The Third
Sunday in Advent
The Collect.
|
O
|
LORD
Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy
way before thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may
likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the
disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the
world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and
reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end.
Amen.
The
propers for the First Sunday in Advent can be found on Page 90-92:
The First Sunday in Advent
The Collect.
|
A
|
LMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may
cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in
the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in
great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious
majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal,
through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever.
Amen.
¶ This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other
Collects in Advent, until Christmas Day.
|
N
|
ow when John had heard in the prison the works of
Christ, he sent two of his disciples,3
And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for
another? 4 Jesus answered
and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do
hear and see:5 The blind receive
their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the
dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes
concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the
wind? 8 But what went ye
out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft
clothing are in kings' houses.9 But what went ye
out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger
before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath
not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in
the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.12 And from the days
of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the
violent take it by force.13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.15
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.16 But whereunto shall
I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and
calling unto their fellows, 17 And saying, We have
piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have
not lamented.18 For John came
neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. 19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man
gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is
justified of her children. (Matt
11:2-19)
John the Baptist has been imprisoned for a terrible crime – that
of proclaiming the truth. He told King Herod to live in concupiscence and
adultery by marrying his brother, Philip’s wife – Herodias. Can you imagine?
Today, John would be accused of that disarming act of being “too judgmental”
yet John simply proclaimed God’s judgment from His Word! We walk daily among
many Herods and Herodiases who would, if they could, cast us into prison for
revealing their sinful lives to them. For
Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison
for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her. For John
had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.
Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but
she could not: For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an
holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard
him gladly. (Mark 6:17-20) If you cannot abide the message, then by all means kill the
messenger. The messenger is killed today by accusations of being too
judgmental; thus the church has become sterile and impotent in dealing with
sin. Instead of being salt and light to the world, the church has heard the
world and agreed not to judge against the sins of the world.
What is the first characteristic of John the Baptist that comes to
mind when his name is mentioned? For me, I think of a Voice Crying in the Wilderness
– For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice
of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths
straight. (Matt 3:3) What is this
Wilderness?
Wilderness - a wild or
uncultivated state. (Webster’s 11th
Collegiate Dictionary) The greatest and most desponding of wildernesses is not
geographic, but spiritual. Bread and water are in short supply in a geographic
wilderness, but so, too, in a spiritual one – there is lacking the Bread of
Heaven and the Water of Life on the neon-lit streets of most American cities.
As one walks those streets, he sees a wanton decadence and lust in the vacant
faces of those he meets. There is no one with which he can fellowship
concerning the riches of Christ for all are spiritually penniless. On those
streets, the only mention of Christ is as a Voice
Crying in the Wilderness.
The text today falls into two sections. The first: reveals a
faltering faith of the great witness (John) and Christ’s gentle response to this
man of faith. (Verses 2-6) The second:
Christ provides a witness to John of the truth of His ministry. We are not to
consider John weak in faith for that is clearly not the case. John has been
imprisoned and treated with dishonor. His life is in peril daily, yet he
continues to believe under harsh conditions that exceed our ability to
comprehend. But any of us have moments when we need a reassuring word, and this
is the moment when John sends for confirmation.
Now when John had heard in the prison the works
of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that
should come, or do we look for another? This is not for the benefit for John’s
disciples, but for his own comfort and reassurance. He is giving his very life
on preparing the way for Christ’s ministry, so a reassuring word under these
circumstances is reasonable. John is in prison in the gloomy fortress of
Machaerus Herod built to serve as a sinful pleasure house and an impregnable
fortress in the savage hills of Moab. The halls of pleasure and impregnable
walls have collapsed, but the dungeon area is still discernible with the holes
in the masonry to serve as witness of the chains of its victims (John
included).
Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew
John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their
sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead
are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is
he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. Christ
gently gives counsel to John’s disciples to go and give testimony of all that
has been prophesied and fulfilled in the ministry of Christ. Then the eyes
of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then
shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the
wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. (Isaiah 35:5-6) The Spirit of the Lord
GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the
meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the
captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. (Isaiah 61:1) These are prophecies written seven hundred years before the birth
of Christ, so we are emboldened in our faith to see their complete fulfillment
– so was John. I love that phrase from Isaiah regarding the proclamation of
Liberty to the captives. As a nation, God has favored our founding and our
place as a nation among the nations of the world; but He has also made
available to every man and woman of every land this Liberty from the captivity
of sin if they will but come to Him. Jesus tells these things to John’s
disciples so that John will have his faith confirmed, but to us, too!
