preparing for Christ

Good morning friends,
This morning's readings are exactly what we'll hear at Laurelton a little later this morning, so if you really want to hear what I think about them, you know what to do. If that's not an option, or to just get you warmed up here's a teaser. Our Isaiah passage this morning is a beautiful vision of what God's kingdom will look like. Peace and justice will fill the earth, not only in human society, but for animals as well. This kingdom will come through God's chosen king. Isaiah talks about that king as a shoot from the stump of Jesse. Jesse was King David's father, so that's a poetic way of saying the chosen king will be David's decedent. For Christians, this expectation is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Our passage from Matthew is about God's kingdom and the justice it will bring, but John the Baptist takes it in a different direction. John invites us (to put it gently) to prepare ourselves for God's kingdom by repenting. There are so many things that separate us from God's kingdom: fear, greed, habit, etc. To get ready for God's kingdom (which is really the point of Advent) we need to turn away from those things and turn to God. John emphasizes that repentance isn't about feeling guilty; it's about changing our lives. Following John's invitation, I'd like to invite you to take one step each week in Advent to change your life in a practical way. My step for the week is volunteering at a local school; I'll keep you posted on that. What is your step going to be?

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 11:1-10

1A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
4but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.

6The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den.
9They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.

10On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.



*Sunday

Matthew 3:1-12

1In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."3This 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.'" 4Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.



7But 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? 8Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9Do 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. 10Even 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. 12His 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."