Malachi 3:1-4 & Luke 3:1-6
God’s Messenger
I am not too sure how many weddings I have officiated at during my ministry but it must be in the hundreds. One of the things I have noticed with weddings is the inordinate amount of time spent by many people in making sure everything is planned for smooth running on the day. This goes from flowers in the church to flowers for the bridal party; dresses, suits, shoes, ties, mother of the bride outfit, venue, catering, drinks, photos, vehicles, guest list, times people are arriving, and where they are staying – and Oh, discussion with the Minister re the Service comes in there somewhere. My experience is that some mothers and brides seem to feed off each other’s anxiety for perfection. Usually, though, it is the mother of the bride who desires perfection for the ‘big day of her daughter.’ I remember once a daughter saying to her mother, “Mum it’s me getting married – not you.”
Planning takes up a considerable amount of our time. But I am told that one hour spent in planning can save up to three hours later on.
Every evening at Rotary we have what is known as the Guest Speaker. It is the responsibility of one of the Rotarians to introduce the Speaker and the responsibility of another Rotarian to thank the Speaker. Some do this well and others do not. One of the problems many have is how little or how much to say. Sometimes those doing the introduction and those thanking the speaker, in my opinion, just about steal the show for themselves with what amounts to a speech rather than an introduction of the speaker or a thanks to the speaker.
Some of you will remember the circuses that used to travel from town to town when we were younger – I think the main one was Ridgeway’s Circus. They used to come to Winton and we would spend much time anticipating going to the circus and seeing the performers and animals. But sometime before the circus turned up, we were being prepared for their arrival with posters in prominent places. I understand that there was a time when the circus would send a ‘barker’ into the town ahead of the circus to prepare the way for the big event. The job of the barker was to get the people excited about the coming circus. The barker had to be honest enough while being exciting enough to encourage people to come to the circus.
A good introduction, I once read in a book on speech making, is everything. It said that the most difficult part of a speech to make is the introduction. It said that it’s easier to make a 30-minute speech or to give a one-hour lecture than to make a one-and-a-half-minute introduction.
You see a good introduction not only introduces a speaker; it also begins to increase people’s anticipation as to what might be coming next. The book advised that the introduction to the speech has one task; get the audience excited about the forthcoming speech and sit down quickly.
I understand that the President of Columbia University in 2007 used his introductory speech for the President of Iran to say what he wished he had the courage to say when he had been pressured to invite the President of Iran to speak.
What he said in his introduction was this, “Now, here on our stage is an ignorant, holocaust-denying, ridiculous appearing liar…” What courage. I don’t think I would have been able to say that!
A good introduction to a speech is an introduction that doesn’t appear to be a speech, a speech in which the person making the introduction must be transparent to the speaker, and must point to the speaker without becoming the speaker.
In our reading from Malachi today we heard the prophet indicate that God will send God’s messenger to prepare the way. The one who has to bring God’s message has no easy task because the Israelites have chosen to ignore their covenant with God. Somehow the messenger has to find a way for the people to hear God’s message anew. The Waymaker has to find a way to connect the importance of loving God and neighbour to the current situation in which they find themselves.
The good news is that God makes the first move to call us back into a relationship. It is God who sends the messenger to the people of Israel – not the other way around.
So, it is with our reading from Luke’s Gospel this morning. On this Sunday in Advent, we always hear again of John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, who prepared the way – who introduced Jesus to the people of Israel. Now it is important to know that John saw himself as a Messenger – but his main message was to introduce the main speaker, Jesus. John is quite upfront about not being the ‘main event.’ He is simply the ‘forerunner.”
All four Gospels in telling the story of Jesus begin with John the ‘Baptiser’ – the introducer. You don’t get to Jesus until you have heard an introduction from John.
Yet when you listen to John’s introduction it sort of ranks alongside that of the President of Columbia University when he introduced the President of Iran. John’s message was basically, “You bunch of snakes! Who told you to try to escape from hellfire? His axe is in his hand; he will cut you down to the root! He’s going to separate the good seed from the trash and then cast the trash into the fire! I’m not worthy to tie his shoelaces, he’s so great! You’d better get all washed up. Come on down into this water and repent!”
Most didn’t want to hear the message of John. As they quietly tried to exit from the auditorium John shouted after them, “Hey, I’m talking about you. Don’t think you can rely on all your wealth and political connections, or any sense of family birthright. They’re not going to protect or save you!”
Why would anyone want to stay after a hellfire introduction like that?
Yet when Jesus begins his speech, he is ever so gracious and loving. Just read the Beatitudes again in Matthew 5. “You are blessed he said.”
If John had been the main event, I wonder how many would have joined the Club. If you came along here every Sunday morning to have me tell you that you really are a self-deceived bunch who need to be done over and born again or there will be hell to pay – I wonder how long this congregation would be in existence. I would think maybe a month or two – but I suspect that within a week or two a complaint with the Presbytery would have been laid against me.
We have all felt the call of God on our lives. The message that we have heard from Jesus affirmed our worth as his beloved– not that we are worthless sinners who need to get our lives in order before God strikes us down.
But the question for you and me is not how John preached or how he introduced Jesus or prepared the way for him. Rather the question for you and me today is how we introduce Jesus and how we prepare the way for him. What is the message we give as an introduction that captures people’s attention and makes them want to hear more of the Advent and Christmas message which has at its heart, Jesus – the Lord of Lords and King and King of Kings.
To God be the glory. Amen