Let us pray:
O Lord, we pray, speak in this place, in the calming of our minds and in the longing of our hearts, by the words of my lips and in the thoughts that we form. Speak, O Lord, for your servants listen. Amen.
This is the Sunday of Peace and the Sunday of John The Baptist crying out in the wilderness:
Today is the Sunday of Peace - and The Sunday of John the Baptist. John comes to us with a strange image, wears strange clothes, his strange diet, and his long, long hair and long, long beard. What connection is there between this John - out there preparing the way of the Lord in the wilderness by preaching repentance and the nearness of God's kingdom, reign, domain, government, and peace?
Is it just one of those coincidences of the seasonal readings? Or is it deliberate coming together of themes and ideas so that we, people of God, learn the truth and are equipped by the Truth - and by the Spirit from whom all truth comes - to live that truth and share that truth with those around us?
How much I wished this morning, people from our community who are unhappy and are always seeking something to ease their pain would hear this message of peace. Peace and repentance is being in a right relationship with God, Peace, and looking to God, and walking in his light is so intimately linked that we cannot have one without the other.
There is no peace in the Mid East, Africa and other parts of our world - there has been no war to end all wars, just more suffering and killings. And think of your own households - and families - or those of your closest friends. Think of the addictions - the ignorance - the greed - and the rebellion you see. Think of those people who live in fear - and of those who do all kinds of self destructive things - and yes - think of those bedrooms or living rooms or playrooms where there is violence or neglect.
My friends, there is no peace in the hearts of literally millions of people. “No God, no peace; know God, know Peace.” But we can have peace - for we can and do see peace around us as well. We see nations without civil wars or violent oppression within;
- nations reasonably well run - whose people eat and drink and have a place to sleep
- nations that run according to the rule of law - a law that respects individuals and tries to ensure people of certain fundamental rights.
And we see families - and individuals within families - with peace, indeed we see them - even when afflicted by disease or accident – or poverty not only with peace, but with a kind of joy, and hope, and love that radiates from them.
So how do we get there?
Well - on the world scene - peace doesn't seem to come by making treaties or alliances, nor does it seem to come by fighting for peace, by bombing cities or by assassinating foreign leaders though for a short time these things may seem to work.
And in our personal lives peace doesn't seem to come by buying the right kind of deodorant, nor by investing in the right kind mutual funds, nor even by obtaining a better paying job or by trading in our husband or our wife on a new and better model, though for a short time these things may seem to work.
Peace obtained in all these ways seems to last for only for a moment - and then our hunger, our desire, our anxiety arises once again, our inner and our outer conflicts return. Where is peace to be found? That is the question isn't it, the question so many have. Well, there is an answer to that question. An answer that our texts speak of today. An answer that I want to share with you for the remainder of our time together this morning.
Peace come with repentance. Peace comes with turning towards God and living within Christ. Or to use the highway image that the Prophet Isaiah and John the Baptist use so often, by preparing the way for the coming of the promised one.
It is that simple. In Isaiah 32:17, it says this: "The fruit of righteousness will be peace. The effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever." That is in here (heart). But more, it says: "My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest." verse 18 The fruit of righteousness, my friends, is walking in the way of Christ of being grafted into the vine, Of turning towards him and doing those things he asks us to do -is fruit indeed!
It grows out of us - not because of something special about us but because of something special about the God we open ourselves up to the God we resolve to truly love - truly trust - truly obey. The fruit of righteousness is peace. The second Sunday of Advent is called the Sunday of Peace.
We hear the story of John the Baptist and of how he went out into the wilderness and there preached a baptism of repentance and the good news of the coming of the promised one of God. It is deliberate - and it is repetitious - because it is the truth we need to hear.
Where is peace? It is not in claiming that we are the descendants of Abraham or that our grandparents were Lutherans. It is not the issue of being part a true church, or that our membership in the church is all paid up.
No, it is bearing fruit in keeping with repentance,
John’s words are harsh towards those who come out to him in the wilderness not because he wants to scare these people away, but because he wants them to really understand what is at stake, to really understand what is going on./p>
It is not simply about the judgment to come that we should fear.
But that judgment is already here. The axe is already laid to the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
When we look into our life - at those things that didn't work out so well and when we look at what is happening in the lives of so many around us - can we really doubt the presence of the axe?
And doesn't it compel us to pray for extra special mercy. Our prayer each day should be that the word - the Spirit - might produce it's fruit in us, and that those around us will taste and see that it is good and yearn to produce the same fruit in their lives.
That is what repentance is all about. It is about turning to God
There must be people that we wish could hear this word today right? But are not here.
But I am here, and you are here. And the preaching of prophets of old, a preaching that drew literally thousands of people to him, that preaching is for us as well, it is for us for as long as the world needs peace, for as long as we need peace.
Paul concludes today's reading with these words:
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
We are called, to be ones who overflow with hope and with peace and joy: We are called to be ones who bear the fruit of repentance in abundance - so all the world - and those who are closest to us - may know whose we are and where peace may be found.
I will conclude with a story a friend sent via internet called “THE BARBER”
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects under the sun. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists." "Why do you say that?" asked the customer. "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?
Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop (use mirror). Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty an unkempt.
The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist." "How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"
"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside." "Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me."
"Exactly! Exactly!!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
Where is peace? This is what this sermon is all about: the prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist, the apostle Paul, and many others point us all to the Prince of Peace, to the God of Israel, to the One who stands at the door of your heart and bids you to come with all your heavy burden, broken dreams, and find rest and peace for your spirit. For his yoke is light. It is my aspiration that each and every one of us will open our hearts to the Prince of Peace on this special day, and have him dwell within.
Behold the Lord is coming, he is even now at hand. May those who have ears - hear this word and turn to God and accept it into their hearts.
No God, no Peace; know God, know Peace.
Amen
Rev. Samuel King-Kabu
December 5, 2004