Service Type: Sunday

Bible Text: Luke 2:1-20 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

I’m sure you all have your favourite Christmas Special. I listened to a podcast about why, even as adults, we make an effort to watch these specials, year after year. One commentator supposed that we revisit them each year “because of nostalgia and tradition. It becomes part of our fabric. It speaks to a yearning of what Christmas is supposed to be.” I have numerous favourites, from ones involving Muppets to the classic Grinch but I think my two favourites are Mr. Bean’s Christmas and Charlie Brown’s Christmas, and I think they are my favourites for the same reason. They both display an honesty about Christmas that is not totally sweet or hokey or fake or romantic. Charlie Brown, of course searches for the true meaning of Christmas and at every corner seems to disappoint his peers, including the purchase of an infamously sad looking tree.  Mr. Bean, played by Rowan Atkinson does things that many might call lonely- he writes Christmas cards and then in the next scene we see him popping the cards into his own mail slot. There’s a scene in Mr. Bean’s Christmas where he is in a shop and he turns to the window display and sees a nativity set. He then persists in playing with the characters until there’s all kinds of chaos including a dinosaur (watch it??). You see, the thing is- he’s right. It was chaotic, maybe not with robots and the military guard, but certainly with the anxiety involved in birthing your first born child. And who can forget Linus’ speech in which he quotes from the King James Version of our passage in Luke. It is only after hearing about how angels spread the Good News to the shepherds that Charlie Brown’s peers understand what Christmas is all about.

It has become so familiar to us that we maybe don’t realize how breathtaking a story this is. Luke begins by saying, “In those days.” While some might compare it to the statement, “Once Upon A Time..”,  this is really about a notice, and heralding to the community to collect their memories, experiences and hopes because this Galilean scene in amongst Rome and Jerusalem- the religious centre for the Jews and the civic centre for the gentiles- something huge is about to take place. It is during a time of political unrest, and a census no less. It is going to be chaotic, messy, ridiculous, frightening, and maybe a bit lonely. Mary and Joseph, after all will be exposed to the elements as they bring this child into the world. Historically when the words, “in those days” were used it was for the announcement of a great one’s birth, but it was not found within the pages of books. Rather it was announced by the Governor or Emperor. It’s like imagining the town crier saying, “Hear ye, Hear ye, a descendant of the king has been born.” But instead of elected officials making this announcement in Jesus’ birth it is brought on by shepherds.

I said it in passing but we would do well to remember that Jesus is Mary and Joseph’s first child. This may seem obvious but it was important enough for Luke to make mention of it.   This is important because it reminds the first century readers, and us, that Jesus is now entitled to the first son’s birthright- which in this case is a member of the house of David. While it is the angels who state “Glory to God!”, it is that one word, firstborn, that brings to mind the fact that Jesus is the descendant of David that everyone has been waiting for.

Not only have the people of Israel waited for this descendant, but so has all of creation. Theologian Joy Moore states, “Comparisons to the universal and cosmic responses to Jesus’ birth by angels and shepherds signal that redemption is not merely for one ethnic group but for all creation… Luke[‘s Gospel] tells us that God shows up in the ordinary and the heaven’s respond in a chorus of awe.” Luke uses all the right language to get the readers to understand that something great has happened, and yet it still happens in a stable, it still spreads to lowly shepherds, it takes decades for people to understand why this is good news, and I would argue it is still taking centuries. Glory to God! For God is with us; and yet how many people even realize it. I think that this is the challenge that some classic Christmas specials face. We are drawn into all kinds of traditions, myths and desires at this time of year, and yet the true story of Christmas was chaotic, challenging and even lonely. When God is among us, is with us, it doesn’t mean that the loneliness will cease, or that sadness will disappear. When we say God with us it doesn’t mean God for us. Rather it means that the presence of God is with us in our loneliness, in our sadness, in our chaos, in our challenges. And that is the good news- it is not just for an elite few, or for one particular segment of society, but it is for all. Merry Christmas indeed.  Amen.