And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the
multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed
shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft
raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what
went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. These are all
questions whose import is every whit as directed to us today as to the
disciples around Jesus. When we go to prayer service, do we go to see some amazing
performance of a man preacher? These services are seldom called prayer services
today, but more often ‘Celebrations” or “Festivals.” Such terms describe
experiences intended to uplift man, prayers and worship uplift Christ! Do we
expect our clergy to wear the latest fashion in clothing? My father told me
that any man given to frequent changes of fashion in attire is also likely to
be blown about by every wind of doctrine. We have evangelists today clothed in
$2,000.00 suits, wearing great diamond rings, and sporting gold, Rolex watches
appealing for “seed money” from widows and elderly who barely can supply their
pantries with bread. I can almost smell the scorched fires of their punishment
to come. John is no mere prophet, but the chosen messenger of God to herald the
coming of His only Begotten Son!
For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I
send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a
greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom
of heaven is greater than he. (see
also Malachi 3:1) Christ extols the virtues of John after his disciples depart. He
desires that no honor be lost of John’s character in sending his questions to
Christ. The character of Christ is quite different from that of men: Christ
gives acclaim to the Baptist after his disciples have departed. Man gives
flamboyant acclaim to men to their faces, but often critical stabs to their
backs. Though John stands high above the mark in the company of men, he is well
short in the Kingdom of Heaven to which he aspires – as are all of us.
And from the days of John the Baptist until now
the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For
all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. The battle is hot and the mournful cries of
the battlefield are full of the painful suffering of the saints. The path to
the Kingdom is not a self-willed, demonstration of manly power (as is today in
the modern church), but a gentle following of that Great Shepherd of the Flock.
The wolves stalk the flock seeking every remunerative opportunity to shed blood
and get advantage. This describes the Kingdom of Matthew 13:31-32. Those
‘birds’ lodging in its branches are demons, and they most often win the higher
positions of honor in the tree.
And if ye will
receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear,
let him hear. Christ is generous in sharing great mysteries to those whose
ears are open in humble faith to hear. Amazingly, the worldly wise can never
grasp the simplicity of truth uttered by Christ. But if we have ears (open
ears, believing ears, trusting ears, hearing ears) to hear (not just the Words
but the Spirit speaking) understand these mysteries. Behold, I will send you
Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of
the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
(Mal 4:5-6) Please note the last word of the Old Testament:
CURSE. The law is a curse to those who do not believe. Note the last word of
the New Testament: AMEN (hearty approval). “Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (Rev 22:20-21) There is a glorious difference in our prospects from the Old to
the New Testament. Jesus Christ makes ALL the difference!
But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is
like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And
saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto
you, and ye have not lamented. Donald Frasier wrote in Metaphors of the
Gospel that Jesus “pictured a group of little children playing at
make-believe marriages and funerals. First, they acted a marriage procession;
some of them piping on instruments of music, while the rest were expected to
leap and dance. In a perverse mood, however, these refused to respond, but
stood still and looked discontented. So, the little pipers changed their game,
and proposed a funeral. They began to imitate the loud wailing of Eastern
mourners. But again, they were thwarted, for their companions refused to chime
in with the mournful cry and to beat their breasts.” These non-participating
children are non players. They never like the tune or the narrative, but stand
jeering on the sidelines. Have our churches become such dead events of
observation?
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and
they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they
say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and
sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. The world will
always find cause to condemn the people of God and to kill the prophets. Either
they are too pious, or they lack piety; either they are too hot, or they are
too cold; either they are too bold, or not bold enough; either they are too
spiritual, or not spiritual enough. If we are the Children of Wisdom, we shall
have ears that hear and know. We dare not stand on the sidelines jeering, but
become active responders to the pipe. The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue
of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is
weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the
learned. The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither
turned away back. (Isaiah 50:4-5) Are we
rebellious children jeering those who labor, or are we those who, taking to the
plow, never cast an eye right, left, or back, but plow a straight row for
Christ? (Luke 9:62)
