Advent 2A

It’s never on the lists of “all-time great movies,” but one of my favorite movies is Uncle Buck. It actually came out 30 years ago, but it really is fantastic.

If you haven’t seen it, the movie is about a couple, Bob and Cindy Russell, and their 3 children who are 15, 8, and 6. Bob and Cindy suddenly has to leave town because of a medical emergency with their parents. They can not take their kids with them, but they can’t find anyone to stay with them. In desperation, they’re forced to turn to the husband’s brother. They try desperately to find any other option because his brother, Buck, is not someone you’d entrust your kids to.

The basic premise of the movie is that a couple suddenly

Buck is unemployed. He lives in a small apartment in Chicago, drinks, smokes cigars, and earns his living by betting on rigged horse races. He drives a dilapidated 1977 Mercury Marquis Brougham Coupe that pours smoke and backfires. ...Buck and [his girlfriend] Chanice have been together for eight years; she wants to get married and start a family, and Buck has grudgingly accepted a new job at [the tire] shop [that she owns. In fact, when Buck calls Chanice to tell her that he can’t start the new job yet because he needs to stay with his nieces and nephew,] Chanice thinks Buck is trying, as usual, to lie his way out of working. (Wikipedia)

It certainly doesn’t go smoothly. It gets pretty interesting along the way. (For example, this is the movie with the scene where Buck is making an enormous pancake and using a snow shovel to flip it.) By the end of the movie, not only are the kids perfectly safe, the 15 year old daughter is saved from an abusive boyfriend and is even reconciled to her mother. (Now, I only have boys, but from what I understand, that last part, especially, is an amazing achievement.) Buck is not someone who should be entrusted with the care of children. He is the last one you’d want for this job. And yet he proves to be exactly what the family needs.

That’s why I bring him up today. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, our attention turns to John the Baptizer. He is the one that our first hymn was about— “‘Comfort, comfort ye my people. Speak ye peace,’ Thus saith our God. ‘Comfort those who sit in darkness, mourning ‘neath their sorrow’s load....’” And yet John the Baptizer seems like the last person you’d want fort this job. And yet he proves to be exactly what we need to prepare us for Christ’s coming.

Think about it for a second. Let’s say that you were casting for a movie and you were designing a character who was supposed to be a comforting figure in your story. Would you pick someone as weird as John the Baptizer— living in the wilderness, wearing a garment of camel’s hair with a leather belt, and eating locusts and wild honey? Would this comforting character greet people with “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” Is this the voice of comfort, calling for repentance, declaring that, “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees;” that, “Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire;” that, “He who is coming after me… will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire”? He would seem to be an even worse choice as a comforter than Uncle Buck was for a babysitter.

He would

So what’s going on here?

John the Baptizer certainly calls for repentance. There’s no question about it. But why? Why is repentance necessary? Think back to the way that his message is summed up in verse 2: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” That phrase doesn’t ring in our ears the way it could— perhaps even the way it should. What is this kingdom that he’s declaring is at hand? You heard it in our Old Testament reading, “6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. 9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (). Or, as we heard last week, “4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” ().

6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,

and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;

and a little child shall lead them.

7 The cow and the bear shall graze;

their young shall lie down together;

and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,

and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.

9 They shall not hurt or destroy

in all my holy mountain;

for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

English Standard Version Chapter 11

6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,

and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;

and a little child shall lead them.

7 The cow and the bear shall graze;

their young shall lie down together;

and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,

and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.

9 They shall not hurt or destroy

in all my holy mountain;

for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD

as the waters cover the sea.

10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

Or, as we heard last week, “4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” ().

4 He shall judge between the nations,

and shall decide disputes for many peoples;

and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war anymore.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

4 He shall judge between the nations,

and shall decide disputes for many peoples;

and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war anymore.

Those words resonate in our ears and our hearts a little bit more. That’s more like the comforting character that we would draw up. That is the kingdom of heaven. That is the comfort that John brings: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. That news is so joyful that the voice cries out for every barrier to be removed that would stand in the way of it coming to pass.

That news is so joyful that the voice cries out for every barrier to be removed that would stand in the way of it coming to pass.

That is the kingdom of heaven. That is the comfort that John brings: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. That news is so joyful that the voice cries out for every barrier to be removed that would stand in the way of it coming to pass.

And what stands between us and that world? In a word: Us. That’s why the message of the coming of that kingdom is, by definition, a call to repentance.

That’s why John

In this world, the lamb cannot dwell with the wolf. The leopard does not lie down with the young goat. The lion certainly does not eat straw like an ox. It is because you and I have chosen to hurt and destroy. Ever since the first sin of Adam and Eve, this world has been subjected to futility, as Paul puts it (). The wolf is no more pleased with this arrangement than the lamb or the leopard or the goat or the lion. They all yearn for that day, too. “The whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now” ().

“And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor...” (). That certainly condemns you and me, by comparison, doesn’t it? It’s exactly the opposite of social media; the opposite of what you and I do naturally. We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, slander him, betray him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything. Instead You judge by the half truths that you see— pictures or video clips taken out of context— or the rumors that you hear, always deciding the worst based on a few facts without any context. It’s the arrogant who claim fame and fortune, not the meek. The knowledge and fear of the Lord are hardly a priority, let alone our delight. There is little righteousness to be found in our judgments. As James warns, you and I have “become judges with evil thoughts” (James 2:4).