Bible Text: Isaiah 7:10-16, Matthew 1:18-25 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Gervase Phinn was a school inspector in North Yorkshire. As a result he attended many nativity plays back in the day and it inspired him to produce a book that calls to mind some of the innocence, hilarity and out right strange things that children say or do when acting out this holy story. For example he writes, “At the conclusion of one Nativity play, Mary and Joseph sat at the centre of a colourful tableau of kings, shepherds and animals. A group of little angels in white crepe paper and cardboard headbands with silver stars on the front stood on a raised platform at the back. As the teacher at the piano struck up with the introduction to “Away in a Manger” Mary rocked Baby Jesus [who was] a large pink doll with frizzy hair and eyes which opened and closed and the doll [was] of the talking variety. It started to cry and asked for its nappy to be changed. Mary shook it forcefully to quiet it which only resulted in the doll repeatedly crying and demanding to be changed. Mary in desperation pushed the doll roughly into Joseph’s hands. “You have him,” she said. “He won’t shut up!” The small boy playing Joseph looked at a loss at what to do as the doll continued to cry and demand to be changed. He shook the doll so forcefully that the head became detached from the body and bounced down the stage just as the angels got to the line in the carol, “The Little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head.””
The story of Jesus’ birth is often played out in such an innocent way that we sometimes forget the true challenges that faced this young couple. We also tend to forget that this story really is about children. While we don’t know exactly the ages of Mary and Joseph we can presume based on the predominant culture that Mary at least was not very old. We also have to understand that within the Jewish traditions of marriage at the time there were three important steps- and this is what I alluded to in the introduction to Scripture. There was the engagement which would normally take place when the couple were still young children. In fact, the minute that Mary was born it was quite possible that an agreement was made between her parents and Joseph’s. Or it might have happened as they grew up together in Nazareth. Then as they grew into young adults there would come the time for the betrothal which was usually about a year. Throughout this one year the couple is known as husband and wife but they do not yet have marital rights or duties. Meaning that they would state their intent on getting married but would not have any marital relations. It is at this time, after the engagement and before the betrothal, that if either one of them were unwilling to get married they could back out- however, for a betrothal to end it requires the couple to either get married or go through divorce proceedings. This is why it says that Joseph planned to divorce Mary- despite the fact that they were not officially married yet. The final step, the marriage, is the time when the couple would see their engagement and betrothal vows being completed. It is important and relevant that Joseph heard the news that Mary was pregnant while they were betrothed and about to be married.
The pregnancy, of course, catches Joseph off guard- it would also have been an offence punishable by death. According to Deut. 22, “If there is a young woman, a virgin already engaged to be married, and a man meets her in the town and lies with her, you shall bring both of them to the gate of the town and stone them to death.” Mary could very well have be tried publicly and executed. But Joseph does not want that kind of scandal or blood on his hands and he resolves to end it quietly with a divorce.
This past weekend we had a church filled with beautiful, diverse, and peaceful displays of the birth story of Jesus and I am in awe of all those who worked together to provide this gift to the community. There were elaborate ones with intricate detail, simple ones with just a hint of flare, colourful ones, monotone ones, all kinds and most displayed a serenity for both Mary and Joseph and a sleeping baby. There was one, the one that was featured in the Record, that really spoke to me. It came from Peru and Mary, Joseph and Jesus are sitting on top of a crowded bus, you probably saw it. Of course they are sitting on the bus because there is no room inside it. While it is not a typical scene it might be closer to the truth. It is a sweet little display but what one can only imagine is the smell of all those bodies, noise from all the chaos, the sight of all the people and remember that this is not a cute little story but a story of surprise, pain, fear, and challenge.
It is at this moment when Joseph plans on divorcing Mary that an angel appears and states that Mary’s pregnancy is not the work of infidelities but the Holy Spirit. We didn’t read it but in the verses before our passage it is simply a loooong list of names. These names are arranged into sets of 14, which being a multiple of seven, means they are demonstrating something important. The entire genealogy is shared to demonstrate Joseph comes from David’s line and that Jesus is a pretty important person. In fact, this isn’t a new concept there were many royal lines within the ancient world that would use this tactic of listing all the relatives when wanting to claim that their king was an important person. By the way, there are 32 other stories within various religious traditions that talk about a virgin giving birth, including the Egyptian god Horus, the Hindu god Krishna, even one of the Aztec gods has a virgin birth story. So, there’s a part of me that thinks the virginity of Mary is not what is in question but rather the response from Joseph and the vision of the angel.
We don’t really spend much time on Joseph throughout the Gospels. He’s not at the wedding when Jesus first performs a miracle and he’s not even mentioned during Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. However, Joseph is a model for all of us- all of us who encounter this story of Jesus being born to save us. Theologian Ron Allen says, “ Joseph was face to face with an unlikely manifestation of the Realm of God. Matthew wants those who encounter this message and this movement to do as Joseph did: To believe the message is of God and to become part of its movement.” Jesus’ birth is remarkable because in the midst of this fear, surprise, pain and challenge he is also GOD WITH US.
When Isaiah shared his oracle with King Ahaz he did so to reassure him that despite this major threat that God intended on being with them. While there was much fear and anxiety about the Assyrian power and coming oppression, the name Emmanuel- God with us- signalled that the community could survive this, that they would live through this massive change and challenge and would be able to believe that God was with them.
Joseph’s story is this same story only on an individual’s level. The holy family is part of the crowd- in fact they are pushed to the fringes ending up in a stable or on top of a bus. What if, Jesus never stopped crying? This is about two young adults facing the challenges of raising children. As with any baby it can seem like the challenges will never stop, that chaos reigns, but the story of Jesus’ birth- of this one miracle in amongst the chaos- reminds us to remain faithful even in the face of challenge because God reigns and God is with us. Amen

