Rejoice (even in Advent...!)

Oliver Wendell Holmes was a member of the United States Supreme Court for 30 years. At one point in his life, Justice Holmes explained he may have chosen a different career but said: "I might have entered the ministry if certain clergymen I knew had not looked and acted so much like undertakers." 

Now, I like advent a lot – it’s a chance to be really solemn before Christmas, a chance to suggest to people that they shouldn’t be partying and enjoying themselves so much, but should in fact be spending time thinking about their eternal destiny and how God is viewing their lives, it’s a chance perhaps to use some words from John the Baptist like we heard in the gospel reading (Luke 3:7-18) and call people a ‘brood of vipers’ !  I think some of these thoughts sometimes lead to accusations that I’m a bit of a Scrooge –  and these accusations often come from very close to home as well !! 

However the readings and the meaning of the season of advent to an extent back me up on this one – it is not a time of partying and festivities.., it is a season of expectation and reflection - that is until today ! Today is often known as ‘Gaudete Sunday’, in other words, ‘Rejoicing Sunday’, and in the readings we notice that every one of them focuses on reasons for joy. 

And perhaps that comes closer to what advent is all about – it is about self examination and repentance certainly, but it’s also about making time to recognise why we should be joyful in our faith and if we’re not then it’s time to examine what we’re missing ! And let’s be honest, sometimes as we look around churches, they can sometimes seem a bit gloomy, both the people and the buildings…. 

The Prophet Zephaniah wrote a short book towards the end of the Old Testament – it wasn’t the most cheerful bit of work – he spent most of the time writing about God’s impending judgement upon the nations (and he didn’t even know about BREXIT !), and of how the people had flaunted God’s laws and worshipped idols. But right at the end of the book, including the part we heard today (3:14-17), there is light – God will judge sin certainly, but there is hope because he promises salvation, not to those who are absolutely perfect, but to those who trust him. 

We can have confidence and we can have faith because Jesus lives. It’s as simple as that and yet we sometimes try and complicate it and make rules and principles and conditions but Jesus loves us and if we love him, that is enough…  

And then there was the second reading and the famous section of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, surely one of the greatest pieces of writing about faith in the whole bible – this section (4:4-7) was written from prison, but it speaks of joy and a peace which surpasses all understanding. Paul reminds his readers that the Lord is near, and that any burden or worry can be placed at God’s feet – he will carry us through the darkest storms if we trust him. In Paul’s letter written from prison he mentions joy, rejoice or rejoicing 16 times in just 4 chapters… Joy and rejoicing must be prominent in our faith if we’re really seeing Jesus at the centre of our lives… 

And we know this because Zephaniah and Paul have written of joy for those who trust in God and in our gospel reading (Luke 3:7-18) Luke reveals the source of that joy – Jesus himself. The reading reminds us of the ministry of John the Baptist, a good Lent or advent sort of ministry spent in the wilderness ! There he called people to repent – he told them that simply being a descendant of Abraham was not enough as some of them believed – they had to respond to God in the way they lived. 

This was a change for many of his listeners who believed they had been given a great birth right as the children of Abraham – and it did, but to those who were given so much, a lot was also expected. But this wasn’t the only change John talked about - he told people to share their belongings with those who had none, to share their food. He told the tax collectors to collect only the correct amounts, something which was unheard of at the time. He told the soldiers not to use their power to extort money from people through fear. 

These were huge culture changes that John was talking about, and yet the people came to him in great numbers from all sections of the community – the message was one that struck a chord – so much so that some thought he might be the Messiah, but John reminded the people that he had all the frailties of any one of them, and he pointed them to Jesus. John could baptise with water, but Jesus was coming powerfully, and he will baptise with the Holy Spirit.

And that is the good news that we celebrate and reflect on during advent – the child whose birth we are preparing to celebrate has come into the world to save everyone. Jesus has come to offer hope to those who are lost in any way, those who some seem to think they are beyond saving, even those who some believe are not worth saving ! Jesus has come to shine light into the darkness of the world… 

The birth of Jesus represents this great turning point in history – he didn’t come with armies, he didn’t take on political office, but he offered the most powerfully persuasive argument – that of love. Born into humble beginnings, he relied on love to grow. He relied on others, as we all do, but as much as he received love, he offered much more. 

Jesus’ message is one of good news, simply because it is a message of hope for everyone. Today if we know that hope, we are called to be that hope…

Jesus is calling each one of us with our differences to speak to others with their differences about a message, a joyful message that is for everyone… He’s asking us to do it not in our own strength, not as perfect people, but people trusting God, people knowing a Saviour…. 

It was the message John the Baptist was declaring - He was saying, ‘Come without preconceptions, come with all of your baggage and problems and doubts, come with all of your failings and come to Jesus, whoever you are…’ 

Our job as Christians today is not to judge others. It is not to tell people how they should live or exactly what they should believe, but our job is very definitely to try and live as Jesus to people – to share his love, to offer his good news in words and actions, to make people aware of the love that he has for them, and to celebrate the gift of life.  

There is no better thing to do in Advent than to consider the love which Jesus displayed for all of us and any one of us, and to think of the ways we are helping to show that love to others – and when we do that let’s also think of the things that are stopping us from showing that really unconditional love which really can transform lives - ours and others. 

Because when we recognise the incredible love that Jesus has for us, and we respond to that love by loving others, then we truly will be able to celebrate afresh the birth of Jesus, and look for his coming again… AMEN