“Heaven Has Come Near”

Meditation on Matthew 3:1-12

Second Sunday in Advent 2013

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       “In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” ’ Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 

      “Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

      “But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’”

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      My parents left for a 10-day Caribbean cruise on Thursday. They called me Wednesday night from Fort Lauderdale to say goodbye.  We had to talk about the weather, of course. Mom and Dad watch the Weather Channel every day, though their weather just south of Daytona Beach, Florida, is nearly always the same, with only subtle changes in the seasons—warm and humid in the winter, hot and humid in the spring, and really hot and humid in the summer. Our weather in Minnesota, by contrast, is usually pretty interesting. One minute—super hot and drought.  Next minute, it seems, the daytime high is below zero, the windchill is really below zero. And snow and ice is all around.

     Dad said it was 82 and sunny in Fort Lauderdale. He had heard we had gotten snow. “How much?” he asked. I said I didn’t know. Enough to make the world a sparkling white.  Enough to bring out the snow plows and shovels, hats and gloves, maybe even thermal underwear. And enough, on Wednesday, to cancel some of our scheduled activities.

     Secretly, I was relieved. Truly, it was a gift, precious time that I needed to finish my final report on my peacemaking project for seminary due on December 15^th. Worrying about when I would be able to finish my project was enough to threaten my peace for at least a couple of weeks. Since before Thanksgiving, I had been wondering, “How will I get everything done for school, family and church during this busy, holiday season?”

       This time of year can be truly overwhelming, can’t it? With all the expectations. What is the perfect Christmas? House cleaned and decorated, inside and out. Cookies and feasts baked and eaten with a family that never quarrels or complains, and always lives in harmony. Presents thoughtfully bought, carefully wrapped, neatly placed under the tree. A hundred or more cards sent with handwritten notes. Then there are the seasonal gatherings, programs and concerts with our kids and grandkids. We gladly add these and more on, without taking anything away from our already busy, complicated lives.

     I hear folks talking about how quickly the month of December goes. And how the schedule is impossible to keep up with. I saw one friend pick up her calendar, shake her head, and turn it upside down.  Another said she wished she could skip this month entirely.

    And I thought, “How sad!” How sad that we might think this way during Advent, as we anticipate the celebration of the most joyful thing that ever happened to humanity.

     Friends, Christ the Savior is born. And the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.

     We are doing too much and, at the same time, not doing enough. We forget about our Lord’s command to love and serve Him by loving and serving our neighbors. We forget our calling to be His witnesses, to share His salvation and the joy of His love. In our busy-ness, we neglect to draw others closer to Him. We forget about caring for the poor, bringing hope and healing to the sick, and comforting those who mourn.

      This is a difficult time of year for those who struggle with illness or are caring for a family member who is sick. It’s hard especially for those who have recently lost a spouse, sibling, parent, grandparent, or child to death, and those separated by distance or broken relationships from the ones they love.

      We are doing too much and yet not enough. We lose our peace and choose to walk in darkness, though the Light of the World, the Prince of Peace, has already come—and taken our sins away.

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     I admire John the Baptist, with his ruggedly simple lifestyle. Not that I envy his life in the wilderness, without worldly possessions and the comforts of home and family. John’s clothing is a rough camel’s skin with a leather belt. The NRSV Bible says his diet is locusts and wild honey, though some question this because John was a strict vegetarian. Also, importantly, locusts were a delicacy, eaten by only the rich. Many believe that John, who criticized the rich for their lavish lifestyles and neglect of the poor, would not have eaten foods that only the wealthy could enjoy. And finally, the Greek word translated “locusts” is very similar to the Greek word used for the “bread from heaven” or “honeycake” the Israelites ate in the wilderness during their flight from Egypt. John, when he was in the wilderness baptizing the repentant, may have eaten this same “honeycake” made from beans from the carob tree, commonly known today as “St. John’s Bread.”

      John is a bold witness for the Lord. He announces the One coming after him, the One for whom he is not worthy to carry his sandals.  The powerful One, who will baptize not with water but with the Holy Spirit and fire. He sees the Pharisees and Sadducees with their fancy clothes, hypocritical ways, and self-centered lifestyles coming to be baptized, and he calls them “vipers.” “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” he asks. “Bear fruit worthy of repentance.” He speaks of Judgment Day, when our Redeemer, who is also our Judge, will use a winnowing-fork, separating the wheat from the chaff.  Christ will gather his wheat, His righteous faithful who have repented from their sins, into the granary.  He will burn the chaff, the unrighteous and unrepentant, with unquenchable fire.

     What I admire most about John is that he has one focus, one calling, one thing the Lord requires of him. And he obeys.  His life isn’t complicated with ambition, selfish desires, trying to impress other people or keep up with Joneses. His life is difficult in that he has to resist the temptations of the world and stay focused on the Lord. But it is also simple because he has one job—to prepare the way for the coming Messiah. To make Christ known. He calls the people of Zion, God’s people, to turn away from sin and turn back to Him. For with the coming of Christ, Heaven has come near.

       Friends, we, too, like John the Baptist, have one job—to prepare the way for the Messiah. To make Christ known. Draw others closer to Him.

     Remember Christ’s command to love God and neighbor and care for the poor. Reach out to someone struggling with illness, loneliness, or grief.

     Resist the temptation to complicate your life even more during this busy season. Let go of some of the expectations you have for yourself.  Do less. And do more. Turn away from sin and turn back to Him.

      On Judgment Day, Christ will separate the wheat from the chaff. He will gather the righteous faithful to Himself.

      So let us not choose to walk in darkness. Let us not lose our peace. For the Light of the World, the Prince of Peace, has already come—and taken our sins away.

Let us pray.

Holy One, we thank you for Christ Jesus, the Light of the World, our Prince of Peace. Thank you for taking our sins away. Forgive us for worrying too much, spending too much time on the wrong things, getting caught up in the busy-ness of the season, and losing our peace. Forgive us our sinful, self-centered ways. Make our paths straight. Strengthen us to obey Your commands—to love you and our neighbors more. Open our eyes to the needy people in our midst.  Move our hearts to compassion and generosity. Stir us to do the good works you want us to do. Help us to be more faithful, to be bold and witness for Christ like John the Baptist, crying out in the wilderness for God’s people to repent. For the Kingdom of Heaven has come near. In Christ we pray. Amen.