Bible Text: Isaiah 7:10-16, Matthew 1:18-25 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Gervase Phinn was a school inspector in North Yorkshire. As a result he attended many nativity plays back in the day and it inspired him to produce a book that calls to mind some of the innocence, hilarity and out right strange things that children say or do when acting out this holy story. For example he writes, “At the conclusion of one Nativity play, Mary and Joseph sat at the  centre of a colourful tableau of kings, shepherds and animals. A group of little angels in white crepe paper and cardboard headbands with silver stars on the front stood on a raised platform at the back. As the teacher at the piano struck up with the introduction to “Away in a Manger” Mary rocked Baby Jesus [who was] a large pink doll with frizzy hair and eyes which opened and closed and the doll [was] of the talking variety. It started to cry and asked for its nappy to be changed. Mary shook it forcefully to quiet it which only resulted in the doll repeatedly crying and demanding to be changed. Mary in desperation pushed the doll roughly into Joseph’s hands. “You have him,” she said. “He won’t shut up!” The small boy playing Joseph looked at a loss at what to do as the doll continued to cry and demand to be changed. He shook the doll so forcefully that the head became detached from the body and bounced down the stage just as the angels got to the line in the carol, “The Little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head.””

The story of Jesus’ birth is often played out in such an innocent way that we sometimes forget the true challenges that faced this young couple. We also tend to forget that this story really is about children.  While we don’t know exactly the ages of Mary and Joseph we can presume based on the predominant culture that Mary at least was not very old. We also have to understand that within the Jewish traditions of marriage at the time there were three important steps- and this is what I alluded to in the introduction to Scripture. There was the engagement which would normally take place when the couple were still young children. In fact, the minute that Mary was born it was quite possible that an agreement was made between her parents and Joseph’s. Or it might have happened as they grew up together in Nazareth. Then as they grew into young adults there would come the time for the betrothal which was usually about a year. Throughout this one year the couple is known as husband and wife but they do not yet have marital rights or duties. Meaning that they would state their intent on getting married but would not have any marital relations. It is at this time, after the engagement and before the betrothal, that if either one of them were unwilling to get married they could back out- however, for a betrothal to end it requires the couple to either get married or go through divorce proceedings. This is why it says that Joseph planned to divorce Mary- despite the fact that they were not officially married yet. The final step, the marriage, is the time when the couple would see their engagement and betrothal vows being completed. It is important and relevant that Joseph heard the news that Mary was pregnant while they were betrothed and about to be married.

