Shop Without Ceasing
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
Another Black Friday -- the discount shopping bonanza that marks the day after Thanksgiving -- has come and gone, and many people have been closely monitoring the results for signs that the economy (and especially consumer confidence) are on the rebound. In particular, nervous retailers who depend on the holiday season for a significant portion of their annual revenue have been hoping for a big boost in business, and initial figures suggest that they may have something to smile about this year. But while many of us are drawn into looking for just the right Christmas gift in merchants' wares (whether at the local mall or through online e-tailers), others use the gift-giving tradition as an opportunity to make charitable contributions -- a practice that is getting renewed attention with the news that one of the founders of Facebook is establishing a new website dedicated to creating a network of connections between people and charities. In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Mary Austin notes that this week's lectionary readings offer powerful clues that the types of gifts the Lord offers are much richer than the baubles we exchange with one another. That's a notion that the Psalmist spells out when he enumerates the Lord's gifts to us in a passage reminiscent of the Beatitudes: executing justice for the oppressed, giving food to the hungry, setting prisoners free. In the gospel pericope, Jesus underlines this further when he asks: "Who did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes?" We are counseled not to seek out the best deal on plush robes, but instead to heed the prophet and prepare ourselves for the greatest gift of all... the coming of the Christ.
Team member Dean Feldmeyer offers some additional thoughts on the gospel passage, focusing on John's question "Are you the one who is to come?" That is a question often asked in Dean's community of Wilmington, Ohio, which has become something of a poster child for how the recession has devastated the American heartland. As a result, a parade of celebrities have descended on their town in the last couple of years to offer aid (and to be visible doing so), the latest being Glenn Beck. Dean suggests that while their help is appreciated, what the rich and famous can do is ultimately limited -- as Jesus observes. Instead, the presence of the savior is apparent through what we hear and see... specifically, in our actions toward "the least of these."
Shop Without Ceasing
by Mary Austin
Matthew 11:2-11; Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10
Free shipping! Big discounts! Free gift with purchase!
The season of shopping is in full swing, and brick-and-mortar retailers are vying with online sites for our attention. Local businesses got into the act this year with Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to patronizing your independent neighborhood retailer. Other places offer gifts that also give back, returning a portion of the proceeds to a worthy cause, or crafts made by people around the world seeking financial independence.
If you have children in your life, you may have received a long list of wishes by now, and you may have a wish or two of your own.
As gift buyers, we're doing our part. Sales on Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving) topped $1 billion this year, for the busiest online shopping day in history. For others, however, Christmas will be bleak as unemployment benefits run out and home foreclosures pick up again.
Fittingly, Isaiah, the Psalmist, and Jesus all take up the question of gifts in the readings for this Sunday.
THE WORLD
The bigger the better, it seems, where Christmas is concerned. Driving past the local car dealer the other day, all the cars out front had big red bows on top, echoing the ads where surprised people get cars on Christmas morning. The Neiman-Marcus catalogue classifies its gift ideas in four categories: Little Gems (under $100); $200 and under; $300 and under; and the final category -- Indulge! Even for more modest budgets, the National Retail Federation estimates that the average consumer will spend close to $700 on the holidays this year, about the same as the past two years.
And yet, we may have a sense of unease about Christmas gifts and how much is enough. As Shane Claiborne notes in his article "A Season for Mischief and Conspiracy: A New Take on Christmas Charity" in The Huffington Post: "Critiquing the thick irony of the Christmas season is fair. It's ludicrous that we celebrate the birth of the homeless baby Jesus by indulging in the biggest consumer spending of the year, scurrying around trying to find something to buy for people who have everything. Nonetheless, there is something beautiful about giving, generosity, and the contagious cheer that fills the world (not just the malls) during Christmas."
Gifts are revealing -- of our love for someone, but also what we long for, or wish they would be. Gifts come filled with meaning -- the vacuum cleaner sends a different message to a spouse than lingerie or theater tickets. A gym membership is always dicey, and a surprise engagement ring might end up being a surprise for the giver. Socks and underwear, much despised by kids, don't seem so bad to adults. Food is nice -- except for the dieter, where it looks like sabotage. A gun will look different to a hunter than to a victim of domestic violence. The first and last time my husband asked me to get a gift for his assistant, I got a beautiful crystal clock... only to have him tell me that he had just been counseling her about the need to get to work on time.
Good or bad, gifts reveal something about the giver and about the recipient.
THE WORD
In the same way, the gifts given and received in these texts also say something about the giver, God, and the recipients -- us! Matthew, Isaiah, and the Psalmist all pick up the theme of gifts, but when we look at the gifts God gives, they're entirely different.
With the ancient world's understanding of disability, Isaiah envisions the coming of God's realm as a time when "the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy" (35:5-7).
All that seems broken is made whole as a gift from God.
Our enhanced understanding of disability allows us to embrace the fact that all of us have places where we fail to see or hear properly, times when we need to lay aside our limitations and leap, occasions to put away our fears and sing for joy. These are the gifts of God for all of us, and we are invited to let God make us whole.
Similarly, the Psalmist also sees a wealth of gifts when the realm of God comes to life. Those imprisoned are set free, and again the blind are able to see. The bowed-down are lifted up, and the stranger, widow, and orphan find themselves included in the community.
In the same way, Matthew uses a snippet of conversation between Jesus and the followers of John to highlight the kind of messiah that Jesus is. The messiah who comes to overthrow the Romans? Not so much. The one who brings evidence of God's fullness, and makes it alive in people who need it? Check. The proof of God's grace is not so much in what Jesus says, but in what happens to people in his presence. Look and see: "The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them" (11:4-6). Again, our understanding of disability allows us to hear these words as being about all of us, and the places where our limitations hold us captive.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
This Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, is the "Joy" Sunday, or Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin word for "rejoice."
