Advent 2 year A
Sermon Isaiah 11:1-11 and Mark 1
Each year on the second Sunday of Advent…as we prepare the
way for celebrating the birth of Jesus…
we remember his baptism…
which culminates
with nothing less… than the endorsement of God.
with nothing less… than the endorsement of God.
Word slide
This is my son…the Beloved.
It’s a sentence…from Psalm 2:7…
which everyone listening would know…
gives approval to a liberating king…
in the line of David.
It’s a sentence…from Psalm 2:7…
which everyone listening would know…
gives approval to a liberating king…
in the line of David.
And in Mark’s
gospel…affirms God’s blessing
for the coming reign of Jesus the Christ.
for the coming reign of Jesus the Christ.
And if we’re in doubt… about what God ordained kings are like…1st
century Jews … were certainly in no doubt.
The Psalms… which they’d all memorised as children… give this mandate to a Davidic king:
The Psalms… which they’d all memorised as children… give this mandate to a Davidic king:
Slide words
Endow the king with your
justice, O God,
the royal son with
your righteousness.
May he judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.
May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
the hills… the fruit of righteousness.
May he defend the afflicted
among the people
and save the children of the needy;
only justice
and fairness… practised by God’s anointed king… will ensure the permanence of
the house of David.
Blank slide
And the gospeller Mark introduces
his story of Jesus reign… with a powerful poetic quote from the prophet Isaiah…expressing
a deep longing for the well-being of
all creation…
to come when the true king finally rules in wisdom...
to come when the true king finally rules in wisdom...
Slide words
Prepare the way of the Lord…make his paths straight…
What meaning does
God breathe into this passage for you? …for us…here at the ends of the
earth…
Prepare the way of the Lord…make his paths straight …make
straight his paths in the wilderness.
If God is speaking to us
through this passage…
how are we doing? In preparing the way? [pause]
how are we doing? In preparing the way? [pause]
Blank slide
We claim allegiance
to the baby Jesus…
n the carols we sing…as Christmas approaches…
but do we live like we really mean it?
n the carols we sing…as Christmas approaches…
but do we live like we really mean it?
Every December we prepare to celebrate and tell the story
of the birth of our Lord …but how well…
do we prepare the ground for the good news he brings
for all the earth! [pause]
do we prepare the ground for the good news he brings
for all the earth! [pause]
You see how we prepare
for Jesus in how we live our lives
…is a powerful clue…to
where our allegiance really lies.
Word slide
al·le·giance
1. the loyalty of a citizen to his or her government or of a
subject to his or her sovereign.
2. loyalty or devotion to some person, group, cause, or the
like.
Antonyms
1. treason. 2. treachery.
[pause]
Blank slide
We don’t much like
absolutes today…do we…
but I believe in one absolute…at least for those
who would call themselves Christian…
but I believe in one absolute…at least for those
who would call themselves Christian…
Allegiance to Jesus…and by that I mean…
exclusive and total dedication to the way of life he models for us.
From the first disciples to us sitting here today…
allegiance to Jesus…
changes everything…
it changes the way the apostolic church relates to Caesar as King and Lord of the Empire.
It changes the relationship to money and possessions as Jesus’ followers learn to share everything in common.
it changes the way the apostolic church relates to Caesar as King and Lord of the Empire.
It changes the relationship to money and possessions as Jesus’ followers learn to share everything in common.
And allegiance to Jesus…
changes the way they relate to each other…the concepts of hierarchy and special entitlement…
are deconstructed by the early
Christians
To live the Christian life in community… there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male or
female, … we are all one in
Christ Jesus.
To pledge
allegiance to Jesus…means being a prophetic
community… called by Christ to imitate
him…
to reject
violence… and stand up to the powerful…
by speaking the truth… and taking the consequences.
by speaking the truth… and taking the consequences.
A community that is subversive
of Empire…
not subservient. Or so it’s supposed to be… [pause]
not subservient. Or so it’s supposed to be… [pause]
But sadly after the third century things changed as the church grew in power…the
good news Jesus proclaimed for all
people…was relegated to the dusty shelves labelled… politically impractical. Oh
sure a few fled to the desserts and monasteries to keep the flam alive, but
From the 3rd to the 15th century…when the church had all the power… and became an Empire in its own right...
From the 3rd to the 15th century…when the church had all the power… and became an Empire in its own right...
the message of Jesus’
Gospel… was all but forgotten.
And only those who could read would know it first hand
and then only those who could read Latin or Greek.
And only those who could read would know it first hand
and then only those who could read Latin or Greek.