The pregnancy, of course, catches Joseph off guard- it would also have been an offence punishable by death. According to Deut. 22, “If there is a young woman, a virgin already engaged to be married, and a man meets her in the town and lies with her, you shall bring both of them to the gate of the town and stone them to death.” Mary could very well have be tried publicly and executed. But Joseph does not want that kind of scandal or blood on his hands and he resolves to end it quietly with a divorce.

This past weekend we had a church filled with beautiful, diverse, and peaceful displays of the birth story of Jesus and I am in awe of all those who worked together to provide this gift to the community.  There were elaborate ones with intricate detail, simple ones with just a hint of flare, colourful ones, monotone ones, all kinds and most displayed a serenity for both Mary and Joseph and a sleeping baby. There was one, the one that was featured in the Record, that really spoke to me. It came from Peru and Mary, Joseph and Jesus are sitting on top of a crowded bus, you probably saw it. Of course they are sitting on the bus because there is no room inside it. While it is not a typical scene it might be closer to the truth. It is a sweet little display but what one can only imagine is the smell of all those bodies, noise from all the chaos, the sight of all the people and remember that this is not a cute little story but a story of surprise, pain, fear, and challenge.

It is at this moment when Joseph plans on divorcing Mary  that an angel appears and states that Mary’s pregnancy is not the work of infidelities but the Holy Spirit. We didn’t read it but in the verses before our passage it is simply a loooong list of names. These names are arranged into sets of 14, which being a multiple of seven, means they are demonstrating something important. The entire genealogy is shared to demonstrate Joseph comes from David’s line and that Jesus is a pretty important person. In fact, this isn’t a new concept there were many royal lines within the ancient world that would use this tactic of listing all the relatives when wanting to claim that their king was an important person. By the way,  there are 32 other stories within various religious traditions that talk about a virgin giving birth, including the Egyptian god Horus, the Hindu god Krishna, even one of the Aztec gods has a virgin birth story. So, there’s a part of me that thinks the virginity of Mary is not what is in question but rather the response from Joseph and the vision of the angel.

We don’t really spend much time on Joseph throughout the Gospels. He’s not at the wedding when Jesus first performs a miracle and he’s not even mentioned during Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. However, Joseph is a model for all of us- all of us who encounter this story of Jesus being born to save us. Theologian Ron Allen says, “ Joseph was face to face with an unlikely manifestation of the Realm of God. Matthew wants those who encounter this message and this movement to do as Joseph did: To believe the message is of God and to become part of its movement.” Jesus’ birth is remarkable because in the midst of this fear, surprise, pain and challenge he is also GOD WITH US.

When Isaiah shared his oracle with King Ahaz he did so to reassure him that despite this major threat that God intended on being with them. While there was much fear and anxiety about  the Assyrian power and coming oppression, the name Emmanuel- God with us- signalled that the community could survive this, that they would live through this massive change and challenge and would be able to believe that God was with them.

Joseph’s story is this same story only on an individual’s level. The holy family is part of the crowd- in fact they are pushed to the fringes ending up in a stable or on top of a bus.  What if, Jesus never stopped crying? This is about two young adults facing the challenges of raising children. As with any baby it can seem like the challenges will never stop, that chaos reigns, but the story of Jesus’ birth- of this one miracle in amongst the chaos- reminds us to remain faithful even in the face of challenge because God reigns and God is with us. Amen

 

 

Bible Text: Isaiah 35:1-10, Matthew 11:2-11 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

