December 1998 Issue

It is the third Sunday of Advent. There are eight days before Christmas. One week from this evening many persons in your congregation will come again to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child in Christmas Eve worship services. With candlelight, with the celebration of Holy Communion, and with the singing of Christmas carols, everyone will gather to celebrate this birth. Already, those who come to worship on this third Sunday of Advent are waiting for word about the baby; yet, we encounter in the gospel text an imprisoned John the Baptist and a Jesus who is causing the blind to receive sight, the lame to walk, the lepers to be cleansed, the deaf to hear, the dead to be raised, and who is bringing good news to the poor. The question John asked was, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" The question on John's lips might serve as a motif for those who witness today's celebrations of the Christmas season and compare them to the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus. "Is this really the Messiah? How do we know?" At times, the cultural celebration does not match the truth of the decisive Christ event.

Instructive for preaching on this day is to realize that Jesus does not come to meet our expectations, but to overturn them. John the Baptist served as the agent to address this at that time; consequently, now we have to ask: "What does all of this have to do with Advent?" The answer is that it has everything to do with Advent. The task of the preacher on this day is to frame the question of John for today's hearers. After observing all the cultural celebrations, John would ask the question again. Was this really the Messiah, or should we begin to look for another? The answer is, "Yes, this really is the Messiah. No, we shouldn't look for another." We need to remind people again who this Messiah really was and what his mission was. This is an appropriate time to look for another way to prepare for the coming of the Christ. Preaching on the third Sunday of Advent should witness to the Messiah who overturns our expectations. This Messiah is not a mere baby born in a manger, but a Jesus who causes the blind to receive sight, the lame to walk, the lepers to be cleansed, the deaf to hear, the dead to be raised, and who brings good news to the poor. To what evidence of this work in our communities can you point and proclaim that we follow this Messiah?

It would be easy to create an obstacle for hearers by bemoaning the cultural and secular trappings of this season. Care should be taken so that persons can make these distinctions for themselves. The goal is to create a new awareness and fresh understanding. It is interesting and amusing that the commercials and advertisements in the media at this time of the year focus not on our needs for material things or our consuming desires, but on our longing for relationships, for hospitality, and for love and caring. All of the secular trappings are the world's attempts to achieve what faith in Jesus the Christ and response to his mission can fulfill.

Another direction suggested by the text is to speak about John the Baptist's being in prison, and about the kinds of prisons in which many persons in our congregations find themselves. What are the difficulties that persons are having in their lives? Inevitably, during this season of the year, we encounter people who do not share the joviality or the merriment of the season. Something troubles them: an addiction that only is heightened by all of the office parties; of memories of broken relationships; or of a missed opportunity for a better life. Now, because of these or other events, their hearts are broken. They are imprisoned. Their hopes have been dashed by the circumstances of life. With all that is proclaimed or heard at this time of year, these questions are pertinent to those who are in pain: "Who is this Messiah? Who is this Jesus who speaks to me in the prison of my own life? Can he speak to my situation, or do I have to look for another?"

The privilege of a pastor is to hear first-hand how Jesus the Christ has transformed a life. With permission and confidentiality, the sharing of these personal experiences would be illustrative of this theme. Better still would be the preacher's personal experience.

Michael McKee