First Lesson: Jeremiah 1: 4-10
Responsive Reading: Psalm 71: 1-6
Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13
​Gospel Lesson: Luke 4: 21-30

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
​
Once upon a time, there was a wife as mad at her husband as any wife could be[1].  She goes to see her minister, where she proceeded to go on and on about all her husband’s terrible qualities.  The wife’s hatred is made-known as she declares; “I not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even.  Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me[2].”  

The minister then proceeded to suggest what seemed to be a genius plan to grant her wishes.  “I want you to go home, and I want you to act as if you really love your husband. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. Make him believe you love him[3]!”

After you’ve spent weeks convincing him of all this, then you will drop the bombshell, how you demand a divorce!  You will truly crush him at this point!  The wife then thinks the minister’s plan is absolutely brilliant!  She promises to call the minister back once she goes through with this plan.   

So the wife goes home does exactly as the minister instructed.  For the next two months, she sought to be as loving, kind, honoring, patience, and selfless as she could be. 

The minister never hears back from the wife.  Finally out of curiosity, he decides to call her to find how things are going.  The minister asks about her divorce from her hated husband? The wife scoffs “Divorce? Never! I’ve discovered I really do love him[4].” Her new understanding of love had permanently changed their marriage!

Today’s Epistle lesson seeks to do the same thing to members of the Corinthian Church[5].  As I talked about last week the church in Corinth was in conflict. At the roots of the conflict was whether certain members of the church who spoke in the secret prayer language of tongues were extra special within the Kingdom of God[6].   Paul seeks to redirect their focus as Christian people instead.  He seeks to point out that the Christian life is not about accumulating rewards, but rather how your love can lift those around you.  Paul seeks to begin by making the point that love is indeed the most valued of all gifts within the Christian church. 

“If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal[7].”

The gift of love given unto others like in the opening story of the woman, the minister, and her husband highlight love’s power to permanently redeem from even the most hopeless of circumstances.

Once upon a time, there was a young woman who ran far, far away from home because her father was an alcoholic[8].  She vowed never to speak to him again! The years afterward, she becomes a Christian.  She then decides that her calling as a Christian woman is to move back home, so her father may be well again!
Everyone who heard her speak of this was in shock? She had previously described her father as the meanest man; she had ever met!

Someone asked her: “What will you do when he finds fault with all your efforts to please him.”

She replied: “I will try a little harder[9].”

They then asked: “Yes but when is unreasonable and unkind you will be tempted to lose your temper, and answer him angrily. What will you do then?”

The daughter replied: “Pray a little harder[10].”

Finally hoping to get this woman to finally give up hope they asked: “What if he is as awful as you can imagine. Won’t you regret going home? What could you do but leave[11]?”

Only for the Christian daughter to end the conversation by declaring: “Love him a little harder[12].”

The daughter does go home. Things were far from perfect.  The daughter then kept praying, kept patient, kept loving, and her previously lost father saw first-hand the power of salvation[13]. 

Paul begins our passage by establishing Love as the highest of Christian callings.  Paul continues our scripture lesson by defining “love” within a Christian context. 

Now 1st Corinthians 13 is most commonly read at weddings.  While 1st Corinthians 13 gives good advice to a Bride and Groom to be: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy; it does not boast, it is not proud.

1st Corinthians 13 was not written with marital love in mind[14].  Paul’s whole point is instead within the Christian community how love is often uncomfortable. Love’s calling will put you in the presence of undesirables.   Love is not about your emotions in any given moment; love is instead the highest of callings especially when it is the most difficult.

Once upon a T.V. reporter was on assignment in Israel[15].  A bomb explodes, and a mass of people are wounded.  Through the crowd comes a man carrying a severely injured little girl.  The man begged the reporter to help get the girl to a hospital.  He thought that as a member of the press, the reporter would be able to get through the security line that the police had formed.  The reporter agrees. He brings the man and what appeared to be his daughter in his car to the hospital.  Both the reporter and man were unsure whether the girl would survive.

They eventually arrive at the hospital. They wait together to get the news regarding the girls’ fate.  Eventually, the doctor regrets to inform them that the girl had died. The man collapsed in the reporter’s arms sobbing.  The reporter then starts trying to comfort the man: “I don’t know what to say. I can’t imagine what you must be going through. I’ve never lost a child[16].”

The man turns to the reporter to say: “That girl was not my daughter. I’m an Israeli settler.  She was a Palestinian. But there comes a time when each of us must realize that every child, regardless of that child’s background, is a daughter or a son. There must come a time when we realize that we are all one family[17].”

Paul closes our Gospel lesson that Love shall outlast time itself.  Paul confesses within our lesson that he hasn’t always loved like should: “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”  

Love though is more powerful than any imperfection within our life.  Paul closes our lesson that even at those times when our world seems to be ending.  “Love never fails[18] “.  Love will outlast tongues, prophecies, and even knowledge itself.  Love will survive even the end of the world. 

Our lesson closes with the following promise: ‘And now these three (things) remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love[19].”

Once upon a time, there was a little boy who had a sister who needed a blood transfusion[20].  Her blood type was rare, and her brother was the best possible match.  The doctor then begins to explain the procedure to the boy explaining that without the transfusion that his sister would die. 

The doctor finally asks the boy: “Would you be brave for your sister?” The boy began to think it over, before finally cracking a smile saying” Sure, for my sister,” I’ll do it.” The two siblings were then wheeled into the hospital room.  Mary was pale and thin, whereas Johnny was looking robust and healthy[21].  He watched as blood as came out of his sister, down a clear plastic tube.  Johnny finally turns to the Doctor as says: “Doctor, when do I die[22]?” for Mary. 

Johnny didn’t quite understand the procedure in that giving his blood didn’t mean losing his life. Johnny did understand love.  Johnny believed that his love for Mary was so great that was willing to die to save her. 

Paul’s point to the Corinthians is that they have already received the greatest of love that can be given upon a cross[23]. A love that not only changes lives, a love that forgives us, and a love that can resurrect from the grave itself.  Human love is an imperfect comparison to the love of God given unto us.

It is this love that shall ultimately heal all broken relationships between not only individuals, but families, and ultimately nations.  Love is not merely an emotion that wavers depending on the moment; Love is a promise given by our savior unto one’s own death itself. 

“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.”-1 Peter 1:18-19. 

Love cannot only change our world; Love made most fully known in Christ Jesus will ultimately change the world that is to come.  Amen
 
 
[1] Petersen, J. Allan. “Love.” Sermon Illustrations. Web. Jan.24.2019. 
[2] Petersen, J. Allan. “Love.” Sermon Illustrations.
[3] Petersen, J. Allan. “Love.” Sermon Illustrations.
[4] Petersen, J. Allan. “Love.” Sermon Illustrations.
[5] 1st Corinthians 13:1-13. 
[6] Mast, Stan. “1 Corinthians 13:1-13.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. Calvin Seminary. Grand Rapids. 25.Jan.2016. Web. Jan.24.2019.
[7] 1st Corinthians 13:1
[8] New Illustrator. “Love's Persistence.” More Illustrations. Jan.24.2019. 
[9] New Illustrator. “Love's Persistence.” More Illustrations.
[10] New Illustrator. “Love's Persistence.” More Illustrations.
[11] New Illustrator. “Love's Persistence.” More Illustrations.
[12] New Illustrator. “Love's Persistence.” More Illustrations.
[13] New Illustrator. “Love's Persistence.” More Illustrations.
[14] Suk Kim, Yung. “Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.” Working Preacher. Luther Seminary. 3.Feb.2019. Web. Jan.24.2019.
[15] Higgins, Scott. “We Are All Family – A Story About Loving One’s Enemy.” Stories for Preaching. Jan.24.2019. 
[16] Higgins, Scott. “We Are All Family – A Story About Loving One’s Enemy.” Stories for Preaching.
[17] Higgins, Scott. “We Are All Family – A Story About Loving One’s Enemy.” Stories for Preaching.
[18] 1 Corinthians 13:8. 
[19] 1st Corinthians 13:13. 
[20] Higgins, Scott. “When Do I Die?” Stories for Preaching. Web. Jan.24.2019. Taken from Robert Coleman’s Written in Blood.
[21] Higgins, Scott. “When Do I Die?” Stories for Preaching.
[22] Higgins, Scott. “When Do I Die?” Stories for Preaching.
[23] Peterson, Brian. “Commentary on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.” Working Preacher. Luther Seminary. 31.Jan.2016. Web. Jan.24.2019.  

First Lesson: Nehemiah 8: 1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Responsive Reading: Psalm 19
Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a
​Gospel Lesson: Luke 4: 14-21

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
​
I was eleven years old and playing my first summer of Little League.  Here’s the thing that I must confess I was never a good baseball player. When batting lineups were made even though my dad was the coach, I would always bat last.    I would occasionally get on base, as my goal was to do whatever I possibly could not to swing the bat hoping that a pitcher couldn’t throw me strikes so that I may walk instead. I dreaded swinging the bat, as the main reason I wasn’t a good hitter is “I was afraid of the ball.” I would always flinch when it came my direction.

When it came to field assignments, I would always be placed in Right Field next to a seemingly fast center fielder; thereby I’d hardly ever see a ball hit in my direction the whole game where my lack of speed would be a factor. 

Well my first year of Little League, we had a good team.  We had a pitcher named Brant Larson who no one could get a hit off.  If Brant were allowed to pitch the whole game, we never would have lost.  But thanks to Brant, we made it far in the Little League playoffs against the best team in the league. 

Well as the game was entering the later innings, the game was hanging in the balance, my team had kids in position to score, and the last person I wanted to bat was coming to the plate! Me.  I had to stand in and face a pitcher with a game on the line with two outs in the inning.  I was going to have the swing the bat as the pitcher was good and unlikely to walk me.  So I see a pitch swing the bat, make contact, hit a liner over the infielder's heads.  We score! We go onto the win the game.  Sitting in my parents’ house in Lindstrom is the only game ball I ever received growing up for helping to win that Little League playoff game. 

I might have been the weakest player on the team, but my team on this day would not have won without me. 

The second story, Sir Michael Costa was one of the great orchestra conductors of the 19th Century[1].  Legend has it one day he was rehearsing with not only his orchestra but a great choir.  Midway through the session, the piccolo player stopped playing. Now the piccolo is the smallest of woodwind instruments (a half-size flute).  Now to the untrained musical ear in the midst of such a great chorus of sounds, no one would ever notice the piccolo’s absence.   Sir Michael immediately heard something to be off with the rehearsal. He immediately stopped everyone as he shouted out: “Where’s the piccolo? What happened to the piccolo[2]?’

