Sermon Tone Analysis

Title

Left Foot, Right Foot

Outline

Someone pointed out to a friend of mine that the Church would change emphases three to four times in his adult life

That person attributed it to a change of Popes, but more of a left foot - right foot change in emphasis or, to change the metaphor, a good news - bad news, like a doctor saying, “You will be able to walk well again in a few weeks, but the pain of that knee replacement will be horrific.”

Yet either metaphor is a moving forward, a moving forward to something good.

Look at Isaiah

He has been disaster and exile, which is assumed in “the ransomed of the LORD shall return.”

But in this chapter he talks about the results of the fire of purification: “They will see the glory of the Lord,” “Strengthen the hands that are feeble,” “Say to the fearful of heart: Be strong . . .

Here is your God,” and “the ransomed shall return . . .

they will meet joy and gladness.”

Yet Isaiah is talking about events separated by a minimum of 70 years and in the fullest sense pointing to the eschaton, so the vision of the future will take work to hold onto.

Look at Jesus

He had led a life of ritual purity and obedience to God, he had proclaimed repentance in preparation for Jesus, but now he is in prison and wonders if Jesus is really the Messiah.

Jesus tells the messengers and oblique “Yes.”

“Look at what you see - the healings, the resurrections, and “the poor have good news preached to them.”

Then he adds something like, “I know it is not what you imagined, but it is the real deal:” “Blessed is he who takes no offense at me.”

And he does not tell John that both John and he will be executed long before the full restoration comes, but that it will be worldwide.

Then Jesus praises John: John was not part of the Herodian house (a reed being its symbol) nor in his retinue, but he was great, a prophet, the greatest of those “born of women,” “Elijah who is to come.”

But in case people got their hopes up too much he adds, “he who is least in the kingdom of heaven (the person of full commitment to Jesus) is greater than he” and “the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and men of violence take it by force.”

John is only penultimate and there are times of violence coming.

So what does this mean for us?

Listen to James

There is a “coming of the Lord” and it is “at hand” for “the Judge is standing at the doors.”

That is hope and joy, our goal.

But he also says: “Be patient” (twice), follow the example of suffering and patience of the prophets, and think about Job.

That is the other foot; it is not good news in our ears.

One example of patience is “Do not grumble against one another” for the Judge is coming - do not grumble that you may not be judged.

And remember, you are not the Judge.

Friends, there is hope, there is joy, there is fulfillment, but it may well be in inner communion with “the Lord” in this life and its full experience only in the resurrection.

Yet he is always “at the door,” for we do not know when we will die - and that is hope.

That means we have finished our course, our purification.

Yet we will only attain this joy if we patiently endure the suffering of this life, letting it make us one with Jesus, as John the Baptist did.

So let us stop grumbling about others - we are not the Judge - and start working on identifying our suffering with Jesus and developing the patient endurance we see in Job and the prophets, for then we will be “the least in the Kingdom of Heaven” and therefore even “greater than John.”

Readings

FIRST READING

Isaiah 35:1–6a, 10

1 The wilderness and the parched land will exult;

the Arabah will rejoice and bloom;

2 Like the crocus it shall bloom abundantly,

and rejoice with joyful song.

The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,

the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;

They will see the glory of the LORD,

the splendor of our God.

3 Strengthen hands that are feeble,

make firm knees that are weak,

4 Say to the fearful of heart:

Be strong, do not fear!

Here is your God,

he comes with vindication;

With divine recompense

he comes to save you.

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall see,

and the ears of the deaf be opened;

6 Then the lame shall leap like a stag,

and the mute tongue sing for joy.

For waters will burst forth in the wilderness,

and streams in the Arabah.

10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,

and enter Zion singing,

crowned with everlasting joy;

They meet with joy and gladness,

sorrow and mourning flee away.

RESPONSE

Option A

Isaiah 35:4

4 Say to the fearful of heart:

Be strong, do not fear!

Here is your God,

he comes with vindication;

With divine recompense

he comes to save you.

OR

Option B

Text

PSALM

Psalm 146:6–10

6 The maker of heaven and earth,

the seas and all that is in them,

Who keeps faith forever,

7 secures justice for the oppressed,

who gives bread to the hungry.

The LORD sets prisoners free;

8 the LORD gives sight to the blind.

The LORD raises up those who are bowed down;

the LORD loves the righteous.

9 The LORD protects the resident alien,

comes to the aid of the orphan and the widow,

but thwarts the way of the wicked.

10 The LORD shall reign forever,

your God, Zion, through all generations!

Hallelujah!

SECOND READING

James 5:7–10

7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.

See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.

8 You too must be patient.

Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not complain, brothers, about one another, that you may not be judged.

Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.