Each of these texts highlights a joy deeper than receiving everything on our Christmas wish list -- a joy beyond finding things on sale, deeper even than finding the perfect gift for someone we love and experiencing their joy in the gift. These gifts also have a permanence that puts our purchases to shame.
Our most successful gifts to one another tend to be a continuation of the relationships we already have with each other. The gifts that go wrong are when we give a gift not to the other person as they are, but as we wish they were. God's gifts, in contrast, are about a wholeness beyond what we could ever create for ourselves. God's gifts envision a future beyond our imagining. They signal a change in the very way the world works, and shake up what isn't working. These are gifts that herald a new relationship between God and humanity, and new connections between the people of God. God's gifts are evidence of the whole new thing that God is doing.
As we ponder the gifts of God as imagined fully by Isaiah and the Psalmist, as brought to life by Jesus, perhaps the way we give gifts to one another will be less about money spent or malls endured or lists made and checked off. Perhaps our gifts, too, will reflect the deep joy of connection, and our fearless trust in the giver of all things. These gifts have a level of community that may be lost as we purchase and wrap things made by underpaid workers around the world. In God's realm, the gifts are good for everyone, not just for the partners in the gift exchange. Shalom is created and restored for everyone in the community.
These gifts are about the joy we find when we find ourselves at home in the Holy One, and at peace with who God creates, and re-creates, us to be.
ANOTHER VIEW
Are You the One?
by Dean Feldmeyer
Matthew 11:2-11
In May of 2008, DHL, the largest employer in Clinton County, Ohio, announced that they were closing their operations in the United States. This closure included their hub, sort operation, and airport in Wilmington, the seat of Clinton County, where I serve as pastor of the United Methodist Church.
As a result of the DHL closing more than 9,000 people were put out of work, about 7,000 of them in Clinton County. In less than a year, the official unemployment rate rose from 4% to over 16%. Unofficially, the rate is closer to 25%.
Hearing of our plight, "Magi" came from afar. 60 Minutes came and did a story about us, and then in the summer ran a follow-up piece. National Public Radio featured stories about us on Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Jay Leno showed up and did two comedy shows free of charge. Rachael Ray came twice. She and her crew remodeled the soup kitchen and served a free Thanksgiving dinner to anyone who came. Nick Lachey provided entertainment. The governor, lieutenant governor, two senators, and countless congressional representatives and state politicians have all shown up to let us know that they are rooting for us. Magazines and newspapers from literally around the world ran stories on our plight. Save the Children twice brought truckloads of stuff. And now, conservative political pundit Glenn Beck has announced that he will do a live broadcast from our Murphy Theater on December 15: "America's First Christmas".
Famous and important people have had to stand in line to commiserate with us. Media have had to take a number to report on us. And still, more than two years after the announcement and a year after the closure, home foreclosures in the county number between 25 and 30 per month. Churches report eight to ten calls per day from people asking for help with utility bills, medical bills, rent payment, food, gasoline, and child care costs. The homeless shelter has a waiting list, and the number of patrons at the local soup kitchen and food pantry have increased fourfold. While the rest of the country struggles with a recession, Clinton County, Ohio, is in the midst of a full-blown depression.
And yet, there is a soup kitchen. And a homeless shelter. And a free medical clinic. And a Benefit Bank that will help you sign up for food stamps plus 20 other government aid programs and help you with your income tax returns free of charge. And one church has created Open Hands, Inc., which makes no-interest microloans to people who want to turn their hobby into a money-making proposition. And there's Community Action, and Your Father's Kitchen, where you can get free canned goods and clothing provided by area churches.
In fact, there are so many helping ministries and agencies in place in the city of Wilmington that last year, in the midst of the worst financial crisis in the town's history, enrollment in the school district increased by 10%. Almost all of the new students are living below the poverty level.
When all those politicians and famous people, all those helpers and media folks came to our town, it was tempting to wonder: "Are you the one" who will save us? Do you hold the secret to our salvation? Will you relieve our distresses and make us whole again?
The answer that Jesus sent to John, however, still holds true: The answer to the question of salvation is rarely to be found in those who are "dressed in soft robes." The evidence of the presence of the savior is found in the lives of the poor and the oppressed. To the degree that the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the poor receive hope, and the rejected are accepted -- to that degree -- the savior has arrived in our, or any, community.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Christmas Day was approaching too fast for Pam. She was feeling the stress of the season, and, as a result was having a difficult time getting into the Christmas spirit. She had a lot to accomplish the week before Christmas. A friend called her one day to ask if she knew a place where she and her family could volunteer to help others. Her friend said she and her husband and two children would like to serve at a homeless shelter. Pam agreed to help find a place for her family to serve.
Pam began calling missions that she knew, and after several calls found one in the next town. She called her friend, who was elated with the news. "We'll have the privilege of serving others this Christmas rather than concentrating on ourselves," she said. "And it will be a great opportunity for us to teach our children about the real meaning of Christmas." That comment caught Pam by surprise, for up until that moment she was thinking about everything she had to do instead of focusing on the real meaning of Christmas. Christmas is not about us, but rather is about what God has done for us in sending Jesus.
* * *
The story is told of a man and his family who rented a cottage in the country in order to enjoy their vacation. One morning the son came outdoors to find his father digging a hole and putting out a small plant. The son asked why he was working so hard on his vacation. After all, they wouldn't be there to see the plant grow. The father replied, "Somebody will be here."
"What kind of plant is it, Dad?"
"It's a century plant."
"You mean it won't bloom for 100 years?"
"No, son, it will bloom in about 20 or 30 years."