And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,You judge by the half truths that you see or the rumors that you hear, always deciding the worst. You give greater honor and influence to the rich. It’s the arrogant who claim the limelight, not the meek. The knowledge and fear of the Lord are hardly a priority, let alone our delight. There is little righteousness to be found in your judgments. As James warns, you and I have “become judges with evil thoughts” ().

And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,You judge by the half truths that you see or the rumors that you hear, always deciding the worst. You give greater honor and influence to the rich. It’s the arrogant who claim the limelight, not the meek. The knowledge and fear of the Lord are hardly a priority, let alone our delight. There is little righteousness to be found in your judgments. As James warns, you and I have “become judges with evil thoughts” ().

What stands between us and the kingdom of heaven? You do. I do. That’s why the message of the coming of the kingdom is a call to repentance.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, John the Baptizer is not the comforter you or I would have chosen. But he proves to be exactly what you needed.

The kingdom of heaven is coming. Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

This is what gnaws at me the most with regard to the debate about homosexuality. We rightly stand on what the Bible says— that it is not how God created any of us, it is a twisting of what God created us to be. And we expect that, to be included in the church, they must fight that sinful desire rather than simply giving in to it. So far so good. Here’s the part that gnaws at me: are we operating with a double standard? Do you expect the same from young people who are living together before they’re married? Do you expect the same from dishonest businessmen? Do you expect the same from drunks, from those who gossip, from those who are disrespectful to our earthly rulers? Do you expect that, to be included in the church, they must fight that sinful desire rather than simply giving in to it?

Do you expect the same from yourself?

Can we at least pretend that sin is something to be avoided?

Do you expect the same from yourself?

Brothers and sisters in Christ: Repent! “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (). As James warns, you and I have “become judges with evil thoughts” (). The One that John Baptizer is preparing the way for is coming to “strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins” (). He will “clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire” ().

he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Christ will, in fact, bring the kingdom of heaven. And He came to bring the kingdom to you.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Repent! Examine yourself closely and honestly. Confess your sins and remove every barrier that would stand between you and the kingdom of heaven coming to you. He does judge in perfect righteousness. Righteousness is the belt of his waist. As the psalmist wrote, “ 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” Thankfully the psalmist didn’t end there. He then continues,“4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared” (). If you want to be technical about it, God does, in fact, mark iniquities. He marks each and every one to ensure that they were all paid for on the cross. He, the only truly Righteous One, chose to take the place of the guilty. “21 For [y]our sake [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him [you] might become the righteousness of God” ().

3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

4 But with you there is forgiveness,

Faithfulness is the belt of his loins. And, “ 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” ().

that you may be feared.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

English Standard Version Chapter 11

and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,

and faithfulness the belt of his loins.

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

He does judge in perfect righteousness. Righteousness is the belt of his waist. As the psalmist wrote, “ 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” Thankfully the psalmist didn’t end there. He then continues,“4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared” (). Faithfulness is the belt of his loins. And, “ 9 If [you] confess [y]our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive [you] [y]our sins and to cleanse [you] from all unrighteousness” (). He is faithful to do it because your sins are, in fact, paid for. If you want to be technical about it, God does, in fact, mark iniquities. He marks each and every one to ensure that they were all paid for on the cross. The truly Innocent One chose to take the place of the guilty. “21 For [y]our sake [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him [you] might become the righteousness of God” ().

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Faithfulness is the belt of his loins. And, “ 9 If [you] confess [y]our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive [you] [y]our sins and to cleanse [you] from all unrighteousness” (). He is faithful to do it because your sins are, in fact, paid for. In Christ, that is now the only just and righteous verdict that He can speak over you.

). He is faithful to do it because your sins are, in fact, paid for.

Yes, this creation is subjected to frustration. “ 19 [T]he creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God” (). When you were brought to the waters of baptism, that’s what happened— another son of God was revealed as your sinful nature was buried with Christ and a new man was raised. He has baptized you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. The towering mountains of our stony hearts are brought low and the humble are raised up so that the kingdom of heaven may come to you.

19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

As dark as this world is, the kingdom of heaven is here. It’s present where God’s grace in Jesus Christ is preached unto repentance and faith in Jesus Christ— as He continues to gather His wheat into His barns. And this dark world is even able to see a glimmer of that beautiful kingdom in you. They see it in you as you strive to bear fruit in keeping with repentance— striving to live holy lives as children of God. As Luther is quoted as saying, Jesus has taken your sins. Stop trying to take them back. That is not who you are any longer. They see it in you as you go out into the world like sheep among the wolves, confident that the little child who is leading you is Jesus Christ, Himself. No, you’ll never reach perfection in this life, but you can demonstrate the grace of God at work in you.

as Luther is quoted as saying, Jesus has taken your sins. Stop trying to take them back. That is not who you are any longer.

bearing the fruit of repentance....

No, we wouldn’t have chosen someone like John the Baptizer as the voice of comfort. But, still today, he is the voice calling out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” He is exactly what you and I need to prepare us for Christ’s coming.

as Luther is quoted as saying, Jesus has taken your sins. Stop trying to take them back. That is not who you are any longer.

Related Media

Related Sermons