The Rev. Virginia W. Nagel
Episcopal Diocese of Central NY (Retired)
Today is the Third Sunday of Advent, traditionally called Gaudete
Sunday. That name comes from the beginning of today's reading from the prophet
Zephaniah, in which Israel is told to rejoice because of the mercies God has
shown and will show to his people. Some Advent wreaths use a pink candle for
today, as a reminder to rejoice in the Lord.
Why should we rejoice in the Lord? Today's readings give us many reasons to
rejoice. Let's look at them, one by one.
Zephaniah's prophecy is addressed to the people of Judah, the southern part
of the modern nation called Israel. The people there were much like the people
today. Many of the leaders were corrupt, and used their power to increase their
own wealth, fame and political power. Of course that always makes the people
suffer...as we say nowadays, "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer." We
saw some of that feeling this past year, when the government tried to end the
depression by giving more money to failing banks and businesses...and the people
got very upset when they heard about the big bonuses that the leaders of those
companies were taking out of the money the government had given them to help ALL
the country. In Jerusalem at that time, it was not just the king and other
government leaders who were using their power in selfish ways. It was also the
priests of the temple, especially the High Priest. No wonder, the ordinary
people there had given up hope, and began to be lazy about their own keeping of
God's Law.
Zephaniah tells the people that God will set things right. God will be
punishing the leaders who are using their positions of authority to make
themselves richer and more powerful, and he will forgive the sins of the common
people who sinned because they had lost faith in the leaders and also had lost
hope for their own future....the people who felt like those today who have
"given up" because they've lost their jobs and houses. And so, Zephaniah tells
the people of Jerusalem to rejoice...God is near! Rejoice...God will set things
right again! Rejoice...God will forgive the people who have sinned because they
lost hope, and will punish the leaders who are responsible for this mess!
Rejoice, people of Jerusalem, rejoice!
Surely, we all need to study and re-read often this lesson. It has so much to
say to us, today.
The canticle or song from the book of Isaiah has more good news for us, more
reason to rejoice. It reminds us that God not only made us, God saves us, as
well. God saves us by forgiving our sins, yes. But he also provides what we
need...knowledge of the reasons to have hope, renewed faith, and assurance that
God is always with us, always near, always available to us for every kind of
help.
Most people today do not think much about God's providence. God's providence
is his promise that he will always provide what we need (notice that I said
need, not want.) God never promised that our team will
win the World Series or the Super Bowl. He never promised that we'll win the
lottery either. But he did promise that he would see that the things we really,
truly need will be there for us. Not through a miracle, although miracles do
sometimes happen. But God fills our needs by telling all of us to share with
others the surplus things we ourselves have but do not need. Our surplus fills
another person's need, and also fills our obligation to God to take care of the
poor, the orphans and widows and foreigners and old people who can not take care
of themselves. And so God saves us in many ways: saves our souls from sin by
forgiving us; saves our life, maybe, by encouraging the Boy Scouts or the food
pantry to provide food for those who have none; saves our development and
growing-up by providing Big Brothers and Big Sisters, tutors, and others who
give time and effort to help us when we are in trouble, or do not know what to
do to help ourselves; saves us from freezing to death because people gave
clothes they can no longer use to the Salvation Army, along with the crib they
don't need now that their kids are grown up, so someone else can use them.
The reading from Paul's letter to the church people in the town of Philippi
surprises us and also emphasizes what we have already learned from Zephaniah and
Isaiah. Can you believe that Paul wrote this letter from prison, in Rome? Even
though he is in prison, he tells his friends to rejoice! He doesn't tell them to
feel sorry for him, or ask for their help. He just says, Rejoice!
And he goes on to tell them how he himself can rejoice, even from prison, even
knowing that he's probably going to be put to death before too long: trust in
the Lord. Don't worry about anything, but if there's something you think you
really need, talk to God about it, and be sure that he will take care of it,
somehow. It's not your job to worry about how God will do this.
Just know for sure that God WILL do it, somehow, perhaps through
someone else's help...and thank God for his love and care, and rejoice! You will
experience peace and quietness of heart if you learn this attitude for meeting
problems. God guarantees it. Paul has experienced this, himself, even in prison,
even knowing that he was rejected by his own people in Jerusalem, even knowing
that he is on death row and will surely die soon. Rejoice, he says, rejoice!
The Gospel tells us about John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin. You remember that
John was always telling people that they must repent their sins, and be
baptized. *(This Gospel reading is the reason that some people call the Third
Sunday of Advent "John the Baptist Sunday." They also call the first Sunday of
Advent "Creation Sunday", the second Sunday of Advent is "Isaiah Sunday" because
of Isaiah's prophecy about the birth of Christ, and the fourth Sunday of Advent
is "Mary Sunday" because that Sunday's Gospel tells us how Mary became the
mother of God's Son.)
You remember that at the time of John and Jesus, Israel was oppressed. It was
occupied by the Roman army, and ruled by a Roman governor, and that governor was
pretty rough on the people. The Roman government didn't give much respect to the
Jews' religious background or the Law of God, and it became harder and harder
for the everyday Jews to just survive. Even if they tried to obey God's Law, the
Romans kept putting obstacles in their way. For example, Jews are not supposed
to travel on the Sabbath, but a Roman soldier might order some of the Jews to
come along and help him carry his load on the Sabbath. And so, John preached
about keeping God's Law, and the people asked what they should do when they had
nothing to give to the Lord for a Temple sacrifice, and were forced to disobey
God's Law by Roman soldiers. You have just heard John's answers...give more than
you are required to give, and God will count that in your favor. Help the poor,
and don't be selfish...do more than you really have to, so that you can help
others.
You see, John told the people to repent. And that word repent
means a lot more than most people think. It doesn't just mean "say sorry." It
means to turn around, do the opposite of the wrong you have been doing
before, take a new attitude that trusts God and obeys him...and give up your old
attitude of complaining, being afraid, and trying to "lie low" so you
won't be noticed. So, you are oppressed. Okay, return that oppression by turning
away from your resentment and hatred, and by being generous with the person who
oppresses you. You're worried about having enough, so you buy more than you need
and hoard it away, "in case?" Give that extra coat away, give away your extra
money to help people who are worse off than you are. God counts all this as
being righteous and Law-abiding, even if it makes you go against some of the
written parts of the Law. It's the spirit that counts...the same Spirit that the
Messiah will baptize you with when he comes!
That's what John is saying.
You see how it all fits together. Rejoice because you have what you
absolutely need, even if it's not half of what you want. Rejoice because you
have something to give, and because you're not going to be corrupt like the
leaders and the Roman army, by hoarding the value of things, hoarding what you
don't need, using it as a "lever" to make yourself important and rich. Rejoice
because you are being one of the people who God uses to help others, to care for
others. Rejoice! God is here, God is always with us, and God will set everything
right in his own time, his own way...maybe not our time, maybe not our way, but
we have his promise it'll all be set right, for sure. Rejoice! The Messiah is
coming, the one God promised so long ago, and he will set everything in order
again. Rejoice!
Amen.