As Michael Costa recognized it is indeed the piccolo player who is indispensable. According to the Apostle Paul within our lesson for Today from 1st Corinthians 12, it is much the same way within the Kingdom of God[3]. 
Here’s what you need to know about the Corinthian Church, it was a church of divided loyalties. Some were claiming to be followers of the church’s founder the Apostle Paul, whereas others proclaimed loyalty to the new preacher the charismatic Apollos, whereas the hardcore traditionalists declared their devotion to Christ’s disciple Peter[4].  So the Corinthians disagreed about preaching, worship, ethics, and belief matter in general.   But perhaps the most hot-button issue among the Corinthian church, in general, had to do with how they understood spiritual gifts[5].  The highest tension centered around speaking in tongues[6].  Basically, the holiest and most active members of the Corinthian Church believed that God had blessed them with a secret prayer language, which second-class believers did not possess. 

So how does Paul respond to the Corinthians back and forth: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”

Why does diversity exist within the Body of Christ?  To strengthen the entire Body of Christ, no different than Sir Michael Costa thought that his musical piece would sound wrong without the piccolo.

It’s not an issue of which gifts are superior within the Body of Christ; the passage continues with Paul seeking to address how there is no such thing as inferior or superior gifts within the Christian Church[7].

Verse 22: “ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.”

The whole point of the Body of Christ is this.  It shows to the world what the Church can be when gathered.

Once upon a highway department truck pulled up alongside a city street[8].  The first worker climbs out of the truck and digs a hole between the street and sidewalk.  A few minutes later, a second worker gets out of the truck, filled the hole with dirt.  The procedure keeps getting repeated every few feet down the block. A senior woman watches this scene unfold and is confused by it all.  She then approaches one of the workers to ask: “What are you doing?”  The worker responded: “We’re on an urban renewal project?”  The woman shakes her head: “The street is way uglier than before, with all these dirt holes.” To which the worker responds: “Well you see, the man who plants the trees is out sick today[9].”

The following story showcases Paul’s point within our lesson about the problem of holes within the Body of Christ:

Verse 25: “so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.

The ideal image of the Christian Church is when it ceases being a collection of individuals arguing over whose gifts are superior and instead becomes a Body seeking to proclaim the Grace of Christ to the entire world, even as the church might seem splintered into all sort of unique Church bodies.

While the issues that divide us retain importance, Paul says they should not be burdens in the end to the real mission of why we gather?

I talked this week to my friend Cody in Wisconsin; I was the best man in Cody’s wedding.  Cody is an active and faithful member of the Wisconsin Synod. The Wisconsin Synod is as conservative as other Lutheran bodies get when it comes to interacting with other Christians.   I’ve gone to church services in Cody’s church where I haven’t taken communion out of respect for their beliefs, and I’ve even visited the Wisconsin Synod seminary in Mequon, Wisconsin. 

As I was talking to Cody, he was telling me about the Wisconsin Synod’s television program: Time of Grace Ministry with Pastor Mark Jeske. Pastor Jeske is among the most talented Lutheran preachers that I’ve ever heard.  Cody though remarked to me: “When you watch his show, they tend to downplay the WELS’ distinctive beliefs.” To which I responded: “The goal is to make the Lutheran faith accessible to a wider audience.”

The problem with too many Christians is that we make perfect the enemy of the good.  We go looking for a church that isn’t there to the detriment of the church that we’re truly called to be. 

God has given us some wonderful gifts: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.”

Remember these greater gifts might not seem to be what they appear.  The year was 1981; President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr[10]. The President would be confined to a hospital bed for the next several weeks.  The government managed to keep functioning over these weeks, and little impact was felt daily for the average American.

 In 1986, a seemingly unrelated event took place in Philadelphia the garbage collectors went on strike for three-weeks during the hottest part of summer.  Trash would pile up, the city’s smell turned noxious, and a huge public health hazard became a reality.  Now at first glance, it would seem obvious who is more important the President of the United States or a random garbage collector.  Paul’s point though about the Body of Christ is that everyone’s gifts are needed for the good of the whole body. 

I’ve got a baseball sitting in my childhood bedroom that can tell you why.  Amen

[1] Higgins, Scott. “Sir Michael Costa.” Stories for Preaching. Web. Jan.22.2019. 
[2] Higgins, Scott. “Sir Michael Costa.” Stories for Preaching.
[3] 1st Corinthians 12:12-31a.
[4] 1 Corinthians 1:12. 
[5] Mast, Stan. “1 Corinthians 12:12-31a.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. Calvin Seminary. Grand Rapids, MI. 18.Jan.2016. Web. Jan.22.2019. 
[6] 1st Corinthians 14. 
[7] Mast, Stan. “1 Corinthians 12:12-31a.” Center for Excellence in Preaching.
[8] Mast, Stan. “1 Corinthians 12:12-31a.” Center for Excellence in Preaching.
[9] Mast, Stan. “1 Corinthians 12:12-31a.” Center for Excellence in Preaching.
[10] Parsons, David. “Body of Christ.” Sermon Illustrations. Web. Jan.22.2019.  

First Lesson: Isaiah 62: 1-5
Responsive Reading: Psalm 36: 5-10
Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11
​Gospel Lesson: John 2: 1-11

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
​
Once upon a time, there was a couple who was out for their Sunday afternoon walk when the sky suddenly turned[1].  The couple decided to seek shelter in a nearby church.  As soon as they got inside, they overheard the sound of children.  Sunday School was taking place!  The couple then accidentally hears the lesson.  The Pastor proceeds to ask the children: “What is a miracle?” One little girl raised her hand and proceeded to put every pastor and Seminary professor to shame as she declared a miracle to be: “Something we can’t do, but Jesus can.”

Author Karen Blixen tells the story of two elderly sisters who live in a small remote fishing village in 19th Century Denmark.  The sister's whole life has been defined by devotion to their faith, being the daughters of a Pastor, even being named Martine and Phillipa after the Lutheran Church’s greatest reformers Martin Luther and Phillip Melanchthon[2].

The sisters never married as their father denounced all their suitors as not worthy of marriage.  Now fifty years had passed and the sister's life consists of spending their time in a dwindling congregation all of white-haired believers[3]. Their congregation despite their extensive prayers and Bible study was like any other congregation with bickering spouses and friends angry with each other.  The sisters’ remaining years seemed sealed with an inevitable fate.

One day though a mysterious visitor shows up at their door.  Her name is Babette; she is an acquaintance of one of the sisters’ long lost French suitors.  Babette wanted to flee France in the wake of their violent revolution, so she ended up in remote Denmark with a recommendation to work as the sister’s housekeeper.  The sisters had no means to afford such extravagance.  Babette though offers to work for free in exchange for shelter[4].

Here’s what you need about the sisters, they ate the same thing nearly every meal: dry boiled fish and ale bread[5].  Babette though being an experienced cook gradually improved the sister’s dining options over time.  Babette becomes a great blessing to the sisters.

One day the arrangement seems destined to come to an end. Babette wins the lottery.  She wins 10,000 francs a life-changing amount of money in 19th Century Denmark; the sisters are convinced Babette is off to bigger and better things[6]. 

Babette though wishes to do something with her winnings for the sisters and members of their congregation. Babette wanted to prepare for everyone an authentic French meal, sending a nephew to Paris to pick up the ingredients[7].   The meal was like nothing ever served before in Jutland, Denmark a table was decorated with linen, china, crystal, and silver to serve wines, soup, quail, pig, cheeses, fruits, and the most tantalizing desserts that you can imagine[8]. 

Something strange happens throughout the greatest meal everyone gathered have ever eaten: relationships begin to mend and a great hope comes over the room that seemed not to be present before. 
The sisters upon the conclusion of the meal believe their outcome was predetermined. Babette was now going to leave their presence, never to be seen again.  The sisters are shocked when they find out Babette will be staying.  In her former life in Paris, she was the chef at one of its finest restaurants and had just spent all 10,000 Francs preparing a similar meal to the people of this small fishing village in Jutland[9].

A miracle had taken place within this small fishing village in Jutland whether it was apparent or not.  Grace in the midst of a great feast had been given to those who badly needed it.  A group of aging believers through Babette’s presence had been transformed into a channel to proclaim God’s great grace to their community and ultimately the whole wide, world.

Indeed a miracle is “Something we can’t do, but Jesus can.”

Today’s Gospel lesson further illustrates this theme[10].  It’s the story of the first miracle of Jesus’ ministry taking place at the Wedding in Cana.  Here’s what we do know about the wedding: Jesus attended with his mother, the wedding ran out of wine, the reason that wine was so prominent in Jesus’ day is that drinking water was often unsafe[11], the problem with wine is that it takes months to actually make. So the wedding runs out of wine and with no places to purchase wine[12], the wedding seemed destined to end as a disaster.

Jesus’ mother then begs him to intervene, only for Jesus to say he wasn’t quite ready: “My hour has not yet come[13].”

Mary’s role in the story of Jesus’ first miracle can’t be underestimated[14]. Mary believed now was the time for action regardless of any circumstances that declared turning water into wine is impossible. Mary’s faith causes Jesus to perform the first miracle of his public ministry.

So Jesus orders six nearby twenty to thirty gallon stone jars to be filled with water.  Jesus then commands a cup be drawn and brought to the master of the banquet. 

A miracle is; “Something we can’t do, but Jesus can.”

The bride and the groom instead of tasting water then begin to drink the best wine anyone at the Wedding in Cana had ever tasted.  The good wine had been saved indeed!

People were overjoyed!

Now here’s the thing Cana was an odd sight for Jesus’ First Miracle to take to place. Cana was in the hearts of backwoods Galilee. Galilee was known for being the home to ordinary fishermen. 

Cana was as far from Jerusalem as remote Danish Jutland was from Paris. It was here in remote Cana that the purpose of all miracles in producing faith was first given. 

Roy Harrisville III describes the faith produced by this miracle as such: “Faith is not a matter of coercion but of wonder at the miracle of Christ. It is an overwhelming gift in which the Giver Himself resides[15].”
Today is a big day in the life of Sychar. We gather for our annual meeting. We discuss ways that we can reach our community more effectively in the years ahead.

We face many of the same challenges faced by the tiny Lutheran church in Denmark with graying hairs. We face many of the challenges of the people of Cana in seemingly being too remote a place for God to act.  Like Mary the Mother of Jesus within Our Gospel lesson, this doesn’t mean that we don’t have a role to play in our faith community when it comes to God shaping and giving faith through the greatest of miracles.  Babette never imagined her talents as a chef would bring peace to a small, aging congregation of Danish believers. We never know what ways God can ultimately change the ministry of this congregation in the years ahead[16].  What our water into wine might be?

Let me close with one final story. William Jennings Bryan was the only three-time failed Presidential Candidate to be nominated by a major party.  Bryan was most known for two things: his deep faith and being an extremely gifted public speaker.

Jennings Bryan understood the meaning of a miracle being: “Something we can’t do, but Jesus can.”