"Why are you doing this, Dad?"
"Well, I saw one of these plants the other day and I realized that someone 20 or 30 years ago had wanted to share it with someone. He planted it for our enjoyment. I thought someday I'm going to plant one that people will enjoy when I'm gone. That's what I'm doing this morning."
"Dad, you certainly take the long view of things."
God also takes the long view of things and brings to blossom and fulfillment what God promises.
* * *
Collectors of ancient coins need to know if the coin they are buying is genuine or if it is a forgery. There are several tests one can make. First, was it cast? Modern forgers usually make a mold of an old coin, then fill it with metal. Coins made from a cast have a seam around the edge where the two sides of the mold come together. They also may be pitted with air bubbles from the drying process. Second, the weight. Forgers often get the weight of their coin wrong. Always check a reliable reference. If the weight isn't what the reference says, don't buy the coin. Third, check the style of the images; many forgers make serious mistakes in copying the image of the personage onto the coin. Fourth, don't think that because a coin looks old it is; many forgers will feed their coins to a goat, whose stomach acid makes the coin appear old. Know that selling a genuine artifact is against the law in most countries; they are not for sale in the marketplace.
The best way to avoid being duped is to buy coins from an authorized coin dealer and do your homework. All ancient coins have been documented in reference books; study well before you buy.
John wanted to know if Jesus was the real deal, the one for whom all of Israel was waiting or just another of the fakes who came along periodically. Jesus proved his authenticity by pointing to the works he did: the lame walk, the blind see, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised.
* * *
Recently retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens enlisted in the Navy several hours before to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He served as a cryptographer, assigned to breaking Japanese codes. The team of which he was a member was responsible for decoding the orders that informed American officials the flight plan of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the commander of the Japanese Navy and the architect of the Pearl Harbor aerial assault. Based on this information, Navy pilots, on the orders of President Roosevelt, shot down Yamamoto's plane in April 1943. Stevens was troubled by this military action. Yamamoto, a highly intelligent officer who had lived in the United States and become friends with many American officers, was shot down with so little deliberation and humanitarian consideration. Amongst the frenzied leaders of the land of the Rising Sun, could he not have been the voice of reason? Did we not possibly lose into the waters of the Pacific the cornerstone of peace negotiations?
Decades hence, Stevens still reflects upon this incident -- causing him to alter his position on the death penalty in his court deliberations. The justice related, "I was sitting on the desk, on watch, when I got word that they had shot down Yamamoto in the Solomon Islands, and I remember thinking: This is a particular individual they went out to intercept. There is a very different notion when you're thinking about killing an individual, as opposed to killing a soldier in the line of fire." Partly as a result of his World War II experience, Stevens expressed, regarding the death penalty, that the court must narrow the category of those who are eligible for capital punishment, adding that it is imposed fairly, accurately, and with earnest deliberation.
One may agree or take issue with Stevens' interpretation of the orders to assassinate Yamamoto; but the question for us is how often do we reflect on past assumptions, allowing the knowledge gained to alter our present course of action? This was the issue of the Jewish people. They could not take previously held postulates and amend them for the present. This is most clearly defined with their understanding of the expected coming of the Messiah as the "Son of David."
God made a great promise to David: "Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established forever" (2 Samuel 7:16). The kingly reign of David was the Golden Age for Israel, a time of peace and prosperity, freedom from the terror of foreign invasion, absent of internal dissent. Thus, centuries later, during the dark days of oppression and banishment to foreign lands, it was the promise of the incarnation of a new king in the image of David that would deliver them from their adversaries that the people longed for. The Messiah, as mighty warrior king, was the expectation.
This was so strongly acculturated in Judaism that it was promulgated by all the prophets. It was the dream of Isaiah: "Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and evermore" (Isaiah 9:7). Jeremiah echoed this belief: "Behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land" (Jeremiah 23:5). This was reiterated by Amos: "In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old" (Amos 9:11). A proclamation from Ezekiel is most telling: "I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them; he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them" (Ezekiel 34:23-24). One from the lineage of David, all believed, would return as God's deliver of His chosen people.
In our lectionary reading, Isaiah, as other prophets had, summons his people to be patient and wait for their promised deliverance. The message is very straightforward when the prophet reports: "A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way, the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God's people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray." This Advent season do we believe in the promise of "the Holy Way," and do we have the faith and patience to wait?
* * *
Colin Powell, as Secretary of State, tried to negotiate peace between Palestine and Israel. Realizing the daunting task before him, Powell commented, "We're at the beginning of a new long hallway. At the end is a negotiation for peace. But first we've got to get the door open. It's going to take two keys." Sadly, people lack the keys to open the doors to new understanding. Thus it was the case for the first-century Temple leaders who failed to unlock the door for the Son of David. On Palm Sunday he rode upon the back of a donkey, the sign that a king comes in peace, rather than mounted on a white stallion, the mark of war -- only to find that while the one adorned in palm branches arrived with a key, the second being held by the leaders of Judaism was absent.
But in the season of Advent, as we recognize the coming of the Messiah, we know that only one key is necessary to unlock the kingdom. Only one key is necessary to bring hope and salvation. Only one key is required, for to the Roman and Jewish leaders, and to those who do evil this day, Luke reports of Jesus: "He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly." This, by the one who began his story in a manger and ended it by riding on a donkey.
* * *
Frederick Douglass approached the front door of the White House seeking admission into the Abraham Lincoln's second Inaugural Ball. Just as Douglass was about to knock on the door, two policemen seized him as an uninvited guest, barred by the color of his skin. A large and powerful man, Douglass brushed aside the constables and stepped through the doors into the great and majestic foyer of the most publicized house in the world. Shouting racial maledictions, officers within grabbed the abolitionist, dragging him across the polished floor to the street beneath. He hollered in dismay, "Just say to Mr. Lincoln that Fred Douglass is at the door."
