Reflection on Luke 3:1-6

 

                                          

In the waning days of the first year of President Biden, the leader of the free world; when Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, Chuck Schumer, and Mitch McConnell, fought over governmental spending; when Tom Wolf was in a veto spree as Governor of Pennsylvania; when Ed Sheeran and Elton John topped the charts singing their version of “Merry Christmas;” during the administration of the beloved Pope Francis, the word of God came to a man named Bill working quality control at P&G in the middle of nowhere in the endless mountains. 

OK, his name is not actually Bill, but I do know of a man upon whom the Holy Spirit has fallen, who ministers to his coworkers at P&G in a very real way.  I did not have to choose Bill as my example though.  I could have chosen any number of delivery people, hair stylists, auto mechanics, teachers and former teachers, or farmers to include in this modern day version of Luke’s introduction to John the Baptist. 

Why are there so many people who could have fit the bill?  Because, it is absolutely true that when the word of God chooses to come and influence the world, only on occasion does it come to the powerful or rich.  Most often the Spirit comes to the least likely of people.  Look in your Bibles and you will see this to be true.  When we crack open the scriptures and look at John the Baptist, indeed, we see that the word of God came to someone who was ordinary, not extraordinary.

Actually, it does not seem impossible that one of you could be in the same shoes…uhh sandals as John.  The Bible teaches us that when God decided to send God’s word to the world, God chose a homeless guy, walking around in camel skin underwear, out in the wilderness, who spouts off religion whenever you happen to stumble upon him. 

“Repent!  Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”  

Maybe, we would prefer not to identify ourselves with John.  Most guys who act like John end up in a little happy place called the behavioral health unit at the hospital.  None-the-less, this is the person to who God chose to send the word!

This is not the only time.  There are other people that God chooses with whom we may identify more.  As we get deeper into Luke’s gospel we will see that God continually ignores the high and powerful (who may actually have a very real shot at changing the world), and instead God chooses the most unlikely of people.  If we keep reading we would see that God is going to choose a young, unwed, pregnant woman, three shepherds (the scum of the scum), and some local fishermen.  These are not the cream of the crop, yet the word of God comes to them. 

Why?

I am not sure that I know why, I do not really know the mind of God, but I do know that God likes to choose the unlikely to make extraordinary things happen.  Think about that cheater Jacob whose children birth an entire, holy nation, or the tongue tied Moses who ends up freeing an entire people from slavery.  This is nothing new.

And, it is at this point that I wanted to put in a great sermon illustration of someone small making a big difference in the world.  Something like President Abraham Lincoln’s shoe shiner giving him the first line of the Gettysburg Address, or some homeless guy ascending to the presidency, or a simple farmer changing the course of human events…you know, someone small who changes things in a great way. 

And, then I would go about telling you how God uses the insignificant for great things and that you too are called to do great things.  And, it was going to be very inspirational, I assure you.  You would have waltzed out of here and cured world hunger, and destroyed COVID-19…my sermon was going to be that good. 

But, then it dawned on me that such a sermon would not actually be true.  God’s story does not quite work that way. 

You see, it is never a single, little nobody that does great things with the unwavering power of the word of God.  Rather, it is the Lord who does the great things.  And, the Lord chooses to do wonderful things using a whole bunch of nobodies with checkered pasts. 

This is not a sermon about how great you are.  This is a sermon about how great God is.  And, part of that greatness is how God is able and willing to use a bunch of normal people like you and me.

I guess what I mean to say is that God works like a mustard seed.  The seed of this weed, this yellow scourge of all middle-eastern farmers, is tiny, yet it tears open the ground, spreads everywhere and creates great shrubs where birds can live and build their homes. God’s work in the world is like a bunch of weeds spreading very slowly, planting themselves in many hidden places, and offering homes for many creatures, until the farmer notices that it has taken over the entire field. God’s work is like that.

In other words, God uses people like you and me. 

Now, I know that sounded like an insult.  I am very aware that it sounded like I just called you all a bunch of weeds.  But, at least you are God’s weed.  God has chosen you and is likely working through you right now. 

You do not think so?  Is life tough right now?  Is the world just too confusing and you are just trying to scrape by? 

Just remember, God used an unexpected and dangerous pregnancy to save the world.  Dangerous you ask?  Absolutely, Mary could have been stoned to death because she was unwed.  But, God used her and her scandalous looking pregnancy to save the world through Jesus Christ. 

And, God prepared the way for Christ’s salvation using crazy holy men like John and shepherds who most people would not trust father than they could throw them.  Like a weed spreading, God works great things through ordinary people like you and me. 

Why?  Why does the Lord so often choose the lowly?

I have a hunch, and John the Baptist is the one offering that hunch.  The lowly have very little to boast about.  Therefore, there is little to get in the way of God’s story.

Just think about it.  Politicians have their power and political standing to worry about.  There is just so much in the Lord’s way.  Those who are famous have the opinions of millions of people to worry about.  There is just so much in the Lord’s way.

But, John was not great.  In fact, he ran away from an elitist lifestyle with his priestly family to go live in the sticks.  In John’s life, there was little that could have gotten in the way of the Lord.  And, because there was little in the way the Lord, John did not hinder God’s work.  It was not about him.  Rather, John simply pointed to God’s work of grace in Jesus Christ.  Nothing was blocking the way to see that truth.

You too are chosen.  You too are invited by John to be a part of the Lord’s work.  But, before you go, John has a little task of cleanup for you to do.

“Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

What gets in the way of the Lord in your life? 

What mountains need to be moved? 

What is crooked that needs to be made straight? 

What is rough about you that must be smoothed so that everyone you encounter may be able to see the salvation of God through you? 

God knows you are not perfect.  Neither was anybody else to whom the word of the Lord came.  Maybe you are not great and powerful.  That does not matter to the Lord.  The Lord does not care about such things.  You are chosen to clear the way for everything that the Lord has planned, so that all may see the Lord’s salvation.