Jennings Bryan one day was eating watermelon[17].  He noticed that the watermelon is a beautiful fruit and began to ponder its origins.  Jennings Bryan calculated that it would take 5,000 watermelon seeds to weigh a pound.  He then started to multiply assuming a forty-pound watermelon.  How it only took one of these 5,000 seeds put into the ground, warmed by the sun, and moistened by the rain to produce a miracle.  One tiny seed ends up creating a melon that is tens of thousands of times its own weight.  This one tiny seed scatters other seeds throughout the watermelon each capable of producing new life.  We cannot explain the watermelon, but we can enjoy eating it. I can verify that if a watermelon is put before me, it lasts about ten seconds! 

The message of our Gospel lesson Today is rest assured even if we don’t see water being turned into wine; this doesn’t mean miracles aren’t taking place within the world around us, even this congregation.  Both the Wedding and the Watermelon tell stories of God’s infinite power giving this world an abundant harvest of God’s grace many times over. 

We are indeed an imperfect church made for imperfect people, for all that we can’t do, Jesus ultimately can.  Amen
 
 
 
 
 
 


[1] This illustration originally appeared in Christian Herald. The illustration was found on moreillustrations.com/miracles on January 7th, 2019. 
[2] Axel, Gabriel. “Babette’s Feast (1987) – 1: Creation, Delight, Wonder.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. Web. Jan.7.2019. 
[3] “Babette’s Feast.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 11.Dec.2018. Web. Jan.7.2019.
[4] Babette’s Feast.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
[5] Tharp, Right Reverend Robert. “Sermon for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: John 2:1-11.” Day 1. 14.Jan.2001. Web. Jan.7.2019. 
[6] Tharp, Right Reverend Robert. “Sermon for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: John 2:1-11.” Day 1.
[7] “Babette’s Feast.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
[8] Tharp, Right Reverend Robert. “Sermon for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: John 2:1-11.” Day 1.
[9] “Babette’s Feast.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
[10] John 2:1-12.
[11] Zingale, Tim. “Signing Us.” Sermon Central. 9.Jan.2001. Web. Jan.7.2019. 
[12] Markquardt, Edward. “180 Gallons of Grace.” Sermons from Seattle. Web. Jan.7.2019. 
[13] John 2:4. 
[14] Markquardt, Edward. “180 Gallons of Grace.” Sermons from Seattle.
[15] Harrisville, Roy III. “Commentary on John 2:1-11.” Working Preacher. Luther Seminary. Saint Paul. 17.Jan.2010. Web. Jan.7.2019. 
[16] Emerson, Keith. “The Bread of Life at Babette's Feast.” Check Out the Sermons. 12.Aug.12. Web. Jan.7.2019.
[17] This illustration was given by William Jennings Bryan. The illustration was found on moreillustrations.com/miracles on January 7th, 2019.

First Lesson: Isaiah 43: 1-7
Responsive Reading: Psalm 29
Second Lesson: Acts 8: 14-17
​Gospel Lesson: Luke 3: 15-17, 21-22

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

Picture a Sunday morning at a church such as this one[1]. A gentleman shows up late to the service. The gentleman was unkempt, he looked like he could barely afford two matching shoes, the guy mumbled in his greetings and the gentleman smelled of cologne not that appealing but way too strong.  The ushers seat this gentleman in the back of the church, and when the service ended the other congregants tended to downplay the man’s presence. He would never revisit the church!

That same Sunday, a different first-time visitor showed up[2].  This gentleman’s grooming was immaculate; he wore a fancy dark suit, he beamed a mega-watt smile and was instantly charming to everyone who made his acquaintance.  His presence was the talk of the congregation: who was that man a doctor, a lawyer, a bank president?

Immediately after the service, the congregation president began visiting with the man[3].  He invited him to Sunday dinner at his house.  He had been the most exciting visitor to come to Saint Martin’s Lutheran Church in years.  The man, his family, and the visitor gather around the table.  The food begins to be passed around.  The first thing handed to the visitor was the potatoes; he opens up his coat and starts loading mashed potatoes into his suit pocket.  The family is dumbfounded that such a well-dressed, a well-spoken individual could have such goofy manners.  They then watched as he stuffed carrots and finally the meat inside his coat while his plate remained empty.  Finally, the congregation president spoke up: “What exactly are you doing?” The visitor remained well-spoken as he declared: “Judging from how you treated the other visitor this morning, I see you invited my fancy suit to lunch, so I’m going to feed it, instead[4]”
Keep this story in mind and let me tell you about an event within Jesus’ ministry. Today’s Gospel lesson tells the tale of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus to begin his earthly ministry[5].

Now Jesus baptism is one of the more commonly misunderstood events within the scriptures. 

Why was Jesus baptized?  Now John the Baptist was even confused why Jesus gets baptized. Jesus answers this question: “It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness[6].”

So what exactly does this mean? Here’s an important thing about Jesus baptism, he got baptized at the age of 30.  Now many churches claim that we shouldn’t baptize babies, because Jesus wasn’t baptized as a baby. 

Now the one story that we have from Jesus’ childhood takes place at the age of twelve when Jesus visits the Jerusalem Temple and proceeds to amaze the greatest religious scholars of his day with his knowledge of the depths and the ways of God[7]. Luke’s Gospel which tells both stories tells us nothing about Jesus’ life from this day until his Baptism by John the Baptist eighteen years later.  So it seems unlikely that Jesus being baptized was merely meant to be a public confession of his faith, when he had already amazed the greatest religious scholars of his day years before being baptized with both his faith and knowledge.

So Jesus gets baptized at thirty for a different reason? The Book of Numbers has God instructing Moses and Aaron to take a census of all the Priests of the land[8]. What were the qualities to be a Priest? Numbers 4:3 “Be between thirty and fifty years old when you begin your work (ministry) in the Tent of the Meeting,” hence why Luke’s Gospel is so specific- Luke 3:23: Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. 

So why was Jesus baptized?  The ritual ceremony to be ordained as a priest in multiple places (Exodus 29 and Leviticus 8[9]) describes washing with water and anointing with oil as a symbol of the Holy Spirit’s blessing.  So this background begins to explain why Jesus was baptized “to fulfill all righteousness” at thirty years of age to serve as a formal entrance to the priesthood so that he may begin his earthly ministry.

So why was this so important that Jesus becomes a properly, licensed priest this is where Jesus baptism begins to connect with our own.

Consider the role of the Priest within the Old Testament. The Priest’s job was to make a sacrifice on account of an individual’s sins on their behalf. 

The Book of Hebrews declares: “For this reason, he had to be made like them,[a] fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.[10]”

What does this all mean, let me tell you a story. Earlier this summer, I was coaching Basketball down in Superior.  We were playing Northwestern High School from over in Maple, WI. One of the rules of the UW- Superior Summer League is each school needed to provide someone to keep a score book.

We had no fans at their game, so I was going to have to ask one of the players to do it, which I didn’t want to do because that meant he couldn’t play in the game.  Even if I didn’t need a kid to play, I didn’t want to give a Silver Bay player a permanent seat on the bench when he invested the time to come down to Superior.

Finally, a solution emerges, a couple of kids from Northwestern offer to keep the book in our place.  I enthusiastically agree with this solution.  These kids were fourteen/fifteen years old.  Like a lot of fourteen/fifteen-year-olds, they tried to see how much “cussing” they could do while keeping score as a way to try to look and sound cool.    Like a lot of fourteen/fifteen-year-old boys, their attention span would come and go throughout the game.  I would need to correct Silver Bay’s score on more than one occasion.
Fifty seconds were left in the game; the score was wrong once again. We were down like five points, pretty good considering we were playing a much bigger school. Finally one of the officials had it! He comes over starts yelling at the Northwestern bookkeepers and myself for allowing it.  Like a lot of kids, the young men who had been cussing up a storm the whole game turned “quiet” when confronted by an angry adult. I knew that I had to stand up for these foul-mouthed young men against the quick-tempered referee.  My greatest claim to fame as a Basketball coaches will forever be my only argument ever with a referee involving standing up for kids for the other team! The scorekeeper’s jaws were dropped as they witnessed this! I told the referee to blame me not these kids for any problems he had with the score book.  Get mad at me instead!  I was thanked by every member of the other team as soon the game concluded.    

So why was Jesus baptized? Baptism in John the Baptist’s day was to admit wrong for any sin in one’s life. Jesus lived a life without sin.  Jesus was baptized to claim our trouble as his own.  He was baptized for every foul-mouthed young man, and every poorly kempt gentleman smelling of obnoxious cologne.  Christ’s Baptism points out the words that would be spoken by the Apostle Paul a generation later: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus[11]. “ Christ makes us a part of his church through his baptism.  Christ’s baptism shows us that the Grace of God ultimately shall know no limits as Christ became the High Priest to assume the sin of the world unto the Cross. 

What did Christ do for you at his Baptism? Let me close with one final story[12].  The date was June 5, 1944. General Dwight David Eisenhower was about to make the call to land on the beaches of Normandy with over one million troops to try to crush Hitler’s power over Europe[13].

The night before the attack, Eisenhower spent with the men of the “Screaming Eagles” of the 101st Airborne[14]. Eisenhower walked around from soldier to soldier speaking words of hope as tears streamed down his face knowing what the next day would bring. Eisenhower eventually leaves the soldiers to pen a letter to President Roosevelt in the case of a defeat. His letter read as follows:
“Our landings...have failed...the troops, the Air, and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches itself to the attempt, it was mine alone[15]!”

Christ made a similar vow undergoing his Baptism to begin his earthly ministry.  Eisenhower was about to confront Hitler. Jesus was about to confront sin, death, and the power of the Devil.  Jesus claimed responsibility for our folly and failure as his own. Christ was setting the stage for his eventual triumph over all the evil forces threatening to devour the world forever, reminding us that Jesus sees us as much more than a fancy suit.  Remember all this the next time you “Pass the Potatoes.” Amen


[1] Based on Tim Zingale’s sermon “God Alive And Well.” Sermon Central. 2.Jan. 2007. Web. Jan.4.2019. 
[2] Zingale, Tim. “God Alive And Well.” Sermon Central.
[3] Zinglale, Tim. “God Alive And Well.” Sermon Central.
[4] Zinglale, Tim. “God Alive And Well.” Sermon Central.
[5] Luke 3:15-17,21-22.
[6] Matthew 3:15.
[7] Luke 2:41-52.
[8] Slick, Matthew. “Why was Jesus baptized?” CARM Ministries (Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry). 6. Mar.2012. Web. Jan.4.2019.
[9] Exodus 29:1,4,7. Leviticus 8:6.12.
[10] Hebrews 2:17. 
[11] Galatians 3:28.
[12] Seitz, Gregory Rev. Dr.. “"Jesus' Baptism: Solidarity with Sinners to Save Them!". Lutheran Hour.  8.Jan.2012. Web. Jan.4.2019. 
[13] “Normandy landings.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 30.Dec.2018. Web. Jan.4.2019. 
[14] Seitz, Gregory Rev. Dr.. “"Jesus' Baptism: Solidarity with Sinners to Save Them!". Lutheran Hour.
[15] Seitz, Gregory Rev. Dr.. “"Jesus' Baptism: Solidarity with Sinners to Save Them!" Lutheran Hour. 