Confusion ensued that did not go unnoticed by the celebrant of the hour. Intervening, the president announced in a distinguishable voice audible to all in the Great Hall, "Here comes my friend Douglass." Douglass was invited as a friend and accepted as an equal.
When Mary sang her song and poetically confessed, "and he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant," she was expressing acceptance -- the same acceptance Frederick Douglass felt in the foyer of the White House. It is the same acceptance we all feel when we are accepted as a friend of another. Most importantly, it is the acceptance of knowing we are a child of God. With this realization, it is now our calling to always be ready to say, "Here comes my friend..."
* * *
Something is missing from our lives that we cannot even name. The theologian Rudolf Bultmann puts it this way: "There is within all of us a faint reminiscence of who we really are."
* * *
The master became a legend in his lifetime. It was said that God once sought his advice. "I want to play a game of hide-and-seek with humankind. I've asked my angels what the best place is to hide in. Some say the depths of the ocean. Others the top of the highest mountain. Others still the far side of the moon or a distant star. What do you suggest?"
Said the master, "Hide in the human heart. That's the last place they will think of!"
-- Anthony DeMello
* * *
An artist once told Bill Moyers of PBS: "If you know what you are looking for, you'll never see what you did not expect to find."
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: God's mercy is for those who are in awe of God.
People: God has shown us the divine strength.
Leader: God has brought down the mighty.
People: God has lifted up the lowly.
Leader: God has filled the hungry with good things.
People: God has sent the rich away empty.
OR
Leader: Come and worship the giver of all good gifts.
People: We come to worship the God who gives us life.
Leader: The gifts of God are joy, peace, and abundant life.
People: It is only from God that the true gifts come.
Leader: From the God of life we are offered life in God.
People: We welcome God's life in us and among us.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"Send Your Word"
found in:
UMH: 195
"My Soul Gives Glory to My God"
found in:
UMH: 198
CH: 130
"Tell Out, My Soul"
found in:
UMH: 200
H82: 437, 438
Renew: 130
"Emmanuel, Emmanuel"
found in:
UMH: 204
AAHH: 189
NNBH: 98
CH: 134
Renew: 28
"Blessed Be the God of Israel"
found in:
UMH: 209
H82: 444
CH: 135
Renew: 128
"Love Came Down at Christmas"
found in:
UMH: 242
H82: 84
NCH: 165
"What Child Is This"
found in:
UMH: 219
H82: 115
PH: 53
AAHH: 220
NNBH: 86
NCH: 148
CH: 162
LBW: 40
"Savior of the Nations, Come"
found in:
UMH: 214
PH: 14
LBW: 28
"Only By Grace"
found in:
CCB: 42
"I Am Loved"
CCB: 80
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who is the giver of every good and perfect gift: Grant us the grace to trust that your gifts of wholeness and salvation are the greatest gifts to for us to receive and to share with others; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We offer our praise and worship to you, O God, for it is only from you that we receive the good things that make our existence a true life. You are the one who offers us what the world cannot offer, for you give us eternal life, now and forever. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially the ways in which we run after things that do not satisfy while ignoring the true gifts of God.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have allowed ourselves to be deceived by the charms of this world. We look at things and believe they will make us happy. We look for money, power, and the acclaim of people, and think they will fill our empty lives. We take the sacred time of celebrating the incarnation of God into creation and make it a buying spree that fills us only with debt and regrets. Send your Spirit upon us once again, that we may find true meaning in your life in the midst of our lives. Amen.
Leader: God has come to live among us and within us. Wherever we make room for God, God will come and dwell with us.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We praise and adore you, O God, for you are the one who has created us and you are the one who fills our existence with life that is meaningful and abundant.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have allowed ourselves to be deceived by the charms of this world. We look at things and believe they will make us happy. We look for money, power, and the acclaim of people, and think they will fill our empty lives. We take the sacred time of celebrating the incarnation of God into creation and make it a buying spree that fills us only with debt and regrets. Send your Spirit upon us once again that we may find true meaning in your life in the midst of our lives.
We thank you for all the good gifts you have sent to us. We thank you for our creation and the joy of being part of your human family. Most of all, we thank you for Jesus and for the indescribable joy of being part of his body.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your children, that together we may rediscover the truth that life comes from you and is fulfilled in you. For those who are sick and those who are dying, for those who are grieving and those who have lost their way in life, we offer our prayers, our love, and our hearts, that as you work among them to bring them life that we may be part of your healing, life-giving presence.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father... Amen.
(or if the Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Visuals
Gifts, everywhere gifts -- some wrapped, some open. Jesus, of course, needs to be one of those that is open.
Children's Sermon Starter
Talk to the children about a time when you really wanted something, and when you finally got it, it turned out to not be so great or it became broken, wore out, or you outgrew it. Gifts are great. It is wonderful to get things, and especially when we know they were given to us by someone who loves us. Talk about Jesus as the special gift God sent us so that we would know we are loved now and forever.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Are You the One?
Matthew 11:2-11
Object: a sheet of paper with a large question mark on it
Good morning, boys and girls! Do you know what this is? (show question mark and let them answer) It's a question mark. Does anyone know when you use it? (let them answer) You use it when you aren't certain about something. That happens often, doesn't it? There can be many things that we aren't certain about. The only way to find the answer is to ask someone who you trust.
Our Bible lesson today is about a question. Remember John the Baptist? (let them answer) He was the man who ate insects and wild honey! He also was the man who told us to be good people and not just to pretend to be good.