But thankfully God
can work for good in any rotten human situation… and in the 16th
century the gospel was translated
into the language of the common people along with the rest of the Bible…
suddenly the Church could no longer control spread of the good news…that Jesus came to bring this message…the Word of God incarnate…
we are all equally loved by God …we’re to share the great resources of God’s good creation…
to do that …we’re to live simply…break down the barriers that divide, empower women and slaves…
be gracious to foreigners… love your enemy…make peace…
suddenly the Church could no longer control spread of the good news…that Jesus came to bring this message…the Word of God incarnate…
we are all equally loved by God …we’re to share the great resources of God’s good creation…
to do that …we’re to live simply…break down the barriers that divide, empower women and slaves…
be gracious to foreigners… love your enemy…make peace…
the prophets had tried in their way to speak this truth to
power…but they’d were rejected
This gospel…this message…was as subversive of the church… as was of Empires…
and during the reign of Henry the eighth…
suddenly Christians were reforming everything…
suddenly Christians were reforming everything…
a copy of the English Bible was distributed to every parish church
in England. And the gospel contained in this Bible… was subversive…
people started doubting
whether King Henry
was God’s appointed and divinely ordained ruler…as he claimed after all.
was God’s appointed and divinely ordained ruler…as he claimed after all.
common people began
to demand a fair share of the national
wealth…
many of the gentry were terrified of this …and guess what happened? [pause]
In 1543…the powers that be… actually made it illegal for women and common folk…to read the Bible!
So subversive was its gospel message…only gentlemen and clergy… would be allowed to read it…it sounds ridiculous but it’s true! [pause]
many of the gentry were terrified of this …and guess what happened? [pause]
In 1543…the powers that be… actually made it illegal for women and common folk…to read the Bible!
So subversive was its gospel message…only gentlemen and clergy… would be allowed to read it…it sounds ridiculous but it’s true! [pause]
But things have changed haven’t they… the gospel of Jesus
has been carried to the end of the world
And today as we
prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth
beside our beautiful lake…you and I can read the gospel in complete freedom…
beside our beautiful lake…you and I can read the gospel in complete freedom…
You and I can let the light
of the gospel shine
on the way we live our lives …
on the way we live our lives …
You and I can open
our lives to its scrutiny…
you and I can allow the Gospel of Jesus Christ
to critique our lives.
you and I can allow the Gospel of Jesus Christ
to critique our lives.
We can…but do
we subject ourselves to Jesus gospel
in allegiance to him? Are we comfortable to publically claim allegiance to Jesus when in our community resources are not shared and many fail to earn a living wage…
in allegiance to him? Are we comfortable to publically claim allegiance to Jesus when in our community resources are not shared and many fail to earn a living wage…
As people who claim total allegiance to Jesus and the good
news he preached…
do we demand our prophetic right…
to speak the truth to governments and councils…
do we demand our prophetic right…
to speak the truth to governments and councils…
to allow the gospel
of Jesus to critique…
how wealth is distributed, creation is abused and justice denied?
how wealth is distributed, creation is abused and justice denied?
Or have we all but forgotten the gospel Jesus proclaimed
…and all along claiming allegiance to him…
If we have forgotten…if there is a mismatch between what we
say and what we do…then where can we even begin to prepare the way for Jesus
reign and for God’s will to be done on earth? [pause]
Well…we can begin
by asking ourselves Gospel questions
…
Is anyone excluded from God’s love?
Is anyone excluded from God’s love?
What does mercy look like when it’s practised?
What is fair, what is kind, what is just?
What would a church committed to the Gospel look like, what would a nation look like…
What would a church committed to the Gospel look like, what would a nation look like…
what would the world
look like…in light of the good news brought by the one whose birth we prepare
to celebrate this Christmas?
to celebrate this Christmas?
In 2014, we will celebrate the 200th anniversary
of the Gospel’s arrival in Aotearoa New Zealand…
the Good News…that God loves everyone…
the Good News…that God loves everyone…
high born and low born, chiefs and slaves, infants and
ancients, farm owners shepherds and shearers…
we are all God’s children…
and that changes our everything and our relationship to every single creature God has created!
we are all God’s children…
and that changes our everything and our relationship to every single creature God has created!
But don’t take my
word for it.
I challenge you…right now…to
read your Gospels over the summer…read the good news…Matthew Mark Luke
and John…and let the gospel shine a
light on your life.
Hear how John warns his
listeners…their sense of entitlement as God’s
special people counts for nothing … because
a new beginning has come
into the world in Jesus.
In Matthew… hear
that what actually counts…
is the “good fruit” of a sustainable
society.
word slide
The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that doesn’t
produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Blank slide
Understand how Luke
the gentile story teller…
reminds us how any other claim is phony
and can only end badly.
Read how Jesus doesn’t simply say believe in me…but
reminds us how any other claim is phony
and can only end badly.
Read how Jesus doesn’t simply say believe in me…but
Word slide
take up your cross and follow
me’.
And if our allegiance is to Jesus Christ…
the one who reveals God’s will for us…
the one whose coming we prepare for this Christmas…
the one who reveals God’s will for us…
the one whose coming we prepare for this Christmas…
if our allegiance to Jesus is total…
if our surrender to his way absolute…
then everything about the way we live and even some of the things we believe…
if our surrender to his way absolute…
then everything about the way we live and even some of the things we believe…
must be open to change… by him…
Blank slide
Prepare the way for the Lord…
make straight paths for him
Now as Lucy sings let us bring our Christmas cards w ith our
prayers and our longings for God’s will to be done on earth
to decorate our Christmas tree together.