First Lesson: Isaiah 60: 1-6
Responsive Reading: Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14
Second Lesson: Ephesians 3: 1-12
​Gospel Lesson: Matthew 2: 1-12

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
​
Let me begin by asking everyone here a hypothetical question.  “Would you rather have the right directions to the wrong destination or the wrong directions to the right destination?”
Would you rather have the perfect map or the perfect GPS take you to the middle of a traffic jam to a place you discover you don’t need to be or would you rather end up in the right place by what seems to be good luck?

Now let me continue with a story, on Christmas Eve when my family gathered we sat down to play a game of Trivial Pursuit.

Now I was in for a challenge. My Mom’s traveled and volunteered throughout the world, read more books than everybody else I know, she worked for many years as a librarian and possess a Master’s in Education.
My sister is a lawyer; she’ll occasionally recommend books for me.  The reading is so tedious that stuff she has described to me as “easy reads”, I seemingly need to take breaks every ten minutes from mental exhaustion.

My Dad is thirty years older; when we go to museums, they need to kick him out upon closing because he reads absolutely everything upon the wall. 

I was giving away vast amounts of knowledge and life experience in most of the categories: geography, history, arts, and literature. 

Despite being an underdog heading into the game, I did manage to pull the upset!  Now I don’t say this to brag, because in the majority of the categories in which I was asked, I had no idea of the answer.  But how I won was through the process of elimination in true/false, multiple choices, and what would be considered slightly “educated” albeit “lucky” guesses. 

But as the Carlson Family Trivial Pursuit game reminds us; the thing is it sometimes nothing more than pure “luck” that can be the source of one’s greatest blessings in life.

Today’s Gospel lesson tells us another similar story[1].  Today we hear a story about individuals who end up in the presence of Our Lord by nothing more than pure chance.  Men, who every one first hearing the story in Jesus’ day would ask: “What exactly are they doing there[2]?”

Today’s Gospel lesson concerns the visit of the “wise men,” “kings” or “Magi” to visit young Jesus. 

Now despite singing “We Three Kings” earlier, there is no evidence that these men were kings within our scripture lesson. The speculation about these men being “kings” only arose within later Church tradition.
As for being wise men, this is also debatable.  The visitors’ most prominent act involves going to the current King in Herod asking him where they could find his replacement.

They could not have made a less wise move.  You see Herod had already killed multiple sons and a wife just at the mere suspicion that they were thinking of replacing Herod as King[3].   Now the visitors were confirming Herod’s paranoia.  Herod gets so jealous after the wise men’s visit about this “birth” of the “new king,” he proceeds to have all baby boys born in Bethlehem less than two years old killed.  So considering all this “wise men” is the worst name for Jesus’ unexpected visitors.

The third name for these gentlemen is “Magi.” Now, who exactly are “Magi?” Magi appear in two old stories within the New Testament.  In Acts 8, Simon the Magi also known as the Simon the Sorcerer is stated as one who is opposing Jesus’ earliest followers[4]. In Acts 13, Elymas the Magi who is opposing Paul and Barnabas preaching about Jesus on Cyprus[5]. 

Now the word “Magi” comes from the same root word as “Magician’.  Within Jesus’ day “Magi” tended to work with things like witchcraft, fortune telling, and especially “astrology[6].” Magi were often referred to as “wise-men” because they would study these things as a way to understand spiritual truth.    These were the types of things that no good “religious” person of Jesus’ day that gathered every Sabbath within the Temple would involve themselves.

Now from where did the Magi come? All we can say for sure is they came from someplace east of Jerusalem such as Arabia or Persia.  In all probability, they were not “Jewish” like everyone else attending the Birth of Jesus as they proclaimed their wishes to see “The King of the Jews.” 

But the Magi did know enough about both the scriptures and astronomy to realize the Star of Bethlehem as giving witness to the Messiah’s birth. 

So how do the Magi come upon this scene?  Let me throw out a theory, six hundred years before the Birth of Jesus.  The Babylonians conquered the Jewish homeland. The Jewish people were then thrown out of their homes and forced to live as servants within Babylon. During this time though, one man with great faith rose to prominence in Babylon.   The man was Daniel.  Daniel’s faith was so great that he survived one night within the Lion’s Den[7]. 

Why do I mention this- Let me read Daniel 2:48:
“Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men (or Magi) of Babylon.”

Daniel’s presence within Babylon would perhaps explain why these Magi would possibly care so much about the birth of a baby in a foreign land, hundreds of miles away, hundreds of years later.

So the Magi follow a star end up in Jerusalem, in the presence of King Herod.  They figured the big city in the presence of Government and religious big shots was the place where the “King of the Jews” would be born.  No one not even the religious authorities in the Chief Priests and the Scribes knew of Jesus’ birth until the Magi’s visit.
 
The Chief Priests were able to remind the Magi of the prophet Micah’s promise that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.  Only for as soon as the Magi left Jerusalem, the star leading to their destination reappeared bringing them to the very house where Christ was staying. 

 Now here’s the remarkable thing about the Magi when they appear at Christ’s door-step, they see a humble home, seemingly not one belonging to the type of King they traveled hundreds of miles to worship in a foreign land[8]. 

None of this ultimately mattered in the end to the Magi. They were instead overjoyed! They instinctively understood the promise of the long-awaited messiah!   They bowed down to worship him! They presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh[9].  The visit of the Magi ultimately pointed the way to the purpose of the Messiah who had been born.  He was born to save those from far outside the nation of Israel and far from outside the religious structure of his day. 

The Magi might have seemed unlikely to end up as central figures in the story of Jesus birth, but they remind us that even being wrong about directions to the right destination can work out in the end.  The Christ child can bless the most winding and broken of roads. 

To further illustrate the story of the Magi, let me close with one final story as told by Tim Zingale.

Elroy.T. Higgenboom was a seeming nobody from Indianapolis, Indiana[10].   Elroy was in many ways like Sid Hartman describing every one of fame and influence as “his, close, personal friend.” Elroy though seemed to be nothing more than the guy in the coffee shop continually shooting his mouth off and telling all his stories.  No one has ever seen Elroy with any of his supposed famous friends.

Well one day, Elroy’s friend who I’ll call Leonard got tired of hearing all of Elroy’s stories.  He said, “Hey Elroy, if you know so many famous people why don’t you call the mayor of Indianapolis and invite him to lunch.” Leonard even handed Elroy the Mayor’s phone-number[11].  Everyone who heard this conversation thought Elroy was about to look like a fool.  Only for Elroy to tell Leonard to “go ahead.”  Leonard dials the number, the Mayor’s secretary answers, and she relays Elroy’s lunch offer to the Mayor, only for Leonard’s jaw to drop as he hears that “The Mayor would love to catch up and have lunch with Elroy.”

Leonard gets mad at this point, figuring it all to be a fluke.  He invites Elroy to Washington D.C. where a parade was taking place. The star of the parade was President John F. Kennedy.  President Kennedy sees Elroy and shouts out “Hey Elroy how’s everything in Indianapolis[12].” Leonard was so mad that he could barely speak at this point!

Leonard though was determined to expose Elroy once and for all.  So he decides to take Elroy to the Vatican to see his supposed close, personal friend the Pope.  Leonard accidentally loses Elroy in the crowd.  Only to look a short time later at the balcony where the Pope was standing to shaking hands with good friend Elroy T Higgenboom of Indianapolis, Indiana[13]. 

How did Elroy? T. Higgenboom know any of these people?  The answer doesn’t matter in the end.  How did I manage to win at Trivial Pursuit without knowing any of the answers?  Having the right guesses as to the answers can be more valuable than how you got them.  How do the Magi figure into the story of Christ’s birth? No one expected them to be there. No one expected the King of the Jews to be “born” for non-Jews such as them, yet here we are continually in the presence of the Christ child.  That’s what matters as we begin this Epiphany season. I would indeed rather have the wrong directions if it ultimately led me to the right destination of our Savior.
 Amen
 
 
 


[1] Matthew 2:1-12
[2] Stier, Leon. “The Wise (?) Men (part one of two).” Email Meditations. 27.Dec.2014. Web. Dec.29.2018.
[3] Stier, Leon. “The Wise (?) Men (part one of two).” Email Meditations.
[4] Acts 8:9-25
[5] Acts 13:8-12.
[6] Stier, Leon. “The Wise (?) Men (part one of two).” Email Meditations.
[7] Habben, Daniel. “Follow In The Wisemen's Footsteps.” Sermon Central. 9.Jan.2007. Web. Dec.30.2018. 
[8] Habben, Daniel. “Follow In The Wisemen's Footsteps.” Sermon Central.
[9] Matthew 2:11.
[10] Zingale, Tim. “Who Did Jesus Come For.” Sermon Central. 11.Jan.2002. Web. Dec.29.2018. 
[11] Zingale, Tim. “Who Did Jesus Come For.” Sermon Central.
[12] Zingale, Tim. “Who Did Jesus Come For.” Sermon Central.
[13] Zingale, Tim. “Who Did Jesus Come For.” Sermon Central.

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
The night on which we gather is most known for two things. The first is the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. The second is a man known as Santa Claus bringing joy throughout the world. These two statements might seem to be unrelated from each other.  It was the man who came to be known as Santa Claus, who in a unique bit of history helped define the true meaning of Christ’s birth.
 
The story starts about 270 years after the birth of Christ in a small village in what was then Greece[1].  A young man named Nicholas was born to some very wealthy parents. Nicholas grew up as a devout Christian, which helped sustain him as he lost his parents at a very young age.   So, Nicholas received a significant inheritance that he became renowned far and wide for his giving of gifts to the sick, needy, and especially his love of children.   
 
Once upon a time: Nicholas came across a family that was down on its luck[2]. The Father had been unable to work for months.  The family was hungry and forced to beg on the streets. This saddened Nicolas, so he went to the Marketplace and bought a large sack of food, then in the middle of the night, laid the sack on the door, knocked, and vanished anonymously into the darkness.
 
The most well-known story of Nicholas’ generosity includes the day’s traditions where fathers would pay dowries for their daughters to marry a good husband[3].  Well, one father had three daughters and little money. The daughters without the dowry seemed likely to end up in slavery.  Only for on three different mysterious occasions, bags of gold were tossed into the home’s open windows landing in stockings left by the fireplace.  Nicholas’ secret act was discovered and fame spread.
 
