Joyless World

First Lesson: Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11
Responsive Reading: Psalm 126
Second Lesson: 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-24
Gospel Lesson: John 1: 6-8, 19-28

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Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”-Isaiah 55:12.

“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer.”- Actor Jim Carrey

Arthur Gordon tells the following story[1].  It was early in the morning at a large metropolitan airport.  The weather was very bad on this day.  Passengers were waiting around, awaiting word on whether their flight would be canceled.  Standing in line was an old gray-haired lady.  Standing ahead of her was what looked like a professional business traveler.  The traveler looked rough, he had just flown in on a red-eye flight, never fell asleep, and anyone who looked at him could see his exhaustion.  He had already been waiting around the airport for an hour, now the man was waiting for the second hour awaiting word on the fate of his flight.

The man was already worked up because of the previous flight.  He was mad that there hadn’t been enough coffee for all the passengers (especially him) and told the ticket agent that the airline was an “embarrassment.”

The agent looked at the man as calm and polite as could be, apologizing for any previous inconvenience. 
The traveler though would not calm down about the “coffee.”  The old lady witnesses this outburst and decides to intervene.  She taps the upset traveler on the shoulder, then asks “Mind if I say something to you[2]?”

The traveler was too taken back to respond.  The lady proceeded to tell him “Sir, you have just traveled across the entire continent in five or six hours. You were lifted above the clouds… where you saw the dawn rushing to meet you.  You just experienced a miracle that mankind could only dream about for thousands of years. And you stand there complaining about having no coffee[3].”

The traveler is speechless, before eventually uttering “Madam, you are quite right[4].” The traveler then turned away and everyone who witnessed the exchange realized that delayed air-travel was not as a big deal in the grand scheme of life as they had previously thought. 

Today’s Old Testament lesson comes to us from the Book of Isaiah[5].  Isaiah lived in Jerusalem around 700 years before the birth of Jesus.  Isaiah lived during days when the Assyrian army was in the process of conquering Northern Israel and threatening to conquer Southern Israel.  Isaiah’s message was that if the people of Israel didn’t change their ways, then they too would be conquered.  Isaiah was disappointed by his political rulers who tended to worship “foreign gods.”  Despite all the chaos taking place around Isaiah, he was able to find joy.  Isaiah believed that no matter how dark the days around him got, the Lord was continually looking out for his people.  

To assure the people of Israel of this, Isaiah spoke of a great promise.  A promise that would bring great “joy” to all God’s people, the promise of which Isaiah spoke was how a child would soon be “born.”  This child will be named “Immanuel[6]” as a reminder how Our God is always with us beyond even the end of time itself. 

We hear this message from within our lesson for today which proclaims: “The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners[7].”

Isaiah’s message reminds us that perhaps what brings Joy to the World is not what we think it to be.

Money does not bring Joy.  Howard Hughes was one of the richest people in the world.  Hughes made it big in Hollywood as a movie producer around the time of the Great Depression[8].  Hughes eventually became the principal owner of Trans World Airlines.  Hughes was a real estate tycoon owning all sorts of land surrounding Las Vegas.  If money brings Joy, Howard Hughes should be the happiest guy around.  Howard Hughes could not find joy, because of his obsession with minor details.  Hughes would look himself up in rooms for months at a time.  Hughes couldn’t live the last years of life without tissues by his side, obsessing over every bit of dust, as a potential cause for grave harm[9].  Hughes intended to be so isolated from the outside world; he would stay in hotel rooms without even daring to open the drapes for months at a time[10].  Hughes was in great pain for much of his life due to previous aircraft crashes and eventually developed an addiction to codeine.  Howard Hughes died in 1976, at the age of 70.  At the time of his death, the 6’4 Hughes weighed 90 Lbs.  His hair, beard, and fingernails were so long that the FBI could only confirm it was him via fingerprint[11]. One of the richest men in the world died within an intense hatred of the world around him. 

If Howard Hughes serves as an example that we do not find Joy in money, Michael Jackson serves as an example that we do not find Joy in fame.   Jackson was born the 8th of 10th children to a working-class family in Gary, Indiana[12].  Around the age of 7, Jackson joined his brothers in a musical group known as the Jackson 5.  By the age of 11, the Jackson 5 was one of the most popular and well-known musical groups in the country.  After branching out on his own, Jackson’s album Thriller became the bestselling music album of all-time[13].  Did all this success bring Michael Jackson joy? No.  Jackson’s life was marked by broken relationships.  Jackson would die at the age of 51 in 2009.  After his death, a couple of Jackson’s bodyguards wrote books recalling their time with Jackson[14].  What they recalled how seemingly “sad” “lonely” and “lacking joy” perhaps the most famous man in the world truly was. 

Lastly, we do not find Joy in pleasure.  Norma Jean Mortensen grew up living in foster homes with her mother confined to a psychiatric hospital[15].  Norma Jean would soon get recognized as being a very pretty girl Norma Jean wanted to be known for more though than her looks.  Norma Jean moves to Hollywood takes a new name in Marilyn Monroe.  Monroe quickly became a huge overnight success in Hollywood.  She was no longer just a pretty girl, but the most desired woman in the world.  She was now hanging around Joe DiMaggio and President Kennedy.  Marilyn Monroe had the type of appeal that she could bask in pleasure whenever she wanted.  Marilyn Monroe was miserable.  She went through three-failed marriages, and she would confine herself to dressing room “vomiting” because of her fears of performing.   On the night of her death at the age of 35, she called a friend announcing that she had taken enough sleeping pills to kill herself, the actor responded: “Frankly, my dear I don’t care.” These were the last words Monroe would hear before her death. 

What the stories of Howard Hughes, Michael Jackson, and Marilyn Monroe illustrate is how “Joy” is often not found in the things that we think can provide it.  In these stories, darkness seemingly overwhelms light, whereas in the story of the Prophet Isaiah light given in the form of a child will soon overwhelm all darkness.

Today, we light the third candle of our “Advent” wreath.  The candle we light today is known as the “Candle of Joy.”  The candle symbolizes the joy experienced by the Shepherds when the Prophet Isaiah’s promises came true upon the Birth of the Christ Child.  The candle reminds us how Joy does not come necessarily in the quick fixes of money, fame, or pleasure, but Joy instead in an eventual outcome promised to Christian people “A new birth will soon change everything.”  With this birth, darkness will become light and death will become life.  The candle reminds us that true Joy will soon come into our lives, the source of all this will be Jesus Christ alone.

Let me close this morning with one final story[16]- In the third century, there was a bishop named Cyprian who was anticipating death soon. Cyprian had lived a very different existence from the man at the airport, Howard Hughes, Michael Jackson, or Marilyn Monroe.  Cyprian had not seen earthly success, yet he maintained a sense of joy.  Cyprian decided to write one last letter to his friend Donatus to express what he truly believed.  Cyprian wrote the following: “It’s a bad world, an incredibly bad world.  But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret.  They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life.  They are despised and persecuted, but they care not.  They are masters of their souls.  They have overcome the world.  These people are Christians and I am one of them[17].”  Joy to the World!  Amen
 


[1] The following story is told in the July 1989 edition of Guideposts.
[2] Stier, Leon. “Make Up Your Mind to Be Thankful- and Happy.”EMail Mediatations.21. Nov.2017. Web. Dec.7.2017.    
[3] Stier, Leon. “Make Up Your Mind to Be Thankful- and Happy.”
[4] Stier, Leon. “Make Up Your Mind to Be Thankful- and Happy.”
[5] Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11. 
[6] Isaiah 7:14. 
[7] Isaiah 61:1. 
[8] ‘Howard Hughes.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 06. Dec.2017. Web. Dec.11.2017. 
[9] Howard Hughes.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.                                   
[10] Howard Hughes.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
[11] Greenman, Amanda. “Surprisingly Miserable Lives of 12 Rich and Successful People.” The Richest.com. 18.Nov.2014. Web. Dec.11.2017. 
[12] “Micheal Jackson.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 10.Dec.2017. Web. Dec.11.2017. 
[13] Micheal Jackson.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
[14] Greenman, Amanda. “Surprisingly Miserable Lives of 12 Rich and Successful People.”
[15] The following story was originally told by Father John Powell and appears in the June 1990 issue of Dynamic Preaching. Story found on Sermon Illustrations.com under Love on December, 8, 2017. 
[16] Bright, Bill. “What is Joy?” Christianity.com. 19. Dec.2003. Web. Dec.7.2017. 
[17] Quote by Cyprian found on Good Reads on Dec.11.2017.