“What Then Should We Do”
In Luke, John the Baptist calls the people to a major, radical change. It is not just changing one little thing – it is sweeping change. He says, “Bear fruit worthy of repentance!” He calls his listeners to something involving a fundamental change of heart, mind – and behavior. Real repentance, for John, brings about good things – in lives patterned after the God in Zephaniah who “saves the lame, gathers the outcast, and transforms shame into praise.” Then he says… every tree that does not bear this kind of fruit will be “cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Bearing fruit is the joy I think Zephaniah refers to. However his is a different image of joy than we are used to. It’s a picture disconnected from the symbols of status and success we are used to and removed from the idea of piling up a lot of stuff for ourselves– even though they can be good things. Giving and receiving gifts can be good and money can provide peace and stability, blessing and fulfillment to our lives and the lives of others. But that’s not joy … at least not joy found in Zephaniah and other parts of the Bible.
Zephaniah reminded the children of Israel of their need to turn away from their earthly “gods,” the ‘things’ they’ve devoted their lives to and the signs of success they’ve been striving for. If you don’t, he says, you will regret it. Does that sound sort of familiar? A lot like what John the Baptist was saying, right? “Bear fruit worthy of repentance or… be cut down.” Like those who first heard his warning, I am thinking, repent – fire, repent – fire, repent it is, but “What then should we do?” What is it all of us are to do?
John’s answer is pretty simple. He says, 1) “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Yet it is not really so simple. I have more than one coat in the closet – in fact, I have more than one closet. So, do I drop off to Goodwill the coat I seldom use any more, and the one I don’t really like so much? Is that what John means? Or do I drop off one of my “good coats”- the ones I really like and wear most of the time or the one the kids gave me for Christmas last year?” What did John mean anyway?
And then when he tells us to take no more than what is “necesssary” and to be “satisfied” with what we have received – it makes you want to just throw up your hands and say, “It’s too hard, John! I can’t do it!” And the John says (like Jillian and Bob on The Biggest Loser), “You are doing it! Right now.” This is what God intends for all of us. “So,” John says, “change if you must, but get to it!” This is the sweet fruit of repentance, the sweet promise of Advent, and the joy Zephaniah speaks of.
Zephaniah gives us a glimpse of a real, God-style joy. He talks about… a day when God no longer has to deal harshly with his people… a day when the judgment for pursuing phony joys is no longer held against those made right with God through the grace of God… a day when the Lord in the midst of the people will take away all their fears… a day when people’s shame will be transformed into shouts of praise because the things of their past that separated them from God, will have been dealt with by God.
Zephaniah’s joy doesn’t come from storing up a lot of money or being successful – temporary pleasures that come and go making us feel good only for a while – but rather from the fact God has found joy in us! Real joy, Zephaniah would say, comes from knowing without a doubt that “The Lord your God is with you.” It comes from knowing that God himself delights in you and that “he will rejoice over you.” This is the joy of the Advent candle we light today a joy essential to the celebration of Jesus’ birth.
It is essential because in the arrival of the Christ child, God tells us that those Zephaniah-style “joy days” have come! In Jesus’ birth, the Lord has come into our midst, and our greatest shame is now forgiven. That is our reason to be joyful – to celebrate today! Proclaiming Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, the angel makes it clear there’s just one symbol, one sure sign, of joy: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11, NIV).
Except for Jesus, all the joys of life will someday be gone, destroyed or simply disappear. The money will run out, the kids will stop calling as often as we would like and our health will begin to fail. But when we are connected and close to Christ, the life God gives us – a life patterned after Jesus’ – lasts forever. The peace that comes from our connectedness to God surpasses all understanding and the gifts God offers — forgiveness and grace —never gets old. So, what then should we do?
To celebrate Christmas right, it is important to remember that the spending and the giving at this time of year, or the endless activities, aren’t themselves a means to or a sign of our joy. Rather, they’re the things we get to do that can make a real difference in the lives of others because we live a life patterned after God. Because of the forgiving work of Jesus Christ, our hearts can be full of Zephaniah’s real joy. That is good news!
As followers of Christ, what makes us different isn’t so much what we do, it’s where we find our joy in doing it. We work hard to provide for our families – like other’s do. We love our children – like other’s do. We give great gifts – like other’s do. We throw great parties and sing all our favorite songs – like other’s do. Yet when we have “turned back” and are really connected to God, we do it not for ourselves or for our own joy, but for God’s. We work, we love, we give, we sing and we play to the glory of God and in our shared joy from Jesus. That’s who we are.
Zephaniah tells us the Lord is in our midst - and that too is reason to celebrate. On this third Sunday in Advent, we can rejoice. We can retell the story of God’s incarnation, the birth of the baby Jesus, and the coming of the Lord into our world for others to hear and understand. This is the Christmas story.
An eleven year old boy understood the importance of the story when he wrote this letter: Dear Santa: Please do not come to my house this Christmas. The people in Africa are in famine, torn by war. Most of all their prosperity and future is lost. They need the gift of food, the gift of hope, the gift of peace, the gift of love. This is written in an extreme tone of urgency--quick help them before it is too late. Sincerely, James.
The Christmas story is about God’s great love for us. Here is a younger child’s view of love during this holiday season: “Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.” Perhaps we too will be able to stop for a while and listen.
Let’s joyfully keep telling the Christmas story to a world that desperately needs to hear. This Christmas may we be a people who sing with Zephaniah because our real joy, Jesus Christ, has arrived and lives among us. Amen.