Nicholas’ legend led to children throughout the land, hanging similar stockings awaiting a gift from Nicholas the gift-giver.
 
Well Nicholas above all else dedicated his life to serving God.  Nicolas became the Bishop of Myra as a young man.  When Nicholas was a Bishop, the common wardrobe was the wearing of red robes[4]. 

Well during Nicholas’ life something remarkable happened within the Christian Church.  The same Roman Empire which had forced Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem, the same Roman Empire who appointed Herod the Great that tried to kill the Christ Child.  This Roman Empire during Nicholas’ life saw their Emperor convert to Christianity and the empire along with it.  A short time later, a big meeting took place in Nicea to determine what exactly the Christian Church believed about the Birth of Jesus Christ[5]. 
 
One side argued that on that night in Bethlehem, a child was born, no different than every other child born before him merely possessing the presence of God in his life.  
 
The man who came to be known as Saint Nicholas would argue instead that the child born in Bethlehem was God crashing down from the heavens in human flesh.  The child born doesn’t merely point the way to God’s salvation, but is God’s salvation himself.  Nicholas got so worked up during this debate he ended up slapping his opponents and spending the night in jail. 
 
Saint Nicholas perhaps more than any human being that ever lived understood that there is no such thing as a “Christ”-less Christmas[6], anything that minimizes Jesus in the salvation story misses the true meaning of the season.
 
So how did Saint Nicholas become Santa Claus? Saint Nicholas remained popular like few saints in the years after his death. December 6th the day of his death came to be celebrated through the sharing of candies, small gifts, nuts, and apples being placed around the house as a way to remember Saint Nicholas the gift-giver[7].
 
Martin Luther suggested changing the day of gift-giving from December 6th to December 24th/25th to draw attention to Christ being the true-gift giver to the children of the land[8].  The popularity of Saint Nicholas lived on even as German immigrants moved to this country.
 
In 1823, a very popular poem by a seminary professor was written of which you may have heard titled “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” also known as “The Night Before Christmas[9].” 
 
The Saint Nicholas in this poem was: dressed in red fur, rosy cheeks, a white beard, a round belly, and a bundle of toys upon his back[10].  Other popular poems around this time describe a Saint Nicholas like figure arriving from the North upon flying reindeer[11].
 
The legend of Saint Nicholas helped spread Christmas observance in this country making Christmas carols popular and bringing more children to the newly found Sunday School movement to participate in pageants[12].
 
Eventually Harper’s Weekly which was a very popular magazine in the wake of the Civil War would publish drawings of Saint Nicholas but change the pronunciation to the Dutch translation of Saint Nicholas “Sinterklass[13].”    

Saint Nicholas though did not merely bring gifts on Christmas but saved Christmas’ true meaning.  Saint Nicholas began his life no different than the Shepherds, Joseph, and Mary who star in our Christmas story. Saint Nicholas was an outcast on account of his faith from the world’s most powerful empire. Nicholas was a Bishop in days when Bishops were routinely imprisoned by this same empire[14]. 
 
The most powerful message of the Christmas story is one that would come to define Saint Nicholas’ life: Caeser Augustus might appear to be in control of the story and of the future[15]. Poor shepherds in a field might seem to be nothing more than undereducated, social outcasts.  Mary might be nothing more than a scared, young child giving birth to a baby boy in an a strange/ unfamiliar way.
 
Someday, this child soon to be born will triumph over all the forces of this world. The following is the Good News which the Angels proclaim! God was Born in a Manger; God was born Immanuel “For He Will Save the People from their Sins[16].”  Saint Nicholas spent a night in Jail because he was so convinced of this.  Christians ever since have come to believe it,  On this day: “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.[17]”.  

In 1934, the famous Christmas classic Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town [18]was written.  The theme of the song is that the reason we celebrate the Christmas season is Santa Claus’ presence if and only if we’ve been good enough to make his list. Saint Nicholas saw a much different meaning for the season.   Jesus Christ was born for us, regardless of how good we’ve been.  It is this Christ Child who on this night delivers the greatest of all gifts in the hope of his salvation that is to come. Amen
 


[1] “Saint Nicholas.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 11.Dec.2018. Web. Dec.12.2018. 
[2] Stier, Leon. “Santa’s First Job.” Email Meditations. 28.Nov.2016. Web. Dec.12.2018. 
[3]
[4] Vander Zee, Leonard. “Santa Claus Saves Christmas.” South Bend Christian Reformed Church. South Bend, IN. 25.Dec.2005. Web. Dec.12.2018.  Taken from Saint Nicholas Center. 
[5] Vander Zee, Leonard. “Santa Claus Saves Christmas.” South Bend Christian Reformed Church.
[6] Veith, Gene Edward. “Slappy holiday: Why not take the Santa Claus tradition a little further?” World Magazine. 24.Dec.2005. Web. Dec.12.2018. 
[7] Saint Nicholas Center. “Saint Nicholas and the Origin of Santa Claus.” Web. Dec.12.2018.
[8] Swartz, David. “A Very Not-So-Merry Christmas: How Protestantism Nearly Killed St. Nick.” Saint Nicholas Center. Web. Dec.12.2018. 
[9] Saint Nicholas Center. “Saint Nicholas and the Origin of Santa Claus.”
[10] “A Visit from Saint Nicholas.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 12.Dec.2018. Web. Dec.12.2018.
[11] The most prevelant of these being the 1821 work by William Gilley The Children’s Friend which described Sancte Claus. Gilley was a close friend of Clement Clarke Moore. 
[12] Saint Nicholas Center. “Saint Nicholas and the Origin of Santa Claus.”
[13] Saint Nicholas Center. “Saint Nicholas and the Origin of Santa Claus.” The cartoonist involved was Thomas Nast.
[14] Vander Zee, Leonard. “Santa Claus Saves Christmas.” South Bend Christian Reformed Church.
[15] Saraas, Niveen. “Commentary on Luke 2:[1-7] 8-20.” Working Preacher. Luther Seminary. 24.Dec.2018. Web. Dec.12.2018.
[16] Matthew 1:21,23.
[17] John 1:14
[18] “Santa Claus is Comin to Town.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 11.Dec.2018. Web. Dec.12.2018. 

First Lesson: Micah 5: 2-5a
Responsive Reading: Psalm 80: 1-7
Second Lesson: Hebrews 10: 5-10
​Gospel Lesson: Luke 1: 39-45, (46-55)

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Let me begin by telling you the story of a gentleman named Phillips Brooks.  Brooks was born in 1835 in Boston.  He was the great-grandson of Samuel Phillips Jr. one of the great pioneers in American education[1].  Brooks eventually enrolls in Harvard. Upon graduation, he got a job in Boston teaching Latin.  Brooks was quickly fired and this event drove him into a trigger of despair. Brooks believed himself to be a failure!  Brooks proclaimed “I do not know what will become of me and I do not care much. I wish I were fifteen years old again[2]. “
Brooks with an uncertain future enrolls in Seminary.  Brooks graduates and becomes a Pastor in Philadelphia. In 1865, Brooks took a trip to the holy land.  On Christmas Eve, Brooks makes a horse trip from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.   While in Bethlehem, he saw the fields where the angel visited the Shepherds tending to their flocks on the night of Christ’s birth[3].  Brooks then proceeded to attend midnight services which lasted from 10 PM to 3 AM at the Church of the Nativity thought to be the cave where Jesus was born.  The service deeply moved Brooks.  The memories of his time in Bethlehem never left him.
Three years later, Brooks was back serving his church outside Philadelphia. His church was planning their annual Sunday school Christmas program[4].  Brooks and his organist Lewis Redner were lacking a song to tie it all together.  Brooks sat down in one setting to write a reflection of his previous trip to Bethlehem.  Redner, the Organist on a Saturday night before rehearsal unable to think of a tune for Brooks’ carol, went to bed only to seemingly be woken up in the middle of the night by what seemed to be an angel of the Lord delivering the perfect treble before Sunday’s church services.  The lyrics which seemed to destined for the dustbin of history after the Sunday School program were soon printed by a local bookstore, and eventually picked up for a hymnal for Sunday school children[5].  Brooks’ Christmas Carol is known as “O Little Town of Bethlehem[6].”
The hymn’s tale in many ways mirrors the story of our lesson from Micah 5[7].  Micah’s lesson was written at a time when the Assyrian army threatened to devour all of Northern Israel along with its ten small tribes.  A town as small as Bethlehem would not even be able to muster any sort of army for resistance[8].  The Assyrians would be seeming to claim the land as their own.  What the Hymn reminds us of is Phillip Brooks seemed destined for failure, the people of Bethlehem seemed destined for conquest in the eyes of men, but in God’s eyes, there was a big plan in place having to do with the Messiah eventually being born within this smallest of towns[9]. 
The Book of Micah tells the story of dark days in Israel’s history.  Among the injustices taking place where the rich had schemed to take away land from the poor, widows have been evicted from their homes, and wicked rulers endorse the worship of not the God of Israel, but foreign gods.  Israel was in dark days both socially and spiritually to say nothing about the threat posed by their great enemies in these days the Assyrians[10]. 
In these dark days, The Book of Micah gives a word of great hope:
 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah.
    though you are small among the clans[b] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times[11].”
Why was Jesus born in Bethlehem? Bethlehem was the city of David who was Israel’s greatest king[12].  David seemed to be an unlikely choice to be a great king. He was Jesse’s youngest and seemingly weakest son, in a society where older sons would claim double portions of inheritance.   It was David who not only slayed the giant Goliath but would bring eventual peace and prosperity to the land of Israel like no other time in its history.  So now in Bethlehem, not mighty Jerusalem several miles down the road another child would be born in a lowly and unassuming manager to usher in a Kingdom that would go beyond all the kingdoms of the world that came before it.    
In the Gospel of Matthew, the wise men appear before King Herod to inform him of the birth of the Messiah within these smallest of villages[13].   Micah gave the great word of hope to people that yearned for spiritual peace when it seemed unattainable[14]. 
Author Barbara Brown Taylor tells the following story[15]. Once upon a time a small congregation such as this one was having their Christmas Eve service. The congregation was in need of a reader. Finally, a woman signs up to read when no one seemingly would.  The thing was this woman was having a hard time like the people within Micah’s day of her own.  She was in the midst of chemotherapy to treat the most aggressive of cancers.  Her body was weak and she was required to bring an oxygen tank with her to the lecturn.  She began then to read the great word of Gospel hope of what was to come, no different than Micah, as her oxygen tank is humming along with the reading loud enough for everyone to hear[16].  The story reminds us that it is in the harshest ravages of this world that our Lord truly comes with a word of promise for the new creation that soon is to be born in Bethlehem.
To illustrate this further, let me close with one final story[17].  Once upon a time, there was a town in Europe with a beautiful cathedral known far and wide for having a beautiful stained glass window behind its altar.  On one winter day, a great windstorm came to the land shattering the window into thousands of pieces.  The window is cleaned up, placed in a giant box, and brought down to the church basement.  Everyone within this cathedral expected that this window would forever remain memorabilia of the church’s glory days. 
Sometime later though a stranger got word of the cathedral’s broken stained glass window[18].  He asked if he could have the fragments.  The request was strange, and the church’s custodians told him to take the seemingly worthless box.  The custodians figured they would never hear from this peculiar gentleman ever again.  The church thought at this point, good riddance with the broken glass.  Well about two years later, the custodians were invited to a craft show in a nearby village featuring the works of a famed artisian.  The most beautiful piece at the craft show was a stained glass window; only this window was made for the broken glass off the cathedral window[19].  The custodians had never seen such a beautiful sight before their eyes within their entire lives. 
A child born in a manager in Bethlehem! Probably didn’t look like much at first sight no different than the broken glass out of which little good could come.  No great hosts were awaiting this child’s birth.  He was born in the presence of a teenage bride and the first century’s equivalent of long-haul truck drivers in Shepherds.  With the exception of King Herod, the rest of the world failed to take notice[20].  Jesus’ lives some thirty years on Earth with followers coming and going like any other ordinary life.  Jesus dies virtually alone on Calvary[21], just as the women with the oxygen tank appeared to be without hope on Christmas Eve. On the third day, the words written by Phillips Brooks for his Sunday school program show brings us all to Bethlehem. How we are the purpose of God’s plan revealed on that night some 2000 years ago.  I close with words from the third verse of Brooks’ hymn which we will soon sing:
“How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven
No ear may hear His coming
But in this world of sin
Where meek souls will receive him still
The dear Christ enters in.”
For it is this child soon to be born in Bethlehem who will be our peace.”  Who will not only remove warfare from the Earth but remind us to whom we truly do belong. 
Amen
 