Well, John the Baptist was put in jail because someone didn't like him. He began to have questions. He had a very important question. He began to wonder if Jesus really was the Messiah. He sent his question to Jesus. He asked, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?"
Jesus gave him the answer. Jesus said to tell John that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news. That was a powerful answer, wasn't it?
So, you may have many questions about many different things. When you have a question about who Jesus is, remember all the things he did. He helped the blind to see. He helped those who couldn't walk to walk. He helped the sick to get well. He raised the dead to life. He gave everyone the good news. When you remember that, you will know that he is really God's Son.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, December 12, 2010, issue.
Copyright 2010 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
Team member Dean Feldmeyer offers some additional thoughts on the gospel passage, focusing on John's question "Are you the one who is to come?" That is a question often asked in Dean's community of Wilmington, Ohio, which has become something of a poster child for how the recession has devastated the American heartland. As a result, a parade of celebrities have descended on their town in the last couple of years to offer aid (and to be visible doing so), the latest being Glenn Beck. Dean suggests that while their help is appreciated, what the rich and famous can do is ultimately limited -- as Jesus observes. Instead, the presence of the savior is apparent through what we hear and see... specifically, in our actions toward "the least of these."
Shop Without Ceasing
by Mary Austin
Matthew 11:2-11; Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10
Free shipping! Big discounts! Free gift with purchase!
The season of shopping is in full swing, and brick-and-mortar retailers are vying with online sites for our attention. Local businesses got into the act this year with Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to patronizing your independent neighborhood retailer. Other places offer gifts that also give back, returning a portion of the proceeds to a worthy cause, or crafts made by people around the world seeking financial independence.
If you have children in your life, you may have received a long list of wishes by now, and you may have a wish or two of your own.
As gift buyers, we're doing our part. Sales on Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving) topped $1 billion this year, for the busiest online shopping day in history. For others, however, Christmas will be bleak as unemployment benefits run out and home foreclosures pick up again.
Fittingly, Isaiah, the Psalmist, and Jesus all take up the question of gifts in the readings for this Sunday.
THE WORLD
The bigger the better, it seems, where Christmas is concerned. Driving past the local car dealer the other day, all the cars out front had big red bows on top, echoing the ads where surprised people get cars on Christmas morning. The Neiman-Marcus catalogue classifies its gift ideas in four categories: Little Gems (under $100); $200 and under; $300 and under; and the final category -- Indulge! Even for more modest budgets, the National Retail Federation estimates that the average consumer will spend close to $700 on the holidays this year, about the same as the past two years.
And yet, we may have a sense of unease about Christmas gifts and how much is enough. As Shane Claiborne notes in his article "A Season for Mischief and Conspiracy: A New Take on Christmas Charity" in The Huffington Post: "Critiquing the thick irony of the Christmas season is fair. It's ludicrous that we celebrate the birth of the homeless baby Jesus by indulging in the biggest consumer spending of the year, scurrying around trying to find something to buy for people who have everything. Nonetheless, there is something beautiful about giving, generosity, and the contagious cheer that fills the world (not just the malls) during Christmas."
Gifts are revealing -- of our love for someone, but also what we long for, or wish they would be. Gifts come filled with meaning -- the vacuum cleaner sends a different message to a spouse than lingerie or theater tickets. A gym membership is always dicey, and a surprise engagement ring might end up being a surprise for the giver. Socks and underwear, much despised by kids, don't seem so bad to adults. Food is nice -- except for the dieter, where it looks like sabotage. A gun will look different to a hunter than to a victim of domestic violence. The first and last time my husband asked me to get a gift for his assistant, I got a beautiful crystal clock... only to have him tell me that he had just been counseling her about the need to get to work on time.
Good or bad, gifts reveal something about the giver and about the recipient.
THE WORD
In the same way, the gifts given and received in these texts also say something about the giver, God, and the recipients -- us! Matthew, Isaiah, and the Psalmist all pick up the theme of gifts, but when we look at the gifts God gives, they're entirely different.
With the ancient world's understanding of disability, Isaiah envisions the coming of God's realm as a time when "the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy" (35:5-7).
All that seems broken is made whole as a gift from God.
Our enhanced understanding of disability allows us to embrace the fact that all of us have places where we fail to see or hear properly, times when we need to lay aside our limitations and leap, occasions to put away our fears and sing for joy. These are the gifts of God for all of us, and we are invited to let God make us whole.
Similarly, the Psalmist also sees a wealth of gifts when the realm of God comes to life. Those imprisoned are set free, and again the blind are able to see. The bowed-down are lifted up, and the stranger, widow, and orphan find themselves included in the community.
In the same way, Matthew uses a snippet of conversation between Jesus and the followers of John to highlight the kind of messiah that Jesus is. The messiah who comes to overthrow the Romans? Not so much. The one who brings evidence of God's fullness, and makes it alive in people who need it? Check. The proof of God's grace is not so much in what Jesus says, but in what happens to people in his presence. Look and see: "The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them" (11:4-6). Again, our understanding of disability allows us to hear these words as being about all of us, and the places where our limitations hold us captive.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
This Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, is the "Joy" Sunday, or Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin word for "rejoice."
Each of these texts highlights a joy deeper than receiving everything on our Christmas wish list -- a joy beyond finding things on sale, deeper even than finding the perfect gift for someone we love and experiencing their joy in the gift. These gifts also have a permanence that puts our purchases to shame.
Our most successful gifts to one another tend to be a continuation of the relationships we already have with each other. The gifts that go wrong are when we give a gift not to the other person as they are, but as we wish they were. God's gifts, in contrast, are about a wholeness beyond what we could ever create for ourselves. God's gifts envision a future beyond our imagining. They signal a change in the very way the world works, and shake up what isn't working. These are gifts that herald a new relationship between God and humanity, and new connections between the people of God. God's gifts are evidence of the whole new thing that God is doing.
