AN UNLIKELY MESSENGER 

I believe the first Christmas catalog to arrive at our house this year was in August.  To me a Christmas catalog at that time of year is an unwelcome intruder.  I'm not ready for it! 

John the Baptist is an intruder.  He interrupts our holiday indulgences with “Repent!  Prepare the way of the Lord!"  How dare he!  John is a shocking and surprising messenger because, quite frankly, we expect someone else to deliver it, someone of higher rank with more power and influence.

“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, when Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and when Lysanias was ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood and Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John…”

Notice that Luke lists seven of the most influential leaders of the known world: five political and two religious.  This is no accident.  These verses are a “Who’s Who” of first century politics and religion. But this is precisely Luke's point, that when God sent the message to prepare for the coming of Christ, the message did not arrive through the halls of politics and religion.

We might expect it would be someone else to announce the coming new age, someone with more power and prestige.   We might expect it would have been Tiberius Caesar, Herod, Philip or Pontius Pilate, people who had power and influence and could affect the political order.

A couple of months ago, before the election, somebody gave me a “Christian Voter’s Scorecard.” It was explained to me, “This score-card sizes up political candidates on the issues that really matter, like abortion, gay-marriage, school prayer, and some others.”  The brochure announced that the candidates were to be evaluated on the basis of these issues. I threw it away. It saddened me for a number of reasons, not least of which was the shallow and presumptuous assumption that every conscientious Christian must think the same way on each on these “hot-button” issues; and that somehow the kingdom of God can be established through politics.

“In the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar,” the Word of God did not go to Tiberius Caesar or any other politician.  Perhaps an emperor is too involved in running the empire, defending borders, managing the military, battling budgets and strategizing to retain power. Those who believe they are in charge of the world are often too deluded by political maneuvering to really hear and do the Lord's work. They often invoke the name of God when God is needed to advance a political agenda, but when it gets right down to it, the biblical imperatives of love, compassion, fairness, justice and righteousness are scarcely recognizable after they pass through the compromising hands of politicians.  Luke tells us that the message of God's arrival did not go to the world’s politicians.  

What Luke next tells us is even more shocking: “During the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,” the word of God did not go to the clergy and religious elite.  That comes as even more of a shock, because people like Annas and Caiaphas handled holy things and performed holy services. Yet, God did not choose them to announce the coming new kingdom of God.  Annas was the most influential priest of his generation. He cast such a prominent shadow over the Temple that five of his sons attained the office of high priest along with his son-in-law, Joseph Caiaphas.  Wouldn’t we expect the Lord to speak to people like them?  Maybe the religious elite had as much to protect in their religious realm as the politicians did in the political? 

It makes me a little uneasy, after all I have a job a little like Annas and Caiaphas. It is my job to break the bread and pour the cup, offer spiritual guidance, prepare and preach sermons, preside at services, teach classes, offer spiritual guidance, visit the sick, counsel the troubled, marry, bury, and baptize, go on retreats, and perform duties of administration. 

But also hear this: I am qualified to tell you how it can be behind the stained-glass facade. Did you know it is possible for a minister of God to go through the motions and merely play the part?  Any pastor who tells you he/she has never felt that temptation is either not telling the truth or in a state of denial.

”In the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar,” God did not speak through the politicians. “During the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,” God did not speak through the religious functionaries.

“The word of God came to John, son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.”  People seemed to know it and sense it. Farmers left their plows in the fields. Merchants left their stores. Fisherman left their nets.  People came to hear the strange prophet cry out that God’s kingdom was at hand. When they heard John, they knew in their bones that he spoke the unvarnished truth.

Walt Wangerin, pastor, author and former preacher on the ELCA radio ministry Lutheran Vespers, (now called Grace Matters), tells about a woman named Miz Lil.  Walt never knew what to expect at the door after worship. Some Sundays she said, “Well, you taught us today.”  Other Sundays she looked him in the eye and said, “Hooo, Pastor, you preached today.”  One Sunday, when she reached to shake his hand, Walt held on, “Miz Lil,” he said, “sometimes you say I teach.”  “Uh-huh.”
“And sometimes you say I preach.” “Mmm-hmm.”
Walt asked, “What’s the difference?”
Miz Lil raised one eyebrow, as if to say, “Didn’t they teach you anything in seminary?”
She said, “When you teach, I learn something for the day that I can take home and, God willing, I can do it.  But when you preach, God is here.  And sometimes God is smiling, and sometimes God is frowning.”

”The Word of God came to John.” When he preached, everybody knew God was at hand. Sometimes God was smiling and sometimes God was frowning.  John’s preaching had a profound effect on everybody who heard his voice. “Prepare the way of the Lord,” John shouted, and the people knew they could not keep living casual, carefree lives.  When you believe God is coming to set things right, you remove the roadblocks to your heart and open the closed doors to your soul.  When you discover God has something important to say, you cannot pretend you are the final authority on anything.  For God is coming!  The valley of shadows will be lifted up. The mountains of pride will be bulldozed to the ground. God will untangle the crooked ways of the heart and polish the rough edges of every available life that will open a heart to Him.

”The Word of God came to John;” not first to the palaces of power where politicians would use it and water it down for their own purposes.

”The Word of God came to John;” not first to the leaders of institutional religion, where calculating clergy play it safe and nervous worshipers often spray extinguishers of cold water upon holy fire!  

The Word of God went to the wilderness where the winds howl, souls are parched, and hurts are yet unhealed.  Through John, God spoke the Word to where God was needed so lives could be transformed.

We may think that John the Baptist was an unlikely messenger of God's kingdom about to break in.  But is he any more unlikely than a messiah who didn't arrive from the top or at the top, but instead arrived at the bottom; born to a common poor peasant couple; who's ministry culminated in death on a cross; who's followers had the audacity to declared that he rose from death, and that your sins and mine have been forgiven through him; that life's deepest purpose and most intimate connection with God is found in Him?

“All flesh shall see the salvation of God,” preached John.  That’s the ancient promise during these days of Advent.  I believe we shall see the salvation of God, as long as we pass by and encounter John the Baptist on the way to the manger.