 


[1] “Phillips Brooks.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 10.Sept.2018. Web. Nov.27.2018. 

[2] Phillips Brooks.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
[3] Hawn, C. Michael. “History of Hymns: “O Little Town of Bethlehem” . Discipleship Ministries. United Methodist Church. Web. Nov.27.2018. 
[4] Matthews, Diana Leagh. “Behind the Christmas Carol: O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Diana Leagh Matthews. 15.Dec.2018. Web. Nov.27.2018. 
[5] Matthews, Diana Leagh. “Behind the Christmas Carol: O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Diana Leagh Matthews.
[6] LBW #41
[7] Micah 5:2-5a.
[8] McFadden, Dave. “O Little Town Of Bethlehem.” Sermon Central. 5. Dec.2006. Web. Nov.27.2018. 
[9] McFadden, Dave. “O Little Town Of Bethlehem.” Sermon Central.
[10] Quirvik, Melinda. “Commentary on Micah 5:2-5a.” Working Preacher. Luther Seminary. 23. Dec.2012. Web. Nov.27.2018. 
[11] Micah 5:2
[12] Donovan, Richard Niell.  “Biblical Commentary:Micah 5:2-5a.” Sermon Writer. 2009, 2010. Web. Nov.27.2018.
[13] Matthew 2:6.
[14] Stewart, Anne. “Commentary on Micah 5:2-5a.” Working Preacher. Luther Seminary. 20.Dec.2015. Web. Nov.27.2018. 
[15] Hoezee, Scott. “Micah 5:2-5a.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. Calvin Seminary. Grand Rapids, MI. 14.Dec.2015. Web. Nov.27.2018. 
[16] Hoezee, Scott. “Micah 5:2-5a.” Center for Excellence in Preaching.
[17] McFadden, Dave. “O Little Town Of Bethlehem.” Sermon Central.
[18] McFadden, Dave. “O Little Town Of Bethlehem.” Sermon Central.
[19]McFadden, Dave. “O Little Town Of Bethlehem.” Sermon Central.
[20] Stier, Leon. “Where is Bethlehem?” Email Mediatations. 24. Dec.2015. Web. Nov.27.2018. 
[21] Stier, Leon. “Where is Bethlehem?” Email Mediatations.

First Lesson: Malachi 3: 1-4
Responsive Reading: Luke 1: 68-79
Second Lesson: Philippians 1: 3-11
​Gospel Lesson: Luke 3: 1-6

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
​
In one of the most well-known stories of Christmas author Charles Dickens tells the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge[1]. Ebenezer’s story seemingly starts on Christmas Eve.  Ebenezer was the owner of a loan house. Ebenezer hated Christmas!  Christmas brought out the worst of Ebenezer’s penny-pinching and miserable ways[2]. Ebenezer considered Christmas to be a “humbug[3]” which meant a bunch of nonsense or a total waste of time. 

Ebenezer employed one man Bob Cratchit. Cratchit was a good man, a family man with a sickly child named Tiny Tim. Ebenezer knew Cratchit needed the job and took advantage of Cratchit’s desperation in every way he could think of: low pay, long hours, and would complain whenever Cratchit dared thinking about putting his loved ones first such as taking Christmas day off.

 The defining scene of Ebenezer’s nature occurs when a man approaches Ebenezer as one of the wealthiest men around asking for a donation on behalf of the poor. Ebenezer sneers at the man that “the poor are better off dead.” Ebenezer seemed to be an old man set in his ways with no hope of any redemption.

Only on the night of Christmas Eve, an unexpected visitor comes into Ebenezer’s life in his former long-dead business partner Jacob Marley who lived his life with the same miserly ways as Ebenezer[4].  Marley had been consigned to chains upon his death as punishment for his rotten ways on Earth.  Marley warns Ebenezer that he one final chance at salvation from unexpected visitors hoping to save Ebenezer before it’s too late. What ends up happening with Ebenezer? We’ll get back to his story in just a little bit.

Today’s First Lesson comes to us from the Book of Malachi[5].  Malachi is most-known for two things:  one, Being the final book of the Old Testament,   two, Malachi was written a little more than 400 years before the births of John the Baptist and Jesus.

Last week, I talked about the Life of Prophet Jeremiah who was a first-hand witness to the Fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 587 B.C.  The Jewish people would be exiled from their homeland for 50 long years. They were forced to live in Babylon where men like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would resist Babylonian rulers who sought to get them to denounce their faith in Lion’s Dens and fiery furnaces. In 538 B.C, The Persians conquered the Babylonians allowing the people of Jerusalem to return home finally.  They began to rebuild from the previous destruction: both the walls of the city and eventually the Temple to serve as the center of their worship life. If Jeremiah’s life had been the low point in Israel’s history, one-hundred fifty-some years later Malachi’s life was things slowly getting better after Israel’s worst days, but still not all that good.  If Jeremiah described a nation under destruction, Malachi describes a nation under malaise[6]. 

What were the main issues in Malachi?  The first main issue has to do with clergy preaching what was popular rather than what people needed to here. The second issue had to do with the people of Israel doing their best Ebenezer Scrooge impersonations in trying to see above all else how cheap they could be[7]. 

You see the Old Testament demanded that people bring forth their finest animals as sacrifices for their sin.  What people would bring instead was three-legged lambs, blind calves, and cows that had all sorts of nasty/foot and mouth diseases.  Ebenezer would have been proud. 

What they were doing in Malachi would have been the equivalent of promising to deliver steak, but instead offering table scraps instead. 

So God sends Malachi as a messenger to the people no different than the message that Jacob Marley have Ebenezer.  God’s final chance at redemption for your people’s salvation is soon coming among us! As evidence of this, God will send a sign a new “Elijah” to ready the way.  This messenger will bring a purification of a “refiner’s fire[8].

Back to the story of Ebenezer.    Ebenezer’s unexpected visitors took the form of three ghosts.  The ghosts of Christmas past, the ghost of Christmas present, and the ghost of Christmas future.  These ghosts like the new “Elijah” of whom Malachi spoke confronted Ebenezer with the realities of the depths of his sin. 

The ghost of Christmas past reminds Ebenezer of his lost chance for love as a young man[9].  Ebenezer blew his chance at love because just like Adam and Eve within the Garden of Eden, he could see the fruit of wealth, but could not understand this fruit’s potential consequences. Ebenezer’s world would never be the same again after being permanently banished from this woman’s life, no differently than Adam and Eve’s sin had banished them from paradise.

The second ghost then appears showing Ebenezer Christmas in the present.  Bob Cratchit is gathered around his family including Tiny Tim with his cane[10].  Ebenezer can’t believe that Tiny Tim could have nothing, yet he possessed a love towards no one others that knew no limits[11]. The ghost then reminded Ebenezer of his previous words how “poor” children like Tiny Tim are better off dead.  The scene reminds you of the crowd shouting at Jesus during Holy Week “Crucify Him, Crucify Him[12].” The love of Jesus towards these same people would soon know no limits even unto the grave itself.

The third ghost that appears before Ebenezer is the ghost of Christmas future.  The scene is one year in the future[13]. Tiny Tim has died because his father couldn’t afford his health care on the tiny salary paid to him by Ebenezer. The spirit then takes Ebenezer to watch a terrifying scene relating to the death of a “wretched “ man.  A man who with no intervention is destined for hell.  Ebenezer hears his business associates laughing about how no only liked this “man” and will only go to his funeral for a “free” lunch.  Upon the man’s death, all the earthly possessions that he spent his whole life accumulating are stolen.  The ghost then takes Ebenezer to the unidentified man’s tomb only to see it read: “Ebenezer Scrooge.”

Ebenezer’s life would change on that night’.  The messenger that Malachi promised the people of Israel would be slower in arriving.  A gap of about 400 years takes place between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament[14].  The gap points to the clear distinction between God’s old way of doing things within the nation of Israel has to do with obedience to the Ten Commandments and animal sacrifices versus God’s new way of doing things in Christ Jesus. 

We’re sixteen days from Christmas, this often can seem like not enough time, yet the people of Israel waited for four hundred years for the Advent of God’s chosen one upon the Earth.  Malachi preached a message of great urgency no different than the spirits preached to Ebenezer only to be met with silence. 

The second to the last verse of the Old Testament: Malachi 4:5 speaks of the “new” Elijah who was to come:
During the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight[15]."

Four hundred years of waiting until John the Baptist would come to prepare the way for the Lord, the Messiah, the Christ, John the Baptist’s message would mirror Malachi’s in many ways.

 Let me read the final words of the Old Testament: “He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction[16]."

These words highlight the harshest of sin’s curses. These realities could not be escaped by either Ebenezer or ourselves. John the Baptist came to prepare a “new” way of the grace of God to bring us life in the Messiah that was to come[17]. 

On Christmas morning, Ebenezer would awaken.  Just like when Jesus awakened on Easter Sunday, everything would soon change.  Ebenezer rushed to his windows, shouted out “What day is this?” “Is it Christmas?[18]” Ebenezer’s humbugs had changed to shouts of “Hallejuah.” Ebenezer rushed to find the buy and bring the biggest turkey in town to the Cratchits and Tiny Tim[19]. 