As we ponder the gifts of God as imagined fully by Isaiah and the Psalmist, as brought to life by Jesus, perhaps the way we give gifts to one another will be less about money spent or malls endured or lists made and checked off. Perhaps our gifts, too, will reflect the deep joy of connection, and our fearless trust in the giver of all things. These gifts have a level of community that may be lost as we purchase and wrap things made by underpaid workers around the world. In God's realm, the gifts are good for everyone, not just for the partners in the gift exchange. Shalom is created and restored for everyone in the community.
These gifts are about the joy we find when we find ourselves at home in the Holy One, and at peace with who God creates, and re-creates, us to be.
ANOTHER VIEW
Are You the One?
by Dean Feldmeyer
Matthew 11:2-11
In May of 2008, DHL, the largest employer in Clinton County, Ohio, announced that they were closing their operations in the United States. This closure included their hub, sort operation, and airport in Wilmington, the seat of Clinton County, where I serve as pastor of the United Methodist Church.
As a result of the DHL closing more than 9,000 people were put out of work, about 7,000 of them in Clinton County. In less than a year, the official unemployment rate rose from 4% to over 16%. Unofficially, the rate is closer to 25%.
Hearing of our plight, "Magi" came from afar. 60 Minutes came and did a story about us, and then in the summer ran a follow-up piece. National Public Radio featured stories about us on Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Jay Leno showed up and did two comedy shows free of charge. Rachael Ray came twice. She and her crew remodeled the soup kitchen and served a free Thanksgiving dinner to anyone who came. Nick Lachey provided entertainment. The governor, lieutenant governor, two senators, and countless congressional representatives and state politicians have all shown up to let us know that they are rooting for us. Magazines and newspapers from literally around the world ran stories on our plight. Save the Children twice brought truckloads of stuff. And now, conservative political pundit Glenn Beck has announced that he will do a live broadcast from our Murphy Theater on December 15: "America's First Christmas".
Famous and important people have had to stand in line to commiserate with us. Media have had to take a number to report on us. And still, more than two years after the announcement and a year after the closure, home foreclosures in the county number between 25 and 30 per month. Churches report eight to ten calls per day from people asking for help with utility bills, medical bills, rent payment, food, gasoline, and child care costs. The homeless shelter has a waiting list, and the number of patrons at the local soup kitchen and food pantry have increased fourfold. While the rest of the country struggles with a recession, Clinton County, Ohio, is in the midst of a full-blown depression.
And yet, there is a soup kitchen. And a homeless shelter. And a free medical clinic. And a Benefit Bank that will help you sign up for food stamps plus 20 other government aid programs and help you with your income tax returns free of charge. And one church has created Open Hands, Inc., which makes no-interest microloans to people who want to turn their hobby into a money-making proposition. And there's Community Action, and Your Father's Kitchen, where you can get free canned goods and clothing provided by area churches.
In fact, there are so many helping ministries and agencies in place in the city of Wilmington that last year, in the midst of the worst financial crisis in the town's history, enrollment in the school district increased by 10%. Almost all of the new students are living below the poverty level.
When all those politicians and famous people, all those helpers and media folks came to our town, it was tempting to wonder: "Are you the one" who will save us? Do you hold the secret to our salvation? Will you relieve our distresses and make us whole again?
The answer that Jesus sent to John, however, still holds true: The answer to the question of salvation is rarely to be found in those who are "dressed in soft robes." The evidence of the presence of the savior is found in the lives of the poor and the oppressed. To the degree that the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the poor receive hope, and the rejected are accepted -- to that degree -- the savior has arrived in our, or any, community.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Christmas Day was approaching too fast for Pam. She was feeling the stress of the season, and, as a result was having a difficult time getting into the Christmas spirit. She had a lot to accomplish the week before Christmas. A friend called her one day to ask if she knew a place where she and her family could volunteer to help others. Her friend said she and her husband and two children would like to serve at a homeless shelter. Pam agreed to help find a place for her family to serve.
Pam began calling missions that she knew, and after several calls found one in the next town. She called her friend, who was elated with the news. "We'll have the privilege of serving others this Christmas rather than concentrating on ourselves," she said. "And it will be a great opportunity for us to teach our children about the real meaning of Christmas." That comment caught Pam by surprise, for up until that moment she was thinking about everything she had to do instead of focusing on the real meaning of Christmas. Christmas is not about us, but rather is about what God has done for us in sending Jesus.
* * *
The story is told of a man and his family who rented a cottage in the country in order to enjoy their vacation. One morning the son came outdoors to find his father digging a hole and putting out a small plant. The son asked why he was working so hard on his vacation. After all, they wouldn't be there to see the plant grow. The father replied, "Somebody will be here."
"What kind of plant is it, Dad?"
"It's a century plant."
"You mean it won't bloom for 100 years?"
"No, son, it will bloom in about 20 or 30 years."
"Why are you doing this, Dad?"
"Well, I saw one of these plants the other day and I realized that someone 20 or 30 years ago had wanted to share it with someone. He planted it for our enjoyment. I thought someday I'm going to plant one that people will enjoy when I'm gone. That's what I'm doing this morning."
"Dad, you certainly take the long view of things."
God also takes the long view of things and brings to blossom and fulfillment what God promises.
