Sermon by The Very Rev Chris Yaw, 12/14/2025
Lessons:
Matthew 11: 2-11
Dearest Holy and Blessed Saints of God!
We begin with a deep and abiding theological question for you:
How do you like the pink?
Yes, it's the Third Week of Advent and one of two times a year our Liturgical Calendar calls for the clergy to find a way to express Joy by wearing rose-colored vestments!
It is quite an upgrade from our Pepto-Bismal colored predecessor - and all thanks to the family of Edna Buday - which we'll get to later on in our service...
Rose is the color of Joy today - remember our four candles - with Hope, Peace, and now Joy... (and Love next week.)
And one of the reasons I am Joyful today is because I am here with you.
Sundays are the days I get to renew my friendships and refresh my spirituality - with the people and the God I so dearly love.
Do you know how important this is in keeping me sane, focused, grounded and able to live more of the life of love I want to live? And were you not here, that would not happen - so thank you for being here and bringing me joy.
And I wonder if you're feeling the Joy today?
I wonder what's fueling it -
I also wonder what's hindering it.
Has the holiday rush got your head spinning?
Are you tired of all that shopping - and shoveling?
Are you sick of spending more time buying presents - than being truly present?
Or is your Joy being threatened by something more existential - the holidays can do a number on us - as painful memories of loss can cast a big shadow.
They can cause us to feel disillusioned, depressed, and impatient - and in that way, feel a little bit of what John the Baptist may have been feeling.
Yes, he’s the character we get to look into this morning.
His story, we pick up in our Gospel, when it's near the end of his life -and in prison.
A first-century prison - without heat or air conditioning, no modern mattress and sheets, no running water, no plumbing, no cable TV.
Meals were *not provided - that was the job of friends and relatives.
All this, as a surprise to John the Baptist who may have never imagined jail - because he seemed to be expecting a different kind of Messiah!
He seems to have thought that the Messiah was immediately ushering in a whole new life for Israel - And that was not happening - at all!
Why the wait, God?
Where were the Angel Armies?
What of the persistent Roman Rule and the lagging triumph of Israel?
This may have plummeted him into a pit of disillusionment where he pondered:
"What, then, was the purpose of my life as the forerunner of the Messiah - who wasn't the Messiah? Where had I gone wrong? Should I have made another career choice? My Aunt Emmy always said I'd make a lousy prophet!"
And so we ponder his life -
And we ponder ours:
Have you ever asked yourself similar questions - about purpose, worth and value?
Have you ever, wondered if the path you've chosen is the "wrong one?"
Or have your plans ever headed as far south as John's?
So if any of us have ever pondered that - then please consider John the Baptist - and what God has to say to you and me, right now.
Remember that -
The Gospel of Luke tells us that John was Jesus' cousin - and that they knew each other even before they were born.
Do you remember - the story of the pregnant Mary going to visit her cousin Elizabeth - who was also pregnant - Mary, pregnant with Jesus and Elizabeth, pregnant with John?
And upon their meeting - the story says John the Fetus - that was before he was John the Baptist - John the Fetus 'jumped in the womb' of his mother, Elizabeth, upon meeting the pregnant Mary and Jesus the Fetus - you can roll your eyes if you want - it is an awkward assemblage of words...
But the point is that even before they were born - there was something magical going on between John and Jesus.####
Then, when Jesus and John come of age - And we hear of John at the River Jordan - fully claiming his role as the Forerunner of Jesus - Proclaiming the prophet Isaiah's words as 'one crying in the wilderness' –
And then, as he will say in Matthew: "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry"
It's such an iconic statement - if you noticed your bulletin covers, and the famous painting by Leonardo Da Vinci acting this out - John, pointing to God - it's a photo I took in the Louvre in Paris this past summer during our sabbatical – that’s why it’s crooked - but it captures John's role - and our role - of a people who point to the Lord.####
Then it's John who's going to baptize Jesus in the River Jordan - and when Jesus comes up out of the water, John was right there to hear the voice from heaven, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"
So John plays these three roles - a cousin - a prophet - a baptizer!
If he doesn't know that Jesus is the Messiah - then who does?!?###
This is when we fast forward a few years - To where we are today - John's now in prison - for accusing King Herod of adultery.
And this is where we hear that John is filled with discouragement, disillusionment, and doubt.
So much so, that he no longer believes.
He sends his disciples to Jesus to ask - are you the Messiah!
And he doesn't give a direct answer – instead, he rattles off a list of things he's done - "The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, etc"
And he ends it with the phrase - "And blessed is anyone who takes no offense in me!"
What does that mean?
It means - blessed are those who understand me - who get me - they're not offended by me, but can see what I'm up to - which is an invitation to John to receive Jesus' blessing – by understanding that He, indeed, is the Messiah.
And this is where the story takes its macabre turn: Herod has John executed.
Meaning John's epic life - as a relative of Jesus - as a prophet who announced his call - as the priest at Jesus' baptism - becomes forgotten at the end - as John takes his sadness and apprehension to the executioner's block.