We have all received or given one of those gifts. A gift that displays a lot of thought but isn’t what you had asked for. I know I have given those gifts. I remember one of the first gifts I ever bought my mother. She had asked for a 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup. You see she had a 2 cup and an 8 cup but had broken her 4 cup.  I was maybe about 10 years old. I was so proud of myself that I managed to go to the store without the assistance of my father and knew what brand Pyrex was and picked up the awfully heavy measuring cup. I could not wait for my mother to open it. On Christmas day she opened it, smiled and used that measuring cup in her baking for years. It was not until a few years later that I realized she had two 8 cup measuring cups. It’s also sometimes awkward to be the one who receives that gift. Mike and I have a deal that if he is going to get me jewelry that it must come from a thrift shop or fundraiser. Apparently a friend of ours had pointed at a necklace at the St. Andrew’s Christmas Bazaar and said, “Ohhh, Jenn would love these pearls.” They were raw “pearls” spray painted gold. It basically looked like I was wearing a necklace of gold teeth, roots included. It took me a couple of weeks to admit I was never going to wear that necklace.  We all have those stories of receiving or giving a gift that was a little less than expected. But imagine if that gift was something you had been waiting for your whole life, imagine if it was a gift that generations had talked about, imagine if you were told that the gift had arrived- only to discover that the gift was nothing like you had expected. The messiah, Jesus, was not at all as the people had expected and today in Matthew’s Gospel, we hear even John questioning.

The prophecies in Isaiah that we have heard the last few weeks both help and hinder this same thought. The words from Isaiah 35 were originally spoken to the people of Judah who were mourning the loss of their land and temple. The lives of the Israelites had not turned out the way they had expected. Here they have this deeply rooted history about how God had brought them out of Egypt, to this land of milk and honey. The land was a symbol of the covenant that God had made with them and the temple was a symbol of God’s presence among them. To have the temple destroyed and them taken out of their land was totally unexpected. They are overwhelmed with despair and weariness and Isaiah has to preach to them in amongst this pain. They feel the sorrow of exile in their very bodies. They have weak hands and feeble knees, they are afraid and yet Isaiah has to tell them to get up and move in the world. He has to tell them that, despite this major change in their life as a people, God has not and will not abandon them in their despair. “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God.” This sorrow will come to an end.

Isaiah continues to give them hope stating that “the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing!” They expected that someone would come and bring vengeance on the ones who had done this to them. Isaiah and many of the prophets declared that the Israelites would regain power through a mighty leader- who would overcome the oppressive powers-to lead them into victory. They all expected not only a true king but a military general. As a result when Jesus shows up and begins to demonstrate his messianic powers they are eliciting different reactions. John has just spent a good many years declaring that the Messiah is near- that the messiah will bring the spirit and fire and judgement. John finds himself in prison because of what he believes and then Jesus turns around and only subtly demonstrates the presence of the spirit, and certainly rearranges his understanding of judgement.

We find ourselves in a passage from Matthew in which the masses wonder, the Pharisees malevolently associate Jesus with the forces of evil and John the Baptizer has his misgivings; even he is beginning to doubt that Jesus really is this gift that they have all been waiting for. John believed and anticipated that Jesus would be a great separator, dividing the repentant from the sinners, separating the righteous from the unholy, casting out the oppressors and reinstating the Israelite lineage . John assumed that Jesus’ judgement would include violence. We heard it last week when  John said that Jesus’, “winnowing fork is in his hand and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Therefore John is struggling to reconcile what he said would happen with the subsequent “works of the Messiah.” Things are not turning out as he had expected.

Luckily the words we hear from Isaiah also help Jesus’ case. Isaiah declared that restoration of all things would occur upon the arrival of God’s leader. That not only would the temple be restored and the people returned to their land, but the blind would see, the deaf would hear, the speechless would sing for joy.  Herman Waetjen reminds us, “The eyes of the blind will be opened, the eyes of the both spiritually and physically blind. The ears of those who hear but really do not hear and therefore do not understand will be unstopped. The psychologically crippled as well as the physically lame will leap into freedom like gazelles; and the tongue of the mute will be loosened to sing. These are the realities that Christmas anticipates. These are the very conditions that Jesus will begin to fulfil in his ministry. Opened eyes, hearing ears, and people in communication with each other will constitute a society of free people, who in community and communion will collaborate to achieve justice and equality of all its members.”  You know in our times, as we see friends and family have continued issues with their health- strong people becoming frail, intelligent people losing their memory- I can’t help but think we are experiencing some backward results. But in truth- the restoration that Jesus did was maybe not in our living but in our dying. That in God’s kingdom we are restored to who we were meant to be.

