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I’ve been preparing to preach tomorrow, and there’s more to say than I can fit in one sermon, so here’s another line of thought that’s been occupying me.
Readings are Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8,19-28
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.”
This sounds like such a bold, grand statement. It might sound arrogant or pushy. Who are you, who am I, to say such a thing?
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.”
The one speaking in Isaiah has a mighty commission; to heal the sick, to free the prisoners, to restore sight, to proclaim justice and jubilee. It sounds like a lot of power.
But as we look at those on whom the Spirit rests, we see a different picture.
During Advent we meet two people who receive the Spirit of the Lord: John the Baptist, and Mary. For both of them, the coming of the Spirit brings not privilege, but hardship, misunderstanding, and suffering. And it brings peace and joy, of a sort that’s hard to take in.
John was born to a priestly family. He would normally have grown up to serve in the Temple like his father. But something happened to take him away from the center of power and push him to the desert, to the Jordan, to a life that few would choose or understand. Eventually it led him to die in prison for speaking out. The Spirit of the Lord rested on him, but he was not celebrated or privileged for that. He, John, had to decrease in order to let the Spirit work. He had to let go of his plans and dreams, his ego, and make room for the Messiah.
When the authorities came to question him, they basically asked him: who do you think you are, baptizing and preaching without a license? He answers, “I’m nothing. Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is the One who is to come.”
In fact, John’s message is about the power of humility.
John can stand up to the questioners because he has nothing to defend. He can stand up to Herod and tell the truth because he is not attached to his status or his wealth or even his life. He knows he is not the center of his own life. The center of his life is Christ, the Messiah, the one who is coming.
What a message! In a culture of iPads and iPods and Me, where the ads for everything from hamburgers to health insurance tell us they’re designed for us and we deserve the best, John says:
It’s not about me.
It’s about God, and what God is up to.
Paul tells us that we can rejoice and give thanks “in all circumstances” because God is faithful. Not because I’m so smart or strong or faithful; it’s not about me.
Since it’s not about me, I don’t have to waste time looking good or speaking anything other than truth. I don’t have to worry about whether I’m popular, or successful. I can focus on being faithful, as God is faithful.
God is faithful. God is the point.
It’s about God.
Where is God at work in you, among you, today?
Give thanks.
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