Ebnezer’s story is a remarkable one! Here’s where Ebenezer’s story mirrors our own.  There is no Christmas without the silent night before.  There is no long-awaited Messiah without a nation trying to piece itself back together (both physically and spiritually) after generations in exile, there is no Easter without Good Friday[20]. 

To bring this message, God would send two messengers to prepare us.  The first messenger would be named Malachi. The second messenger would be named John the Baptist.  These messengers would prepare the way for the Savior that was to come.  Pretty soon, all sorts of people just like Ebenezer will be shouting for joy as they awaken on Christmas morning!
 
 

[1] “Ebenezer Scrooge.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 19.Nov.2018. Web. Nov.20.2018. 
[2] Markquardt, Ed. “Cleanse me from my sin, deep within... Refiner's Fire.” Sermons from Seattle. Web. Nov.20.2018. 
[3] “Humbug.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 23. Sept.2018. Web. Nov.20.2018. 
[4] Ebenezer Scrooge.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
[5] Malachi 3:1-4. 
[6] Hoezee, Scott. “Malachi 3:1-4.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. Calvin Seminary. Grand Rapids. 30.Nov.2015. Web. Nov.20.2018. 
[7] Hoezee, Scott. “Malachi 3:1-4.” Center for Excellence in Preaching.
[8] Malachi 3:3. 
[9] Markquardt, Ed. “Cleanse me from my sin, deep within... Refiner's Fire.” Sermons from Seattle.
[10] Markquardt, Ed. “Cleanse me from my sin, deep within... Refiner's Fire.” Sermons from Seattle.
[11] Ebenezer Scrooge.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
[12] Luke 23:21.
[13] Ebenezer Scrooge.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
[14] Meyer, Timm. “Our Lord Sends His Messenger.” Sermon Central. 16.Jan.2009. Web. Nov.20.2018. 
[15] Luke 3:2-4. 
[16] Malachi 4:6.
[17] Hoezee, Scott. “Malachi 3:1-4.” Center for Excellence in Preaching.
[18] Markquardt, Ed. “Cleanse me from my sin, deep within... Refiner's Fire.” Sermons from Seattle.
[19] Markquardt, Ed. “Cleanse me from my sin, deep within... Refiner's Fire.” Sermons from Seattle.
[20] Markquardt, Ed. “Cleanse me from my sin, deep within... Refiner's Fire.” Sermons from Seattle.

First Lesson: Jeremiah 33: 14-16
Responsive Reading: Psalm 25: 1-10
Second Lesson: 1 Thessalonians 3: 9-13
Gospel Lesson: Luke 21: 25-36

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
​
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’”-Jeremiah 33:14-16.

Once I got done with Seminary, I worked as a substitute teacher. I had the whole gamut of teaching experiences: elementary, middle school, and high school.  Minnesota also has what are called Alternative Learning Centers or (ALC’s) which seek to educate students who are at risk in dropping out of traditional educational models.  So I spent days substitute teaching at ALC’s where behavior wasn’t always up to conventional standards.  My most vivid memory was one day when an 18-year-old boy came into the classroom got on top of the table and started running back and forth.  You were encouraged not to lose our cool as to not provoke a further outburst.

I remember one day having an unusually long day at an ALC.  Kids were frequently talking back, not paying attention, and there might have been a near fight or two.  It was one of the rare days of substitute teaching where I seemingly would check the clock every two minutes even when there were hours left in the school day.
If I wanted a role model to respond to a situation such as this, I should look to a gentleman named David Bunton who taught at a similar school in Australia[1].  Mr. Bunton was a quiet man who had countless rough days teaching in a school such as this one.  Mr. Bunton though had one thing that he would do when students would frustrate him.  He would sit at his desk and quietly pray for his students.

Something remarkable ended happening with Mr. Bunton’s students. Dozens of his students became believers even as Mr. Bunton was unable to share a word about his faith due to rules within his school.  Many of them even entered the ministry as either pastors or missionaries.   A quiet man sitting in prayer brought about a great harvest in the lives of some of Australia’s roughest students[2]. 

Mr. Bunton understood the meaning of our lesson from the Book of Jeremiah which proclaims “the days are coming.” when salvation will come to God’s people despite living in days with seemingly no hope.

Now despite how long of days Mr. Bunton had teaching in difficult schools, such things are nothing compared to the worst years of human history.

 A few weeks back, I was reading a news article that asked an interesting question: “What was the worst year to be alive in the history of the world?”

There would have been some strong contenders in 1349 when Black Death killed half the population of Europe[3].  1918 would be another strong contender with flu estimated to have killed between 50-100 million young adults worldwide.

But perhaps the worst year to be alive in all of human history was 536 A.D[4].  What happened in 536 A.D. is a volcano erupted in Iceland causing mysterious fog covered Europe, the Middle East, and Asia so that the sun would be unable to let forth its normal light for the next eighteen months.  It was like continually living under the moon.  This event was thought to begin the Dark Ages.

 Among the other effects of the 536 volcano: the lack of sunlight caused a great worldwide famine, temperature drops brought snow to China in the middle of the summer, and  Europe’s economy would soon ground to a halt[5].  Within a few years, the Bubonic Plague would strike wiping out half of the population of parts of the Roman Empire to speed up its collapse[6].

Now in thinking of the worst year in all of human history, let me ask another question: “What was the worst year in Old Testament or the nation of Israel?”

The answer would be 587 B.C. the year when King Solomon’s temple would be destroyed and the nation would fall under the captivity of the Babylonian army under its wicked King Nebuchadnezzar II.  Jeremiah the prophet whose name is on our lesson for Today proclaiming the days are coming when God’s promises of salvation become true was a firsthand witness to Jerusalem’s fall in these days.

To understand Jeremiah, you need to know that he seemed to be an unlikely person to give a word of hope such as the days are coming.  Jeremiah’s ministry within the nation of Israel lasted nearly 40 years.  Jeremiah was nicknamed over these years “The Weeping Prophet.” Jeremiah over all these years had been continuously proclaiming that Israel would soon fall to a foreign power because the nation chooses to worship foreign Gods.

Israel was such a mess during Jeremiah’s lifetime that people sacrificed their children to these foreign gods of death and destruction[7].  The officials of Israel cared for Jeremiah’s message so little they imprisoned him. Jeremiah eventually gets thrown down into a cistern, hoping that Jeremiah would starve himself to death drowning in the mud[8].Jeremiah’s life was marked by very little reason to have great religious hope.  Here was Jeremiah right after giving forty years of pessimism, continually warning of pending doom doing a 180-degree term by giving people a word of great hope the days are coming[9].

Jeremiah had Israel live out its darkest of ages. Jeremiah kept calling out like the school teacher Mr. Bunton in prayer that God bring eventual salvation to his land and his people. Jeremiah knew that the people of God were way too fickle, to bring this salvation themselves failing to follow the Ten Commandments again and again.   So God would need to bring forth a new promise a promise of God’s ultimate grace[10].

580 years after Jeremiah saw Jerusalem fall and God’s people sent into exile[11].  Jeremiah’s promise that the days are surely coming came true.  This promise serves as a reminder that even in the worst death and destruction that God’s presence shall never leave this earth.

Mere miles away from Jerusalem in the town of Bethlehem, a woman gave birth to a descendant of King David of whose kingdom would have no end.  The birth of the Christ Child serves as a reminder to all God’s people that the Messiah is surely coming soon. A day will soon be here when righteousness fills the land and peace fills the land, even in those days like Jeremiah witnessed where nothing but carnage filled the Earth.
What does all this mean to us as we begin on this day our Advent season as we eagerly anticipate the birth of our Savior.  What does this mean when like in Jeremiah’s life, things aren’t looking so good within our own life.

Let me close with one final story:  A man’s daughter once upon a time called up a local church asking for the pastor to see her dying father[12].  The pastor was new to the church and had never met the man before.  He walks into the room where he the man lying on his bed propped up by pillows and an empty chair beside his bed.

The pastor walks in introduces himself and asks if the chair is for him.  The man responded “Oh year, would you mind closing the door[13]?”

The pastor was confused, but he followed the man’s request.  The man pipes up[14]: “I’ve never told anyone this, not even my family.  But I never really understood how to pray.”

So I kinda gave up on it, well one day I was having a conversation with my best friend who told me: “Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus[15].”  Here’s what you should do, place an empty chair in front of you, and see Jesus sitting in that chair.  Remember Jesus promised, “I’ll be with you always[16].” Then you converse with him no different than you and I are doing.

So I started talking to the chair for a few hours each day, don’t want my daughter to know, so she doesn’t put me in some sort of “funny-farm.”

The Pastor is moved by the guy’s faith in the greatest of personal adversity as he prepared to meet his maker.  The Pastor and Joe pray together and the Pastor goes back to church.

A few days later, the daughter calls to say that her dad died earlier that day.
Pastor asks: “Did he die in peace[17]?”

The daughter replies: “Yes, he told one of his corny jokes, kissed me on the check, and then I left for the store.” I came back an hour later, only to see the strangest thing.  Dad right before he died, leaned out over the bed, and rested his head on the empty chair that sat beside it[18]. “The days are coming, indeed!

The Biblical prophet Jeremiah understood Advent. He understood the nature of waiting!He understood this isn’t always the easiest thing to do when a room full of misbehaving students surround you, yet in the case of Mr. Bruton God’s plan for our salvation is much grander than what we can see in any individual moment. For whereas the Earth might seem so dark that you can’t see any sunlight on this day, Our God’s presence remains.  We need not look further than the nearest empty chair to remember this! Amen

[1] Atwood, Brian. “Unclaimed Blessings.” Sermon Central. 6. Feb.2003. Web. Nov.15.2018.  The following comes from a story in Leadership magazine submitted by Brian Ronnefeldt of West Perth, Australia. 
[2] Atwood, Brian. “Unclaimed Blessings.” Sermon Central.
[3] Gibbons, Ann.” Why 536 was ‘the worst year to be alive’”  Science. 15. Nov.2018. Web. Nov.19.2018. 
[4] Gibbons, Ann.” Why 536 was ‘the worst year to be alive’”  Science.
[5] Gibbons, Ann.” Why 536 was ‘the worst year to be alive’”  Science.
[6] Gibbons, Ann.” Why 536 was ‘the worst year to be alive’”  Science.
[7] “Jeremiah.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 16. Nov.2018. Web. Nov.19.2018.
[8] Jeremiah 38:1-13. 
[9] Hyde, Randy. “The Days Are Surely Coming.” Sermon Writer. 2006. Web. Nov.18.2018. 
[10] Sylvester, Emily. “Jeremiah 33:14-16.” Sermon Writer. 2012. Web. Nov.18.2018. 
[11] Giese, Ted. “The Righteous Branch.” Mount Olive Lutheran Church. Regina, Saskatchewan. 29.Nov.2015. Web. Nov.15.2018. 
[12] Higgins, Scott. “An Empty Chair.” Stories for Preaching. Web. Nov.15.2018.
[13] Higgins, Scott. “An Empty Chair.” Stories for Preaching.
[14] Higgins, Scott. “An Empty Chair.” Stories for Preaching.
[15] Higgins, Scott. “An Empty Chair.” Stories for Preaching.
[16] Matthew 28:20. 
[17] Higgins, Scott. “An Empty Chair.” Stories for Preaching.
[18] Higgins, Scott. “An Empty Chair.” Stories for Preaching.