Jesus responds to John’s enquiry from prison by referring and demonstrating the works of healing and restoration. Jesus gives the list of things that have occurred thus far. There is no denying that Jesus does state that he will come to bring separation. In fact, just in the previous chapter Jesus stated that he did not come to cast peace but a sword, and that families will be torn apart and separated through him. But Jesus also points out that while separation and division belong to his messianic role they are not the priority, they in fact, are not the last step in Jesus ministry, but only the beginning. The last steps are reunion and restoration. Throughout the Gospel we hear the Good News that Jesus is the one to restore us and we see that in his healing ministry. Amen

Bible Text: Isaiah 11:1-10, Matthew 3:1-12 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

I recently watched a program on the anatomy of a Redwood Cedar tree. I know, it sounds boring, but I really found it fascinating. The Redwood tree in California is the tallest living thing on earth. In one year they can grow to be six feet tall. The trees are so tall and dense at the top that they have soil embedded in their tall branches that is called canopy soil and this soil can contain thousands of living species. But what I found most fascinating is that Redwoods, while capable of germinating through a cone, also reproduce by stump sprouting. This means  that the stump- even when the rest of the tree is cut down- remains alive. If a Redwood is felled- by wind, fire, lightening, or human hands, a ring of new growth sprouts from the burls around the base of the trunk. The tree develops these buds which remain dormant until they are needed- they only sprout when the tree is damaged.  The parent-tree’s roots are then incorporated into the sapling’s trunk. What amazes me is that this new life is ever present but quietly at rest until pain, or death of the tree top, springs these sprouts into action. While I don’t know that Redwoods are found in the Holy Land, I believe that Isaiah had the Redwood in mind when he said that a shoot would come out of the stump of Jesse and that a branch shall grow from his roots. In essence the Davidic line was fractured and struck down during exile and for the Israelite people that involved a lot of pain. But from this felled family tree, new sprouts of hope and peace will be established.

What makes the comment about a new sprout coming from a stump an interesting image is that it could apply consistently to the rise and fall and rebuilding of any empire or kingdom. But perhaps it wasn’t a kingdom that Isaiah was prophesying about. We often interpret the shoot sprouting from the stump of Jesse as Jesus- and there is nothing wrong with that- except that the following verses would then make it sound like Jesus had failed in his mission. But what Isaiah’s passage states and conversely what John’s words encourage is that the old must pass away in order for the new to begin.

When I said that if we use this passage from Isaiah as a future casting toward Jesus then we are setting up for failure, it  is because the person that Isaiah describes is a soldier- and Jesus wasn’t exactly a soldier. A soldier doesn’t usually need a strange voice from the wilderness to prepare others for his coming. But that in essence is what John does. John becomes this trumpet blast that tells people to get ready for the coming of someone great. Then, instead of getting on our knees, bowing before the royal entourage, John tells the people to repent.

I think we have all been in one of those situations where we are approached by a stranger and they say, “Repent!”, or we have seen the signs of some awkward, possibly delusional soul, who has a large handmade sign that says, “Repent!”  I’m not really a robust fire and brimstone preacher who stands here and says, “REPENT FOR THE END IS NEAR!” And so it might surprise you that I side with John on this one- that we must repent! The word repent has become a bad word among mainline, traditional churches, and it is one we don’t say all that often as a result. The Greek word is metanoeo and it literally means “to change one’s mind” or “to think differently”. To repent following an encounter with Christ is to change one’s purpose. The root of the word is to turn, to have a dramatic change or shift. It is not all that different from a new root shooting up from an old stump. To repent is to turn away from the old life of living in sin, without Jesus as one’s guide, aimless and therefore without deep purpose, to living a new life focused on the values and practices acceptable to the kingdom of God. When we accept Jesus as our guide we must repent, turn from our old life and live anew.

The challenge for many of us is that we never had that shift in our lives. We were born into a life of church and faith- many of us never had to change or turn from one life to another and therefore our repentance looks radically different than what is described in Matthew’s text. In fact, it looks so different that those from more “born again” roots judge us for not being real Christians, because we never had that transformational moment of giving up our old life for a new life in Christ. But you did all choose to be here this morning and so surely there was a small moment in your life when you choose to turn away from sleeping in to coming here. Repentance does not have to be some major religious experience or event; it just needs to be a choice to turn away from one thing, and live accepting another.