* * *
Collectors of ancient coins need to know if the coin they are buying is genuine or if it is a forgery. There are several tests one can make. First, was it cast? Modern forgers usually make a mold of an old coin, then fill it with metal. Coins made from a cast have a seam around the edge where the two sides of the mold come together. They also may be pitted with air bubbles from the drying process. Second, the weight. Forgers often get the weight of their coin wrong. Always check a reliable reference. If the weight isn't what the reference says, don't buy the coin. Third, check the style of the images; many forgers make serious mistakes in copying the image of the personage onto the coin. Fourth, don't think that because a coin looks old it is; many forgers will feed their coins to a goat, whose stomach acid makes the coin appear old. Know that selling a genuine artifact is against the law in most countries; they are not for sale in the marketplace.
The best way to avoid being duped is to buy coins from an authorized coin dealer and do your homework. All ancient coins have been documented in reference books; study well before you buy.
John wanted to know if Jesus was the real deal, the one for whom all of Israel was waiting or just another of the fakes who came along periodically. Jesus proved his authenticity by pointing to the works he did: the lame walk, the blind see, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised.
* * *
Recently retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens enlisted in the Navy several hours before to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He served as a cryptographer, assigned to breaking Japanese codes. The team of which he was a member was responsible for decoding the orders that informed American officials the flight plan of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the commander of the Japanese Navy and the architect of the Pearl Harbor aerial assault. Based on this information, Navy pilots, on the orders of President Roosevelt, shot down Yamamoto's plane in April 1943. Stevens was troubled by this military action. Yamamoto, a highly intelligent officer who had lived in the United States and become friends with many American officers, was shot down with so little deliberation and humanitarian consideration. Amongst the frenzied leaders of the land of the Rising Sun, could he not have been the voice of reason? Did we not possibly lose into the waters of the Pacific the cornerstone of peace negotiations?
Decades hence, Stevens still reflects upon this incident -- causing him to alter his position on the death penalty in his court deliberations. The justice related, "I was sitting on the desk, on watch, when I got word that they had shot down Yamamoto in the Solomon Islands, and I remember thinking: This is a particular individual they went out to intercept. There is a very different notion when you're thinking about killing an individual, as opposed to killing a soldier in the line of fire." Partly as a result of his World War II experience, Stevens expressed, regarding the death penalty, that the court must narrow the category of those who are eligible for capital punishment, adding that it is imposed fairly, accurately, and with earnest deliberation.
One may agree or take issue with Stevens' interpretation of the orders to assassinate Yamamoto; but the question for us is how often do we reflect on past assumptions, allowing the knowledge gained to alter our present course of action? This was the issue of the Jewish people. They could not take previously held postulates and amend them for the present. This is most clearly defined with their understanding of the expected coming of the Messiah as the "Son of David."
God made a great promise to David: "Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established forever" (2 Samuel 7:16). The kingly reign of David was the Golden Age for Israel, a time of peace and prosperity, freedom from the terror of foreign invasion, absent of internal dissent. Thus, centuries later, during the dark days of oppression and banishment to foreign lands, it was the promise of the incarnation of a new king in the image of David that would deliver them from their adversaries that the people longed for. The Messiah, as mighty warrior king, was the expectation.
This was so strongly acculturated in Judaism that it was promulgated by all the prophets. It was the dream of Isaiah: "Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and evermore" (Isaiah 9:7). Jeremiah echoed this belief: "Behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land" (Jeremiah 23:5). This was reiterated by Amos: "In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen, and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old" (Amos 9:11). A proclamation from Ezekiel is most telling: "I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them; he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them" (Ezekiel 34:23-24). One from the lineage of David, all believed, would return as God's deliver of His chosen people.
In our lectionary reading, Isaiah, as other prophets had, summons his people to be patient and wait for their promised deliverance. The message is very straightforward when the prophet reports: "A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way, the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God's people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray." This Advent season do we believe in the promise of "the Holy Way," and do we have the faith and patience to wait?
* * *
Colin Powell, as Secretary of State, tried to negotiate peace between Palestine and Israel. Realizing the daunting task before him, Powell commented, "We're at the beginning of a new long hallway. At the end is a negotiation for peace. But first we've got to get the door open. It's going to take two keys." Sadly, people lack the keys to open the doors to new understanding. Thus it was the case for the first-century Temple leaders who failed to unlock the door for the Son of David. On Palm Sunday he rode upon the back of a donkey, the sign that a king comes in peace, rather than mounted on a white stallion, the mark of war -- only to find that while the one adorned in palm branches arrived with a key, the second being held by the leaders of Judaism was absent.
But in the season of Advent, as we recognize the coming of the Messiah, we know that only one key is necessary to unlock the kingdom. Only one key is necessary to bring hope and salvation. Only one key is required, for to the Roman and Jewish leaders, and to those who do evil this day, Luke reports of Jesus: "He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly." This, by the one who began his story in a manger and ended it by riding on a donkey.
* * *
Frederick Douglass approached the front door of the White House seeking admission into the Abraham Lincoln's second Inaugural Ball. Just as Douglass was about to knock on the door, two policemen seized him as an uninvited guest, barred by the color of his skin. A large and powerful man, Douglass brushed aside the constables and stepped through the doors into the great and majestic foyer of the most publicized house in the world. Shouting racial maledictions, officers within grabbed the abolitionist, dragging him across the polished floor to the street beneath. He hollered in dismay, "Just say to Mr. Lincoln that Fred Douglass is at the door."
Confusion ensued that did not go unnoticed by the celebrant of the hour. Intervening, the president announced in a distinguishable voice audible to all in the Great Hall, "Here comes my friend Douglass." Douglass was invited as a friend and accepted as an equal.
When Mary sang her song and poetically confessed, "and he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant," she was expressing acceptance -- the same acceptance Frederick Douglass felt in the foyer of the White House. It is the same acceptance we all feel when we are accepted as a friend of another. Most importantly, it is the acceptance of knowing we are a child of God. With this realization, it is now our calling to always be ready to say, "Here comes my friend..."
