Old Testament: Zephaniah 3:14-20
Gospel: Luke 3:7-18
Epistle: Philippians 4:4-7
Epistle: Philippians 4:4-7
Well, I write this blog today with a change of scenery. I am
currently in San Diego, but in the next week and a half we are getting all the
highlights of California: Disneyland, Sacramento, Yosemite, the central coast,
Santa Rosa, and finally Redding. So we will be busy. Oh yeah, this afternoon we’re going to the
true happiest place on earth, the San Diego Zoo, so this blog will be short.
Let me begin with a question, what is the opposite of joy? The third Sunday of Advent has traditionally
been the Sunday of joy. It is a time
when we reflect on the joy we have because God came in the flesh as Jesus to experience
creation as a creature and to redeem all of creation. It is a message of hope and joy. But to ask the question another way, what can
steal this joy from us? If there was one
reoccurring theme this week, it that the opposite of joy is fear, or anxiety.
Isaiah 12:2-3 says:
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense[a];
he has become my salvation.”
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense[a];
he has become my salvation.”
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
In Zephaniah 3 he tells Israel to be glad
and rejoice because the Lord has taken away their punishment and removed their enemies. The Lord is a “Mighty Warrior” who saves
them. I’ve never been in a war zone, but
I can imagine it is a time of great fear and trepidation. Yet, God proclaims that the time for joy will
come in he comes to save.
Perhaps Paul says this most clearly in our
reading from Philippians 4. He writes,
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it
again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all.
The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about
anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.” The
opposite of rejoicing for Paul is anxiousness.
And he provides the solution: with prayer, and thanksgiving, present our
requests to God. This week as we reflect
on the joy we have in Christ let us remember and guard our hearts against
fear. I often am reminded of the prayer
of the Psalmists in 51:12 “restore unto me the joy of your salvation.” Our salvation, God’s love, is a source of
joy. Let’s not have it taken away from
us because of fear.
That’s my main point, but let me add a
bonus topic in terms of the preparation we have been discussing during
advent. In Luke this week, the preaching
of John the Baptist is presented.
Various groups of people come to him, the crowd, tax collectors, and
soldiers, and John challenges each group to live in accordance with the repentance
he has preached. He challenges them to
lives their lives in love and justice and as if their lives had a greater
purpose under God. I invite you to put
your occupation in this list and imagine what John might say to you. Are you a teacher, student, accountant, or
stay-at-home parent? How might these
things be transformed under Christ to show love and justice to the world around
us?
So, that is two things to reflect and pray
about this week. I pray for safety in
travel this week as many of us will be flying and driving to family and
friends. Let us remember as we are busy
that God is our joy and our lives out to reflect this joy to those we meet.
Grace and Peace.[1]
[1] The
artwork is “John the Baptist Announcing the Messiah” from the Cappella Palatina
de Palermo, mid 12th century.
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