There's a lot of fear and trembling going on in our country right now. Some are afraid of anyone bearing a Muslim religious identity. Others are afraid to take in refugees who are fleeing for their lives (often because they are Muslim). More continue to be afraid of any immigrants to our country, regardless of their origin or religious identity. Some are horrified at the thought their guns will be taken away and their Second Amendment rights violated. Others are appalled at the hateful and bigoted language now freely being spewed in the political arena- fearful that it may become commonplace, or worse, somehow be seen as acceptable. And still more are fearful of the general political climate in our country, which continues to polarize the citizens of our nation.
Because we fear change. Sometimes rightly so. Sometimes because we let our imaginations get the best of us.
Change is from the realm of the unknown. Change leads us into a new and unfamiliar place. Change can have unforeseen consequences. And we fear what we cannot fully understand or explain. We fear what we cannot control. We fear having the world as we know it turned on its head.
Yet it was with such fearful change in mind that John the Baptist preached the coming of the Lord. John was aware that the coming of the Messiah would cause a great transformation in the world. It would be a massive shift- for God's people and for the whole of creation. And not everyone wanted to see that happen.
The Jewish priests and religious leaders of the day were not happy to hear John's message. The idea that the Lord was coming among them upended their whole worldview. In their minds, it was up to the people to come to God- through the rituals of the priests, of course. Encountering God meant showing up at the right place, the Temple, at the appointed time, usually a feast, to offer sacrifices and prayers. God did not simply show up. The Lord did not come to his people and walk among them. The very idea of this upset priestly power and position, and they were not the least bit interested.
Herod, the king ruling over the Jewish people at that time Jesus was born, was even less pleased. When he heard that the prophecy stating the "King of the Jews" would be born among God's people was soon to be fulfilled, he was enraged. His power and authority would now be at risk too- and he was willing to kill innocent babies to prevent that from happening.
Others simply feared John the Baptist was crazy. Why in the world would he tell people to make ready the way of the Lord? How could he expect the Lord to come among them? Wasn't God in some far off heaven, looking down on them?
Yet some found hope in John's proclamation. Those who were oppressed by the religious hierarchy, the Jewish royalty, and the Roman Empire were eager to hear a message of change. They were OK with the power structure being dismantled. They might not have fully understood the ramifications of the change at hand, but surely the coming of the Messiah to set them free bore a glimmer of hope. For the Lord truly cared for his people if he was planning to come and dwell among them.
Certainly, the change that came with the promise of the Lord's coming was fearful- no one could have possibly understood its full implications but God. Yet it was also hopeful. Hopeful, because God was not simply at work- God was in the world.
And that hope remains with us.
In the midst of our fear and anxiety, God is not simply looking down on us from afar. God is among us. Jesus the Lord has come to us, is with us, and is coming to us again. All that God is has been made known to us in flesh and blood. It has been revealed in Jesus' teaching to love God and one another, and in his willingness to lay down his life for us. And what he has done, what he is doing, and what he has promised to do has changed the world forever.
We're not always sure exactly what his coming will look like. We're not always certain how and when Jesus will show up, or exactly what he will do when he comes to us. And sometimes, we might not like the changes he brings, or be ready to handle its consequences.
But in his presence there is always hope. Hope that no matter how the world around us changes, God's presence among us in constant. Hope, because the world has been transformed by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hope that not matter what crises present themselves, no matter how much hatred is spewed into our world, no matter how much political turmoil plagues us- the loving presence of God will endure.
That is the crazy, earth-shattering message that John the Baptist preached. And for those of us who are crazy enough to believe and have hope in that message, we don't have to live in fear of people with differing religious views, political persuasions, or ethnic backgrounds. Because we will endure all the fearful changes the world can throw at us in love and hope, because the Lord has come among us.
Because we fear change. Sometimes rightly so. Sometimes because we let our imaginations get the best of us.
Change is from the realm of the unknown. Change leads us into a new and unfamiliar place. Change can have unforeseen consequences. And we fear what we cannot fully understand or explain. We fear what we cannot control. We fear having the world as we know it turned on its head.
Yet it was with such fearful change in mind that John the Baptist preached the coming of the Lord. John was aware that the coming of the Messiah would cause a great transformation in the world. It would be a massive shift- for God's people and for the whole of creation. And not everyone wanted to see that happen.
The Jewish priests and religious leaders of the day were not happy to hear John's message. The idea that the Lord was coming among them upended their whole worldview. In their minds, it was up to the people to come to God- through the rituals of the priests, of course. Encountering God meant showing up at the right place, the Temple, at the appointed time, usually a feast, to offer sacrifices and prayers. God did not simply show up. The Lord did not come to his people and walk among them. The very idea of this upset priestly power and position, and they were not the least bit interested.
Herod, the king ruling over the Jewish people at that time Jesus was born, was even less pleased. When he heard that the prophecy stating the "King of the Jews" would be born among God's people was soon to be fulfilled, he was enraged. His power and authority would now be at risk too- and he was willing to kill innocent babies to prevent that from happening.
Others simply feared John the Baptist was crazy. Why in the world would he tell people to make ready the way of the Lord? How could he expect the Lord to come among them? Wasn't God in some far off heaven, looking down on them?
Yet some found hope in John's proclamation. Those who were oppressed by the religious hierarchy, the Jewish royalty, and the Roman Empire were eager to hear a message of change. They were OK with the power structure being dismantled. They might not have fully understood the ramifications of the change at hand, but surely the coming of the Messiah to set them free bore a glimmer of hope. For the Lord truly cared for his people if he was planning to come and dwell among them.
Certainly, the change that came with the promise of the Lord's coming was fearful- no one could have possibly understood its full implications but God. Yet it was also hopeful. Hopeful, because God was not simply at work- God was in the world.
And that hope remains with us.
In the midst of our fear and anxiety, God is not simply looking down on us from afar. God is among us. Jesus the Lord has come to us, is with us, and is coming to us again. All that God is has been made known to us in flesh and blood. It has been revealed in Jesus' teaching to love God and one another, and in his willingness to lay down his life for us. And what he has done, what he is doing, and what he has promised to do has changed the world forever.
We're not always sure exactly what his coming will look like. We're not always certain how and when Jesus will show up, or exactly what he will do when he comes to us. And sometimes, we might not like the changes he brings, or be ready to handle its consequences.
But in his presence there is always hope. Hope that no matter how the world around us changes, God's presence among us in constant. Hope, because the world has been transformed by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hope that not matter what crises present themselves, no matter how much hatred is spewed into our world, no matter how much political turmoil plagues us- the loving presence of God will endure.
That is the crazy, earth-shattering message that John the Baptist preached. And for those of us who are crazy enough to believe and have hope in that message, we don't have to live in fear of people with differing religious views, political persuasions, or ethnic backgrounds. Because we will endure all the fearful changes the world can throw at us in love and hope, because the Lord has come among us.