* * *
Something is missing from our lives that we cannot even name. The theologian Rudolf Bultmann puts it this way: "There is within all of us a faint reminiscence of who we really are."
* * *
The master became a legend in his lifetime. It was said that God once sought his advice. "I want to play a game of hide-and-seek with humankind. I've asked my angels what the best place is to hide in. Some say the depths of the ocean. Others the top of the highest mountain. Others still the far side of the moon or a distant star. What do you suggest?"
Said the master, "Hide in the human heart. That's the last place they will think of!"
-- Anthony DeMello
* * *
An artist once told Bill Moyers of PBS: "If you know what you are looking for, you'll never see what you did not expect to find."
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: God's mercy is for those who are in awe of God.
People: God has shown us the divine strength.
Leader: God has brought down the mighty.
People: God has lifted up the lowly.
Leader: God has filled the hungry with good things.
People: God has sent the rich away empty.
OR
Leader: Come and worship the giver of all good gifts.
People: We come to worship the God who gives us life.
Leader: The gifts of God are joy, peace, and abundant life.
People: It is only from God that the true gifts come.
Leader: From the God of life we are offered life in God.
People: We welcome God's life in us and among us.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"Send Your Word"
found in:
UMH: 195
"My Soul Gives Glory to My God"
found in:
UMH: 198
CH: 130
"Tell Out, My Soul"
found in:
UMH: 200
H82: 437, 438
Renew: 130
"Emmanuel, Emmanuel"
found in:
UMH: 204
AAHH: 189
NNBH: 98
CH: 134
Renew: 28
"Blessed Be the God of Israel"
found in:
UMH: 209
H82: 444
CH: 135
Renew: 128
"Love Came Down at Christmas"
found in:
UMH: 242
H82: 84
NCH: 165
"What Child Is This"
found in:
UMH: 219
H82: 115
PH: 53
AAHH: 220
NNBH: 86
NCH: 148
CH: 162
LBW: 40
"Savior of the Nations, Come"
found in:
UMH: 214
PH: 14
LBW: 28
"Only By Grace"
found in:
CCB: 42
"I Am Loved"
CCB: 80
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who is the giver of every good and perfect gift: Grant us the grace to trust that your gifts of wholeness and salvation are the greatest gifts to for us to receive and to share with others; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We offer our praise and worship to you, O God, for it is only from you that we receive the good things that make our existence a true life. You are the one who offers us what the world cannot offer, for you give us eternal life, now and forever. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially the ways in which we run after things that do not satisfy while ignoring the true gifts of God.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have allowed ourselves to be deceived by the charms of this world. We look at things and believe they will make us happy. We look for money, power, and the acclaim of people, and think they will fill our empty lives. We take the sacred time of celebrating the incarnation of God into creation and make it a buying spree that fills us only with debt and regrets. Send your Spirit upon us once again, that we may find true meaning in your life in the midst of our lives. Amen.
Leader: God has come to live among us and within us. Wherever we make room for God, God will come and dwell with us.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We praise and adore you, O God, for you are the one who has created us and you are the one who fills our existence with life that is meaningful and abundant.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have allowed ourselves to be deceived by the charms of this world. We look at things and believe they will make us happy. We look for money, power, and the acclaim of people, and think they will fill our empty lives. We take the sacred time of celebrating the incarnation of God into creation and make it a buying spree that fills us only with debt and regrets. Send your Spirit upon us once again that we may find true meaning in your life in the midst of our lives.
We thank you for all the good gifts you have sent to us. We thank you for our creation and the joy of being part of your human family. Most of all, we thank you for Jesus and for the indescribable joy of being part of his body.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your children, that together we may rediscover the truth that life comes from you and is fulfilled in you. For those who are sick and those who are dying, for those who are grieving and those who have lost their way in life, we offer our prayers, our love, and our hearts, that as you work among them to bring them life that we may be part of your healing, life-giving presence.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father... Amen.
(or if the Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Visuals
Gifts, everywhere gifts -- some wrapped, some open. Jesus, of course, needs to be one of those that is open.
Children's Sermon Starter
Talk to the children about a time when you really wanted something, and when you finally got it, it turned out to not be so great or it became broken, wore out, or you outgrew it. Gifts are great. It is wonderful to get things, and especially when we know they were given to us by someone who loves us. Talk about Jesus as the special gift God sent us so that we would know we are loved now and forever.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Are You the One?
Matthew 11:2-11
Object: a sheet of paper with a large question mark on it
Good morning, boys and girls! Do you know what this is? (show question mark and let them answer) It's a question mark. Does anyone know when you use it? (let them answer) You use it when you aren't certain about something. That happens often, doesn't it? There can be many things that we aren't certain about. The only way to find the answer is to ask someone who you trust.
Our Bible lesson today is about a question. Remember John the Baptist? (let them answer) He was the man who ate insects and wild honey! He also was the man who told us to be good people and not just to pretend to be good.
Well, John the Baptist was put in jail because someone didn't like him. He began to have questions. He had a very important question. He began to wonder if Jesus really was the Messiah. He sent his question to Jesus. He asked, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?"
Jesus gave him the answer. Jesus said to tell John that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news. That was a powerful answer, wasn't it?
So, you may have many questions about many different things. When you have a question about who Jesus is, remember all the things he did. He helped the blind to see. He helped those who couldn't walk to walk. He helped the sick to get well. He raised the dead to life. He gave everyone the good news. When you remember that, you will know that he is really God's Son.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, December 12, 2010, issue.
Copyright 2010 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