First Lesson: 2 Samuel 23: 1-7
Responsive Reading: Psalm 132: 1-12, (13-18)
Second Lesson: Revelation 1: 4-8
​Gospel Lesson: John 18: 33-37

Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
​
When I was growing up my friends and me for our major social outings would go to the movies.  Most of the time, we would go to Forest Lake which had a theater about fifteen miles away from home.  When trying to find movies that we wanted to see, we would often find the silliest comedy that our parents would let us see.  Well, shortly after I started high school, I was going to the movies with my friends.  The movie was I believe Billy Madison which told the story of a spoiled thirty-year-old rich kid, who had to redo Kindergarten to High School in two weeks to inherit his father’s business empire. 

Well on that day, walking into the theater, sitting in the row right behind us, with his wife and daughter was the Governor of Minnesota Arne Carlson.  He had a residence in Forest Lake.  Here’s what was so interesting about this.  No one flocked to him, once the lights went out he was no different than any other theatergoer.  The most powerful man in Minnesota had become a mere mortal before my very eyes.

Today’s Gospel lesson tells a similar story.  Pontius Pilate was the Roman Governor of Judea. Pilate served under the most powerful ruler in the world.   Pilate had been given the authority to be the most powerful official in the part of the world where Jesus would soon breath his last breaths.  Our lesson tells the following tale[1].
Now Jesus was being brought to Pontius Pilate’s presence with an accusation of claiming to be “King of the Jews.” As soon as Pontius Pilate saw Jesus appear before him, he probably grew annoyed at Jesus’ presence.  Pilate’s first image of Jesus is hands behind his back, a busted lip[2], and a puffed-up check from where he had just been whacked by an official of the high priest[3]. 

Jesus looked like a guy who had just badly lost a fight, not any serious threat to Pontius Pilate.  All this explains why Pontius Pilate was probably so confused by this whole ordeal as Jesus was not surrounded by soldiers, he looked like he lived in poverty, and his followers seemed to be about as serious a threat to the Roman Empire as a junior high football team would be to the New England Patriots[4]. 

Pontius Pilate would have been extremely busy during Passover week when our lesson takes place; he was probably confused why anyone would care enough to want to put such a seemingly looking pathetic figure to death with his blessing. 

When the religious authorities accused Jesus of claiming to be a “King.” Pontius Pilate knew the most powerful man in the world; he thought he understood how a King should look.   How a King should behave.  He knew that Jesus wasn’t it. 

In the year 1643, King Louis XIV was coronated upon the French throne[5].  King Louis was four years old at the time, being placed in charge of one of the world’s most powerful nations.  King Louis was the epitome of selfish within his rule.  King Louis XIV was nicknamed the “sun-king” for thinking the whole world revolved around him[6]. 

Among the excesses of King Louis’s rule were that he would invite French aristocrats to visit his palace, where they would be asked to engage in competitions to determine who would get the honor to watch King Louis wake up, eat, and prepare for bed.[7] 

King Louis’ greatest claim to fame was desiring to get away from the commoners in Paris.  King Louis ordered the construction of an elaborate palace at Versailles.  The palace was so elaborate that it would have cost upwards of two billion dollars to construct in modern currency[8]. The palace would employ 200 servants to meet King Louis’ needs.  The inside of the palace contained 700 rooms, 60 staircases, 5000 pieces of furniture and 1200 fireplaces[9].  The walls were decorated with 6000 paintings.  Versailles had 30,000 acres of garden with over 400 sculptures, plus 1,400 fountains[10]. 

Perhaps Versailles most dramatic feature is an 8,000 square foot hall of mirrors surrounded by works of art highlighting the achievements of King Louis XIV’s life. Louis’ goal was to make this room the center of Palace social life.  

King Louis’ XIV’ last act as King was to engage in a thirteen-year war with Spain, so that his grandson may become Spain’s king.  Between Versailles and this war, France racked up severe debt[11].  Public opinion turned against the Crown.  King Louis helped chart a course where within a century, the excess of the French monarchy would create one of world history’s most violent revolutions marked by the use of the guillotine against France’s royalty.    

King Louis XIV represents the great excesses of history.  A reminder that however powerful a Kingdom may appear at any given moment it is merely temporary.   

The following great contrast over what it truly means to be “The King” is on display in the visit between Pontius Pilate and Jesus.

Pilate uses his power for his ends as Governor[12].  Pilate thinks nothing of destroying people who might possess the tiniest of threats to his reign like this beaten, bloodied man.  Jesus uses his power for the sake of others; he even washes their feet. Jesus is willing to give his life even for the sake of others.
Pontius Pilate’s reign will give people terror in the midst of calm days.  Jesus’ reign will give people calm in the midst of their terrors[13].

Pilate’s soldiers use violence to conquer others.  Jesus encourages his followers to put away their sword and to look on the horizon to the day when Christ unites all people: rich, poor, strong, weak, Jew, Gentile as inheritors of his gift of salvation[14]. 

Pontius Pilate’s authority is granted by Caeser Tiberius and is subject to the whims of a mortal man. Jesus’ power comes from the one who grants eternal authority[15].  

So Jesus is indeed a King, his kingdom is the only one that Pontius Pilate cannot ultimately put to death. 
 
Jesus and Pontius Pilate these men would suffer two very different fates upon the end of their lives. According to tradition, upon a new emperor in Caligula coming to Rome, Pontius Pilate was removed as Governor, and he would take his own life a short time later[16]. 

How did Jesus’ story end? A small group of his followers started as a group called the “Way”; they came to be called Christians for believing that Jesus had triumphed over the previously insurmountable object of his own grave[17].  This group started after being rejected by their own people and saw their leader put to death in mocking tones by Pontius Pilate and others as “King of the Jews.” Within a few hundred years, the Christians would overwhelm the very empire that Pontius Pilate serves. Today, Christians proclaim the living faith of our Gospel in every corner of the globe, whereas Pontius Pilate’s Roman Empire is merely pages within our history books. 

Our lesson reminds us of the true nature of Christ’s Kingdom.  The type of King that Jesus was going to be was one that could reverse any situation of power and prestige like this for all eternity. Jesus as King was not about securing his power.  Jesus’ kingdom was about the depths to which he would go for every single inhabit of his Kingdom that believed in its power. 

How will Jesus’ kingdom ultimately look?  Let me close with one final story.

King Christian X of Denmark assumed the Danish throne in 1912[18].  What type of King that he would be would not be revealed for nearly thirty years with the Advent of the Second World War.  In 1940, Adolf Hitler’s Germany would quickly overwhelm Danish forces.  Denmark is a flat, open country leaving little geographic advantage for the sake of defense.  The Germans would occupy Denmark for the next five years[19]. 

King Christian X though unlike other European rulers, did not go into hiding.  King Christian even made it a point to ride his horse daily without any guard,  as a visible sign of resistance to the Nazi occupation[20]. 

Eventually, the order came that all Jews within Denmark were to identify themselves by wearing yellow armbands marked by the Star of David[21].  King Christian was a Lutheran.  King Christian also believed that if one Danish person would be forced to wear such a marker then all Danes would.  King Christian would be the first to put the armband on his arms.  He let be known that he expected all Danes to do the same.  So within Copenhagen, nearly every Dane which is a majority Lutheran nation wore the yellow armbands showing the Star of David[22].  Ninety percent of Denmark’s Jews survived the Second World War thanks to King Christian’s actions including arranging transport to neutral Sweden[23].

 The Jews of Denmark came to see what type of King they had in the presence of the most powerful man in the world.  They had a King who would even stare down death to ultimately save his people.

The whole point of the showdown between Jesus and Pontius Pilate is to show what type of King that Christ would be.   A King who just like Governor Carlson when the movie theater lights went out didn’t stand out from his subjects in any way.  Only when the lights came on back Easter Sunday, Our King would indeed stand out from all subjects who came before him bringing forth the power of Resurrection.  Jesus was the type of king who like King Christian cared for his subjects so much; he soon would journey to his death before bringing forgiveness and salvation to all the nations of the Earth.  The following is the story of Christ the King.  Amen
 


[1] John 18:33-37. 
[2] John 18:22.
[3] Hoezee, Scott. “John 18:33-37.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. Calvin Seminary. Grand Rapids, MI. 16.Nov.2015. Web. Nov.3.2018. 
[4] Hoezee, Scott. “John 18:33-37.” Center for Excellence in Preaching.
[5] History Channel. “King Louis XIV.” Web.Nov.3.2018.
[6] Zingale, Tim. “The Real King.” Sermon Central. 18.Nov.2003. Web. Nov.3.2018. 
[7] History Channel. “King Louis XIV.”
[8] James. “Palace of Versailles.” Primary Facts. 2.July.2018. Web. Nov.3.2018. 
[9] James. “Palace of Versailles.” Primary Facts.
[10] James. “Palace of Versailles.” Primary Facts.
[11] History Channel. “King Louis XIV.”
[12] Clark-Soles, Jaime. “Commentary on John 18:33-37.” Working Preacher. Luther Seminary. Saint Paul.  25.Nov.2012. Web. Nov.3.2018. 
[13] Clark-Soles, Jaime. “Commentary on John 18:33-37.” Working Preacher.
[14] Clark-Soles, Jaime. “Commentary on John 18:33-37.” Working Preacher.
[15] Clark-Soles, Jaime. “Commentary on John 18:33-37.” Working Preacher.
[16] “Pontius Pilate.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 19. Oct.2018. Web. Nov.3.2018. 
[17] Stanley, Andy. Irrestible:Reclaiming the New that Jesus Unleashed for the World.  Zondervan. 2018. Pg.19. 
[18] “Christian X of Denmark.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 3.Nov.2018. Web. Nov.3.2018.
[19] Christian X of Denmark.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation
[20] Christian X of Denmark.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation
[21] Anders, Mickey. “Royalty Stoops.” Sermon Writer. 2001. Web. Nov.3.2018. 
[22] Anders, Mickey. “Royalty Stoops.” Sermon Writer
[23] Christian X of Denmark.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation