Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Second Sunday of Advent - 12/10/17 Sermon - “Preparing the way for Hope" ("The Hope of Christmas" Series - Part 2 of 5)

Sunday 12/10/17 Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Preparing the way for Hope”

(“The Hope of Christmas” Series – Part 2 of 5)

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13

                                            

New Testament Scripture: 2 Peter 3:8-15a

Gospel Lesson: Mark 1:1-8

          Welcome again my sisters and brothers, on this our Second Sunday of this the season of Holy Advent. This season of wonder, love, joy, peace, and of course, “Hope”.

          Last Sunday, I started a sermon series called “The Hope of Christmas”, and I also talked about what the season of Advent historically is. Within this, I talked about how we can recapture our faith in Jesus Christ in this season, as we are preparing for his coming birth. In addition to this, in this season of Advent we are not only preparing for the birth of Christ, but we can also call upon him to enter our hearts daily. Further in this season of Advent, we anticipate Christ’s glorious return or “Second Coming”.

          Last Sunday, on the first Sunday of Advent, my sermon was called, “The Hope of the promised Messiah”. As I said, the goal of last Sunday and this whole sermon series, is to help us to recapture some of the “Hope” that is Advent, and is Christmas. In this busy season of Advent and soon to be Christmas, it is my “Hope” that we can recapture the joy, love, mercy, peace, and the “Hope” of Jesus Christ.

          This Sunday, we are given a reading from the very beginning of the Gospel of Mark. Most scholars would argue that the gospel of Mark was likely the first Gospel that was ever written. Next Sunday, we will then have a similar scripture reading from the Gospel of John. The scripture from the Gospel of Mark for this Sunday, and the scripture from the Gospel of John for next Sunday, both discuss a man named John the Baptist. It is also interesting to point out in this season of Advent, which is soon to be Christmas that the gospels of Mark and John do not mention the birth narrative or the birth story Christ anywhere. The only Gospels that tell the story of Jesus’ birth are the gospel of Matthew and Luke. In this way, it would seem that each gospel writer honed in on different parts of the story of Christ more than other parts of the story of Christ.

          In the season of Advent, in this season that we anticipate Christ coming to us in various ways, with joy, love, mercy, and “Hope,” we are often given gospel readings on John the Baptist. Some would argue that John the Baptist was Jesus’s cousin. Some would just say that Jesus and John the Baptist were related somehow, and some might have other ideas, as well. What is clear in the gospels though, is that Saint John the Baptist was tasked with not being the Messiah, but in preparing the way for the Messiah. It’s much different going to a Christmas dinner, versus making Christmas dinner, isn’t it? John the Baptist prepared the way, as we are in a season of preparation.

          John the Baptist though, was a little bit of what we would call an “odd duck”. There is no evidence that John the Baptist ever married, and according to our Gospel of Mark reading for this morning, it says:

“Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey” (Mk. 1:6, NRSV).

          So the gospel of Mark immediately begins with John the Baptist, and the gospel of John by chapter one verse six for next Sunday, talks about John the Baptist. If two gospels almost immediately talk about the person and the ministry of John the Baptist, then I would have to conclude that he must have been an important figure in the story of Jesus Christ.

          John the Baptist, as I just read from Mark 1:6 has always been sort of an odd figure to me to. John lived in the wilderness, he wore camel’s hair, and ate bugs and honey. As I said, sort of an “odd duck”. My guess is, is that John the Baptist with his attire and his habits was never invited on the show “Project Runway”. I would also think that John the Baptist’s “E-Harmony” or “Christian Mingle” dating profiles were not getting a lot of interest. Who knew that no one would want to marry a man who lived in the wilderness, wore camel hair, and ate bugs and honey? Maybe not the kind of fella you want to bring home to mom. He was a little “different”. Maybe we can think of someone in our family like this, or maybe that someone is us?

          John’s mission though, was to prepare and proclaim to the world that Jesus the Messiah was coming. John had great “Hope,” joy, and love, in believing that the Messiah was coming. We are in a season of “Hope,” and John the Baptist had “Hope”.

          So the question that many of us hate hearing this time of the year, in this season of preparation, is this, how are our preparations going? Are we prepared for Christmas? Are we prepared for Jesus? Are we making room in the Inn, in the mangers, not in our homes, but in our hearts and our souls?

          I find it interesting that gospel of Mark begins like this:

“The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight’” (Mk. 1:1-3, NRSV).

          My sermon title again for this morning is “Preparing the way for Hope,” as John the Baptist was preparing the way for Jesus Christ, the “Hope” of the world. The gospel also says though, that this “Hope” is “good news,” not bad news.

          The gospel then says:

“John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mk. 1:4-8, NRSV).

          John Baptist proclaims that Jesus is coming soon, as he begins baptizing and preparing others. Sometimes though, despite our best efforts, when we plan, it just doesn’t work out well. For example, I planned for my Chicago Cubs to win the World Series every year since I was a small child. Short of 2016, it hasn’t worked out so well. If God is a God of mercy and compassion, which I believe that God is, then God must have a special place in his heart for Cubs fans.

          No matter how our preparations are going for all that Christmas will be, God can meet us in the messiness that is our lives. God can give us “Hope,” even when we don’t expect it. God can and does break through when we don’t expect, or least expect it.

          In this of anticipation, joy, wonder, love, and “Hope,” be open, and be ready, for the savior the world is coming very soon. For some of us however, this season of Advent and Christmas might be a hard season, or a season were we find ourselves having sadness and not joy. How can we find “Hope” amidst all of this.

          In closing, I want to share a poem with you called “Trapped,” by Kath Ponsford. Here it is:

“I'm trapped, trapped inside myself, I want to get out, get out and be free. I don't want to live in my shell, but I'm scared, scared to take away my mask. Friends are forever letting me down, no matter how close they are. They are there if I have a problem, but when I don't I may as well not exist”. 

I want someone to trust and care about me, someone to cry on and someone to listen. I want someone to love me for who I am, Not the masked me whom everyone knows. Unfortunately none of this can ever come true, not from someone on this earth anyway. No one I know is perfect, no one I know can fulfil this. Except... someone I know who is watching down on everyone of us. He has a special plan and a purpose for anyone who turns to Him. There will still be hardship and sorrow, but these will make you strong. He can be trusted, he is ever so faithful. He cares deeply about each person on this earth. He can be cried upon, and will cry with you. He even puts each tear we cry in a bottle. He is the best listener anyone could be, And most of all He loves us for who we are, no matter what we have done. "Who could do all this?" I hear you ask. It's a very dear and special friend of mine called Jesus, with whom I can take away my mask and be free.
          Friends, brothers and sisters, in the season of Advent and soon to be Christmas, be who God has called you to be. No matter what you are going through, know that God loves you, and may we in our own various ways find the “Hope” that is Advent that is Christmas, the “Hope” of Jesus Christ.

So this day, and this week going forward, let us look for signs of God’s “Hope”. Maybe that hope will be the smile of a child, buying a nice gift for a loved one, serving the poor and the needy, getting or receiving a phone call from a loved one, or just showing the love of Jesus. Today and this week be attentive for the signs of hope that are in you and all around you. Amen.