Isaiah’s passage then describes an incredible turn of events in the order of creation. Eugene Petersen’s The Message describes it as, “A living Knowledge of God. The wolf will romp with the lamb, the leopard sleep with the kid. Calf and lion will eat from the same trough, and a little child will tend them. Cow and bear will graze in the same pasture, and their calves and cubs will grow up together…The whole earth will be brimming with knowing God-Alive, a living knowledge of God.”

As we think of repentance this is quite the turn. Predators and prey that once destroyed each other, ate each other, attacked each other, will dwell in harmony. Michael Chan says, “Those carnivorous instincts are transformed, and the most vulnerable humans in society, like children are free to play with venomous snakes…violence effectively comes to an end and harmony ensues.” This is a big deal and a complete change to even the natural order of things.

Repentance is sometimes a change from the natural order; sometimes our sinful actions feel perfectly legitimate. I love to gossip- it even comes naturally to me. But in an effort to turn from the old and live in the new I have to work hard at not doing what comes naturally. I’m sure there are habits that we have all tried to break or change and turn around, but we know how difficult it is. Often, the best way to change is to stop surrounding yourself with the people or experiences that encourage said habit; instead we must immerse ourselves into a program or community that helps us change.

You know, immersion was a big part of John’s image of repentance as well, because right after he tells the people to repent, what does he do? He baptizes them in the river. They are immersed in water. Then John tells them that where he baptizes with water, Jesus will do so with the Holy Spirit and with fire. I know Pentecost Sunday was a while ago- but if you recall when the Holy Spirit shows up it is accompanied by tongues of fire. Through the spiritual baptism that took place at Pentecost, the apostles were then able to preach and proclaim the Gospel. The church was forever changed. And through the Holy Spirit we are given the strength to immerse ourselves in faith and repent.

Communion is our chance to repent as a community. It is an act that we do that is symbolic but is also meant to give us peace and demonstrate our willingness to choice Christ. We are transformed into a brand new shoot in the lineage of Jesus Christ. Through the sacrament of bread and juice, we immerse ourselves in the life that the kingdom demands. Amen

Bible Text: Luke 19:1-10 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

The average height of a woman in Canada is 5’4” or 1.6 meters. The average height of a man in Canada is 5’9” or 1.75 meters. Which means that I, at exactly 5’4”,  am average. However, I have to admit that whenever we go to an event that involves standing and observing- I feel rather inadequate, or below average. Try standing and attending a concert amongst many above average people. I in fact have special concert sneakers that give me an entire extra inch and boy do they make a difference.  I am also, since the death of my great-nanny, who was the tiny tenacious height of 4′, the shortest person in my family. So, you will have to excuse me if in this one particular area I feel- well less than average.  If you are under 5’4”, you likely can identify with what I am saying. Only things you never use go on the top shelf. You have no problem turning to a total stranger in the same grocery aisle to ask for assistance to reach that one can. When you realize that you are taller than someone you all of a sudden think- so this is what the rest of the world feels like. It’s a whole new perspective. Sure, people will say to you, oh but good things come in small packages, sure if you were a diamond you’d be pretty special but in reality you are just you and I am just short. If you are taller than 5’4” then this sermon really isn’t for you. You can go home.  Because of course today we encounter the story of Zacchaeus, that wee little man who climbed up into a sycamore tree. But then again Zacchaeus’ height, which does play a part in our story, is not the only short thing about him, so if you are above 5’4” you might as well stay to find out what happens next.

