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"Timeless Joy As Known By The Few" Sermon Preached By Rev. Richard E. Stetler - December 11, 2005 Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11; John 1:19-28
Isaiah set the tone for expectancy among the Jews that at some future time God would save them. This announcement created a longing that God would send a savior that would liberate them from every sorrow, woe and conflict. Not only did the words of Isaiah inspire a long period of waiting, the prophet’s words also caused them to scan the horizon of every generation for the arrival of the One who was promised. The presence of John the Baptist created hope in some of the faithful scanners that perhaps he was the One. From our Gospel lesson we learn that the Jewish authorities sent priests and Levites to visit John. Upon their arrival they wanted to know if John was either the prophet Elijah or Isaiah who had returned to earth in another form. He told them that he was not either of them, nor was he the Messiah. “Another one is coming,” John told them, “in whose presence I will feel unworthy.” When we are looking forward to the coming of a savior, all kind of expectations well up within us. When we want to be liberated from our loneliness, the aging process, our fears over our financial situation or the mess of our current relationship, our imagined savior can come in many forms. It could come in the form of a job we have always wanted. It could appear as that sales bin at Kohl’s, Hecht’s or Nordstrom’s department stores. He or she could inspire our imagination that this is “the One” whom we hope one day to marry. Finding our primary mate may inspire old memories in we veterans of romance or fuel our anticipation of having our first romantic encounter. If we pause on this thought for a moment, we may find a link between our romantic adventures and the expectancy pattern that inspired the Messianic hope of Israel. When we look forward to a savior, we know precisely what needs to be fixed in our lives. The Jews were no different. They had their litany of woes and concerns from which they sought liberation. Science has been telling us for years that romantic love cannot possibly sustain itself because it has its basis in our brain chemistry. Several weeks ago, a company released the strongest evidence thus far to substantiate this claim. Researchers have isolated a substance found in the brain that separates people who are romantically involved from those of us who have been married for a year or more. High levels of a genetic marker were found in individuals who had fallen in love. This is the substance responsible for the euphoria, the inability to concentrate, the perpetual state of joy and ecstasy and the sense that we have finally met the One. We have all known people like this and, no doubt, there was a time when many of us experienced such feelings ourselves. The study also revealed that after the first year of marriage, this chemical marker dramatically declines to more normal levels. Nothing has changed in either partner except the illusions each held about the other. As time passed, they discovered that their savior was not that knight in shining armor, nor the great healer of all unhappiness. Lois and I went to dinner one New Year’s Eve and were fortunate to find an available table at this particular restaurant. There had been a last minute cancellation. As we dined, we observed many other couples sitting around us. We had no trouble picking out those who were married from those who were dating. We watched the couples that had a bottle of expensive wine on the table. They could not have cared less about their food or their surroundings. They stared longingly into each other’s eyes and by our observing their body language we could tell that these couples were speaking to each other very affectionately. These were people whose brain chemistry had not yet been healed by the medication of marriage. Then there were the couples who were drinking iced tea and coffee while eating their food as though on a mission. They were talking infrequently. In fact, if one of them was talking, the other appeared absent from the conversation, or was engaged in selective listening. I don’t have to tell you which gender was the guiltiest of this. These were the people who realized that their soul mate had not liberated them from having to do their own inner homework. Of course all of these comments are being said tongue-in-cheek. Such gross exaggerated characterizations cannot possibly capture the quality of everyone’s relationship. However, the point I want you to consider is that those who are longing, waiting, hoping beyond hope for someone to save them from themselves may, with the passage of time, wind up with the same recognition. No one is coming that will crawl under our skin, remove our eating disorders, our negative thought patterns or our self-absorbed attitudes that have isolated us from those who once tried to love us. We are the ones who must embrace such changes. We are the ones who must wrestle with our inner demons. Be not mistaken, we all have them. As we continue our journey into Advent, we have to be discerning about that for which we are preparing. We have to remember that Jesus came to his own people and only a few of them recognized him and the message that he brought. Isn’t that curious? Why would they miss seeing their long awaited Messiah? The answer appears clear. The Jews had firmly fixed in their minds the kind of Messiah they needed. What people expect tends to color what they encounter! When John was describing the person who was coming after him, each priest and Levite had a mold in mind into which the promised One must fit. In those days absolutely no one in the Jewish culture was capable of imagining that the Messiah would arrive and want to lead people into a world that no one could see. The Apostle Peter said it best when he wrote, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone for life. Those who believe Jesus will be healed of their misperceptions. For those who do not believe, Jesus will become the stone that makes them stumble. When they ignore Jesus’ teachings they will be forsaking the substance for the shadow.” (I Peter 2:6f) Jesus would awaken within his listeners a new way to order our lives. If they did not choose to follow him, there would be consequences, the same consequences that humanity had experienced for thousands of