Second Sunday of Advent December 9, 2007
Scripture	Matthew 3:1-12 3 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea , proclaiming, 2“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 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.’ ” 4 Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan , 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan , confessing their sins. 7 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? 8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 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. 10 Even now the ax 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. 11“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. 12 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.”
Devotional	Advent is for pondering the promise. And so it is time for joy. But Advent is also a time for sober inventory, to face how deeply enmeshed in and committed to the old regime we are. Many of us benefit from the marginality of the poor, and we do not want to change. In the real commitment or our lives, we are deeply in conflict with the new reign, And we are without hope, meaning we do not want, except, or welcome a new leader. In our moments of honesty it lets us keep things as they are." 1 Advent was going much better before I read Walter Brueggemann’s comments. He has a way of making the scriptures meaningful and becoming meaningful they become uncomfortable. Advent time of expectation does not make sense unless we allow God to impinge upon our lives. Jesus came to displace the old marginalized way of life. God summons us to abandon the old patterns of life and accept God’s new ways. Does it surprise you that John had conflict with the establishment? We can cheer him on as he attacks the Pharisees and Sadducees and their pedigrees. Their status and influence does not belong to the new age. He has harsh judgment in verse 12 for those who do not grant access to the poor and marginal people. The temptation is to leave the story at this point and move along, but we need to see ourselves as the Pharisee and Sadducee that John is speaking about. There must be a small part of them within each of us. The season of expectation makes no sense unless we allow God to interrupt our lives. Change is difficult for us and more difficult to put into action. Those around may not wish to see change even when it is in others. Elizabeth O’Conner’s words may be as disturbing as Brueggemann’s “Not only does change threaten something deep in us and calls into being all kinds of resistance, it will also threaten our friends. They, too, prefer the status quo. They may find us difficult to put up with at times, but something in them is also threatened at the prospect of any real change in us. They would be glad to have us give up a few irritating habits, provided we stay essentially as we are.” 2 Can change be evaluated by how uncomfortable we are with ourselves and ho how much our friends are uncomfortable being around us? Change will not come if we remain committed to the old regime of self. Welcome change and look forward to being uncomfortable for a short time. 1 Walter Brueggemann, “The End of the Known World” http://sojo.net/iondex.cfm?action=resources.sermon_prepitem-LTW_831128._AA. 2 Elizabeth O’Conner, Search of Silence. Waco : Word Books, 1772. p. 33