Homily
2nd Sunday of Advent B
Christ the King Church Topeka
7 December 2014
Daily Readings
Hey you! You're in Jesus' way! John the Baptist, the greatest and craziest and loudest of all the prophets who ever lived, gives us to it straight, as only the best prophet should! Hey you! You're in the way. You're the problem. Your ego. Your plans. Your stuff. Your sins. It's all in the way. You're in the way. I'm in the way. We're all in the way.
John the Baptist is a ruthless Advent prophet, screaming and eating locusts and wearing camel's hair to get our attention, to break through our complacency, because he has an incomparable message. John proclaims not just a word from God - he proclaims THE WORD - Jesus himself - after which no other word need be or will ever be spoken. John introduces not just another godlike person, but THE PERSON after whom no on else will be sent, the final person who alone can re-create the world form the inside out. John prophesies not just an important moment in human history, but THE MOMENT that is greater than all others - greater than the big bang that created everything out of nothing, greater than anything that has ever happened before or will ever happen again - greater than the moment of our own conception, our own birth, or our own death. The moment of all moments was at hand - Jesus Christ, God Himself, greater than all the universes combined, was coming into our world as a tiny, poor and helpless little baby! You wonder why John the Baptist seems completely crazy screaming like an idiot in the middle of nowhere - it is because his message is the most important and urgent message God gave any prophet ever to speak. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight his paths.
This Christmas can be nothing less, my friends, than our allowing ourselves to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and with fire. John the Baptist calls out in a huge way any of us who are planning to make this Christmas something manageable for ourselves. The scriptures tell us just the opposite. They say that the person who you are right now is the person you will always be . .there is no time for tinkering with self-improvement . . we either allow ourselves to be visited by Jesus this Christmas, whose coming can only mean radical self-conversion and a baptism by fire, or nothing happens. It is either him or us - it can't be both, and there is no compromise. The Lord is not someone that we can fit into our already busy lives, like we might fit a new workout plan, a new investment strategy, or the perfect gift at the perfect price. The Lord's coming is not another special offer like the thousands of false advertisements and cheap fixes that we are offered at every turn.
No, making room for him, and truly repenting of our sins, means that our life is no longer about us. We either make room for him in Advent, or we don't. There is no happy medium. For the Lord's coming is the most dramatic moment in human history, and He baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire, and whatever is not worthy or ready for Him, will be like chaff that is burned.
Repentance then, is key to the prophecy of John. We will not welcome Christ this Christmas if our lives are already full of pride and stuff. If Christ is to move in, then everything else has to move out. Our gift-giving during Christmas, then, must not be a distraction or replacement for welcoming Christ, but must be an expression of making room for him. We give away all that we have and are this Christmas, being generous beyond our imagination, in order that we might be able to receive a true treasure, Jesus Himself, with empty and clean hearts when we come to receive the Eucharist on Christmas Eve. Our practices of giving away our stuff and money in this holy season, along with a good confession, are the sure spiritual practices that help us to get ready.
John the Baptist chews us out real good. And we need it. I'm in the way. My ego. My plans. My stuff. My sins. I'm the problem. I'm in the way. I need repentance, allowing myself to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire, or this Christmas will bring nothing new at all. Amen.
2nd Sunday of Advent B
Christ the King Church Topeka
7 December 2014
Daily Readings
Hey you! You're in Jesus' way! John the Baptist, the greatest and craziest and loudest of all the prophets who ever lived, gives us to it straight, as only the best prophet should! Hey you! You're in the way. You're the problem. Your ego. Your plans. Your stuff. Your sins. It's all in the way. You're in the way. I'm in the way. We're all in the way.
John the Baptist is a ruthless Advent prophet, screaming and eating locusts and wearing camel's hair to get our attention, to break through our complacency, because he has an incomparable message. John proclaims not just a word from God - he proclaims THE WORD - Jesus himself - after which no other word need be or will ever be spoken. John introduces not just another godlike person, but THE PERSON after whom no on else will be sent, the final person who alone can re-create the world form the inside out. John prophesies not just an important moment in human history, but THE MOMENT that is greater than all others - greater than the big bang that created everything out of nothing, greater than anything that has ever happened before or will ever happen again - greater than the moment of our own conception, our own birth, or our own death. The moment of all moments was at hand - Jesus Christ, God Himself, greater than all the universes combined, was coming into our world as a tiny, poor and helpless little baby! You wonder why John the Baptist seems completely crazy screaming like an idiot in the middle of nowhere - it is because his message is the most important and urgent message God gave any prophet ever to speak. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight his paths.This Christmas can be nothing less, my friends, than our allowing ourselves to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and with fire. John the Baptist calls out in a huge way any of us who are planning to make this Christmas something manageable for ourselves. The scriptures tell us just the opposite. They say that the person who you are right now is the person you will always be . .there is no time for tinkering with self-improvement . . we either allow ourselves to be visited by Jesus this Christmas, whose coming can only mean radical self-conversion and a baptism by fire, or nothing happens. It is either him or us - it can't be both, and there is no compromise. The Lord is not someone that we can fit into our already busy lives, like we might fit a new workout plan, a new investment strategy, or the perfect gift at the perfect price. The Lord's coming is not another special offer like the thousands of false advertisements and cheap fixes that we are offered at every turn.
No, making room for him, and truly repenting of our sins, means that our life is no longer about us. We either make room for him in Advent, or we don't. There is no happy medium. For the Lord's coming is the most dramatic moment in human history, and He baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire, and whatever is not worthy or ready for Him, will be like chaff that is burned.
Repentance then, is key to the prophecy of John. We will not welcome Christ this Christmas if our lives are already full of pride and stuff. If Christ is to move in, then everything else has to move out. Our gift-giving during Christmas, then, must not be a distraction or replacement for welcoming Christ, but must be an expression of making room for him. We give away all that we have and are this Christmas, being generous beyond our imagination, in order that we might be able to receive a true treasure, Jesus Himself, with empty and clean hearts when we come to receive the Eucharist on Christmas Eve. Our practices of giving away our stuff and money in this holy season, along with a good confession, are the sure spiritual practices that help us to get ready.
John the Baptist chews us out real good. And we need it. I'm in the way. My ego. My plans. My stuff. My sins. I'm the problem. I'm in the way. I need repentance, allowing myself to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire, or this Christmas will bring nothing new at all. Amen.
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