years. This was not a harsh judgment by Peter; it is a reality that requires no particular belief by anyone for it to be true. In other words, history would continue to repeat itself with only minor changes. In case you have not noticed, that is what is happening today. Our standard of living for close to 300 million Americans is the economic envy of the world. And yet, look at the anger in people. Look at the unhappiness. Look at the people who wander around still trying to find their meaning and purpose. What they need to do is meet the Master who would teach and guide them into a strange new consciousness, perhaps an awareness they have never experienced. People become angry and unhappy because their world is not rewarding them in the manner they demand. Their world fails to meet their expectations. Everything in which they place their hope eventually disappoints them. Because of these experiences, there are times when people become angry with God. They discover that their faith does not work. These are the consequences that have reigned in human experience for thousands of years. Why? When we find our purpose, meaning and happiness in the external world, we often do so at the expense of our inward journey. Jesus came into the world to offer guidance about a much different world, a world that gives birth to our caring, trust, empathy, compassion, hope, peace and joy. These are the qualities that make us fully human. Everything else we eventually leave behind at our death. Those who know the world to which Jesus pointed radiate a different energy pattern. For example, the insurance company totals our car and we remain grateful that no one was injured. Human Resources turns us down for the job we had prayed for and we immediately realize that if the train did not stop at our station, it was not our train. Our engagement to be married abruptly ends and we celebrate that it happened now rather than four years and two children later. An accident puts us in a wheelchair, and immediately we begin to apply our skills in many new and exciting directions. Thinking this way means that we perceive life differently from the way most people do. This is the Kingdom Jesus brought. He not only taught us how to find this level of consciousness, he also lived it. Try to imagine yourselves nailed to a cross. In spite of your physical pain, you still had the presence of mind to ask someone to take care of your Mother. You discussed afterlife with those who hung next to you. You completely overlooked the injustice of your trial and sentence. Finally, you forgave those who had done this to you. This is joy that comes from knowing that the greatest evils of this world have no power over you when you live in the Kingdom Jesus pointed to with his life and during his dying. Most of us equate joy with parties, being loved or opening the best present ever – that Lexus with that gigantic red bow on top. Once the fleeting honeymoon is over with such things, our brain chemistry guides us back to the same experience that all humans have when they have not yet discovered their inner world. Jesus once taught, “We must first seek God’s kingdom and God’s love, and all the things that we need will be given to us.” (Matt. 6:33) Timeless joy does not come from receiving anything from the external world. Joy comes from being when we radiate our own Christ-consciousness. Joy comes when we realize that our world is doing exactly what it was created to do. By design, creation is always changing. Who would place their identity in and define themselves by something that unstable? We do, and we do it all the time! We were not designed to place our trust in this world. Disappointment will always come to those who do so. If humanity would awaken to this truth, all of us would understand and experience the results. Since humanity had not awakened, Jesus came to guide those who would follow him. He led them to find liberation from pains resulting from their associations with the external world. With this understanding, listen again to the words of Isaiah, “God has filled me with his Spirit. He has chosen me and sent me to bring good news to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted and to announce release to captives and freedom to those in prison. God has sent me to announce that the time has come when he will save his people.” That time did come. Jesus announced and led those who would follow into the Promised Land, an experience that is readily available to everyone. Now it is our turn to lead others to this understanding. The joy of this discovery remains timeless. THE CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER Eternal God, as we live in a world that keeps tensions swirling around us, we remain grateful for these moments. Worship reminds us that the quality of our lives depends on how we perceive our surroundings. When Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me,” he knew how easily our fears cause us to wander. He knew the power of our distractions. As our spirits become nourished today, give us opportunities to give away the joy we have found. Help us to teach others that what we see depends on where we stand. Amen. THE PASTORAL PRAYER Thank you, loving and gracious God, for all the joys that come automatically to us simply by our getting out of bed each morning. We take so much for granted and complain over such insignificant inconveniences. During these days of Advent, we are filled with thanksgiving that Jesus entered the world in such a humble manner. From you we have learned that not all strength appears as strength. We have learned that not all love comes in a form that we readily recognize or understand. We have learned that some of our greatest sorrows need not block your spirit from lighting our path. We have learned that sometimes we need to accept life as it comes, because in our poverty of understanding, we do not know your will nor where the currents of that will may lead us. We thank you that while our minds and hearts are not perfect, you still send guidance. Even though our lives are not lived in harmony with you or others, you still send guidance. Even though our words and actions do not reveal the talents and gifts you placed within us, you still send guidance. During this season of joy, enable us to discover how to become better instruments of communicating your love. We pray these thoughts through the spirit of Jesus, the Christ, who taught us to say when we pray . . . |