In this familiar narrative from Luke we are almost at Jerusalem, but there is one town left, Jericho. As an archaeologist I just need to mention something interesting. Jericho is a border town but it is also the oldest inhabited city in the world- to date. Archaeologists have found over 20 successive settlements dating back 11,000 years. It is unclear why, at this moment in the Gospel, Luke gives us an actual location but if one knows how close Jericho is to Jerusalem then perhaps Luke is giving a clue to the fact that Jesus has almost made it to his destination. I would like to also suppose that Luke names Jericho to give us a hint of how despised Zacchaeus is, because Luke not only names the town of Jericho but also describes Zacchaeus as the chief tax collector, that he is short and that he is rich. Nowhere else in the Gospel is someone’s height mentioned as an important detail.  Being the chief tax collector in such a city would mean that a lot of people would know who he was and while he has gained a lot of money it has likely been at the expense of others. Not only would people know who he was but also, most of them would despise him. In the city of Jericho that could mean a lot of people.

Luke tells us that Zacchaeus is rich before he tells us that Zacchaeus is short. But the two are intertwined. Zacchaeus falls short of morality, falls short of being liked by his neighbours, falls short of being a righteous man, which is a little ironic since the name Zacchaeus means, righteous one.  Zacchaeus falls short because he has gained wealth by defrauding others. His height is not the only thing that makes him small. But Zacchaeus is also desperate which means that even though Zacchaeus is both short in character and physicality he is so desperate to see Jesus that he is not concerned with the fact that he is acting like a child, climbing up a tree. He might be rich, he might have a lot of power, but he has lost all shame because he wants to see Jesus.

Sight or seeing is a significant detail in this story. Zacchaeus wants to see Jesus so badly- what is equally fascinating is that Jesus looks up and calls Zacchaeus by name. This isn’t your average story.  This is not only a unique story because it only appears in the Gospel of Luke but also because of what Jesus says earlier in the Gospel. While Jesus often fraternizes with tax collectors or uses them as examples of humility Jesus also comments, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And you know when Jesus says that? Not even a whole chapter ago in Luke 18:24.  Zacchaeus might be a tax collector, but he also has wealth.  So, here you have the impossible made possible thanks to Jesus presence.

Just as Jesus’ disciples and followers are starting to see his pattern- that he helps the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized, Jesus goes and changes the rules again. Because as soon as Jesus looks up and sees Zacchaeus there, Jesus invites himself over for a visit. While Zacchaeus is pretty excited to have Jesus as his guest, all who see this invitation begin to grumble. Finally, they had figured out the formula, that Jesus helps those who can’t help themselves, and all of a sudden the rules have changed- because clearly Zacchaeus has been helping himself for a long time.

I want to point out something that we often don’t catch because we have been so influenced by this story in Sunday School or thanks to a song we sang in Bible class. According to the text Jesus doesn’t actually go to Zacchaeus’ house. Yes, Zacchaeus accepts the command to take him to his house and he is happy to do it- but it doesn’t actually say they went. For years I have had an image that the two of them are sitting around a table, following a lovely tea time, when Zacchaeus is so moved that he then gives his money away and pays back anyone he has defrauded. But what the text actually says is that, “He stood there and said to the Lord, “I will give half my possessions to the poor.”” They haven’t left the scene of the tree. Now, perhaps they did go to his house and perhaps they did have a lovely tea time. But what this passage actually tells us is that no matter who we are, when we have a deep desire to see Jesus and Jesus responds with his presence- we are liable to stand there in awe and be moved by joy.

Today is Reformation Sunday- next year will mark the 500th anniversary on Oct. 31st when Martin Luther stood at the castle church and nailed his 95 theses to the door. You know what the first point was in this treatise, “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” That’s important. Luther is saying it is not up to us to decide who gets to be in Jesus’ presence. It is not up to us to take confession of those who are sinners. It is not up to our doctrine to decide who gets to see Jesus. David Lose points out, “[The story of Zacchaeus] embodies the promise that anyone-anyone- who desires to see Jesus will. More than that, anyone who desires to see Jesus will, in turn, be seen by Jesus and in this way have their joy made complete.” We no longer have to worry about falling short, or being below average.

Sometimes it is out of desperation that we turn to seek, find, see Jesus, because we have fallen short of the call laid upon our lives but if we truly desire to see Jesus- Jesus will look back at us and say I’m coming to stay with you and right then and there we understand that the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost, to go above and beyond average. Amen