… About 25 years later, Paul is in prison and keeping in touch with his congregations by mail. We have only a few of his letters, and not always the whole letter. In this letter to the Philippians, he writes words of encouragement. There seems to be some tension in the congregation, because Paul includes some suggestions for how to resolve it. But no matter what struggles they have, Paul urges them to rejoice. No matter what, rejoice because God is nearby and loves you!
So, think about this, too. What brings you to rejoice? Are you able to rejoice even when life is hard?
There is a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness can be short, fleeting, based on some event, but it doesn’t last. Eating chocolate makes me happy, but it doesn’t necessarily bring me joy. Joy comes from knowing that the leaders of this congregation thought enough of me, cared enough to ask a couple questions, and decided to present that gift of about 2 pounds of dark chocolate! Plus an orchid, which is still glorious.
Paul is referring to a joy that is even deeper than the joy I have from knowing I am cared for here. For Paul, joy comes from God, and it’s soul-deep. Joy goes deeper than the pain we feel from the loss of a loved one, from the despair we feel every time we turn on the news or read a newspaper. Joy comes from knowing that we are loved, beloved children of God, in spite of the stuff that is happening in our lives or in the world around us.
… How do we know joy? By paying attention
to the whispers or shouts of God’s Holy Spirit. Paul seems to recommend spending
time in silence, in prayer, in communication with God, giving thanks for all you
have. In this way, we will feel God’s peace, at Christmas, sure, but also in
the midst of the turmoil of a crisis.
I think John the Baptizer also wants
to help us rejoice. Luke says John was proclaiming good news. The good
news isn’t the harvest and the unquenchable fire.
The good news is the coming of the
one who is greater than John. The one who is coming is the savior, promised by
the angel before John was conceived, before Jesus was conceived. Knowing Jesus,
knowing his salvation through his self-giving love, this is what can bring us
joy. It’s this joy that Paul is talking about, this joy that John hopes we will
find.
… We’re more than half-way through Advent;
Christmas is 10 days away. How are you doing with patience? How are you doing
with stress? Do you need to repent and change your ways? Or are you ready to
rejoice?
I hope you spend time this week seeking joy, and finding it deep in your soul. Amen