So, why, God, didn't John get to see that his life had unimaginable purpose?
Why, God, don't we get to see that our lives have unimaginable purpose?
Two points to make here.
First: just because John didn't feel used by God - does not mean he wasn't.
Just because you and I may feel like God's not using us - like we have little value - that "little old you and me" are really just taking up space, and not doing much of anything for anyone - let's let reality set in.
Let's take John's case:
When people name churches after famous disciples, what name, do you suspect, is used most often? Yeah, John.
What disciple of Jesus do you and I still talk about on two back-to-back Sundays every Advent? John.
What disciple models for you and me such faithfulness, perseverance, humility, and devotion - so that he has a place in history like no other!? John.
(CUP OF WATER - call up acolyte?)
Next time you're in the pool with the kids - "Knock, knock! Who's there? John the Baptist!"
2-thousand years later - people still get the joke - or at least the attempt at humor...
The point is this: John knew or expected absolutely none of this notoriety. He had no idea that God was using him in ways that would have blown his mind.
When Jesus calls us to surrender - to surrender to love -and we do - that's it - we've surrendered - and God, the universe, is free to use us to spread that love in any way God wants – so relax. Have faith: God is using you!
Whatever you are going through today - don't let those feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness win the day!
Have faith - in your values - your convictions - your conscience - your heart -
Don't think that just because you don't feel used, you aren't.
Just because you don't feel worthy, doesn't mean you aren't.
Just because you feel like you aren't contributing, doesn't mean you aren't.
Face it: You have no idea how many people have met you, talked with you, seen from afar, and have found their lives positively affected.
Sometimes the things we're going through can seem so daunting that we can't see the bigger picture of how God is at work!
And so: Writer Mark Nepo puts it this way: "The wave is not the sea."
Whatever doubt and discouragement you're going through - put it into perspective - it's a wave, not the sea! God is up to much more – there’s a big old ocean out there that we'll never ever see on this side of the veil.
When John looks back at the long arc of his life there's little doubt that he did an incredible amount of good for a whole lot of people - that God used him in mighty ways - and that's probably the same for you and me.####
But let me go into my second point now: for all that John has taught us and modeled for us - the one thing he didn't - is patience.##
I used to own a house in Battle Creek. It was on a lovely lot - overlooking a gorgeous lake. But it had originally been a small, cottage - and when I bought it - I wanted to make it into a bigger home - with more bedrooms, a big kitchen and bathroom.
And so we gutted the whole thing. And I'll never forget how long it took! I would come over every day to check on the plumber, the electrician, and the carpenters. And have them explain what they were doing as I inspected their work. And I would grow frustrated with the amount of time it was taking.
Then, about halfway through the process, I had an epiphany. This home on the lake was going to be pretty stunning. And this tearing down and building back up was something major.
The plumber needed time to make sure pipes, fixtures and faucets weren't going to leak in a year.
The electrician needed to make sure that every wire going to every outlet, light bulb and appliance, was not going to fray or short out.
The carpenter needed to make sure that the floors were flat, the walls were straight, and the ceiling didn't sag.
This takes time.
The redemption of the world takes time.
I don't always get this - John didn't.
But God's redemption takes time.
Do you remember last week when we also heard from John?
There he was, baptizing people in the Jordan, urgently calling for repentance.
Now. Right away. Hurry up! The ax is at the root of the tree!
Don't miss the boat! Get in line now!
His harsh words and direct message left little room for patience.
But we need it.
Driving down Quarton Road the other day - 2 lanes - backed up. I decided to allow someone who was trying to turn onto Quarton in front of me do so - so I slowed down - and the cars in back of me threw a fit! 3 cars - honking their horns - dangerously crossing the double yellow lines to pass - so I could allow this driver in - and what did it get them? Another 3 car lengths in front of a mile-long line?
Friends, we all know the world needs to take a chill pill – "Relax, we'll get there!" And you and I are the ones called to administer the medication.
People trying to turn onto Quarton Road need someone to let them in - somebody who's caring, someone who's selfless, someone who's patient - someone like you.
Oh, I get it, we all get frustrated - not just with traffic - but with the slow pace of change.
We want quick fixes for our bodies, our relationships, and our politics - I'm impatient!
That's why we hear what we hear from James this morning in our Epistle:
"The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts - and let us be patient."
The problem with impatience isn't just that it can make us rude, self-centered, and feed the fears of abandonment, disapproval, or a host of other things that are behind this - but another problem with impatience is that it puts us in a rush - especially through hard things.
Writer Rob Bell says this: 'Don't ever be in a hurry to get through the experiences and circumstances that hold the greatest capacity to form and change us.'
What makes a pearl, right? It's decades of abrasion.
What makes a baby - like the one Advent points to - but 9 months of all sorts of challenges and discomforts.
So friends, let us heed the lessons of the Baptist: Two lessons:
You're probably making more of a difference than you think - and the luxury of knowing that is not something we always get. Don't mistake the wave for the sea.
And - be patient - be steadfast - be trusting - that God is at work. No need to rush - the baby is coming in due time.
Amen.