Friday, January 22, 2010

“At the End of the Line”—Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

How many of us have waited in line? Whether you went to a public service place (like the DMV) ate breakfast at a fast food place (like a McDonalds), went grocery shopping, or flew through an airport to go somewhere, I am sure most of you have gone through the experience of waiting in line.

Waiting is one of those things that have always been part of everyone's lives or experience, though this does not certainly mean that we all want to do it. Most of the time, we are forced to do it, that's why.

Unsurprisingly, this is one of those activities that I personally can't stand. I cannot express how much bad feeling I have for the people who make me wait in line and spend precious minutes standing for no other useful reason but to wait for my turn or give people grease money.

I'm sure that all of us can already imagine the long lines waiting for us once Thanksgiving ends and we officially enter the Christmas shopping season. Thousands of cash registers will render themselves hardly useful to the millions of impatient, or perhaps, angry people waiting for their own items to be paid.

Interestingly, this phenomenon of waiting in line has been the subject of a lot of psychological research on psychology and the limits of human patience. This may seem to be a mundane topic (NOT!) but it's actually a high-profile field in psychology. The subject of most researches in the area is pretty simple: how can we make sure that waiting times are turned into positive experiences rather than negative? It can.

I can remember it used to be unpleasant (the feeling of eternity), on certain days and times, to be shopping and waiting in line at an Albertson’s grocery store. But nowadays you see lcd screens with interesting programs on to keep customer’s occupied and entertained, and not mind the long wait.

In today’s passage we find people lining up to see this person named John the Baptist; who was the son of Zechariah; who received a message from God; who went out through the country around the Jordan River to preach a life-changing message of repentance and forgiveness.

So you can just imagine the enormous amount of people who went out to see John the Baptist. Add to the fact that the activity of baptism is the “popular thing to do” in those days and you have the potential of people engaging in a very long wait.

Many people, from all walks of life such as the poor, the disabled, the outcast, the troubled, the lonely, the religious leaders, the soldiers, the rich; even Jesus himself, went in line, to see the Baptist strut his stuff.

Have you ever attended an event that attracts so many people. Many years ago I attended Fuller Seminary in Pasadena. I can remember on New Years Day you see a lot of people from all walks of life visit the city to see the different floats at the Rose Parade. So over the years I saw myself surrounded by a sea of people during the final days of December up to January first. So it’s hard for me to move about in and around Pasadena because of the crowd. It has became so bad for me that I decided to leave Pasadena prior to the weekend of the Rose Parade and stay with my Aunt who lives in West Covina. It’s just crazy. I don’t want to experience that kind of crowd ever again.

Going back to our passage, I guess back then people didn’t mind the wait since they all wanted to see John and be baptized by him.

For the most parts people will be patient enough and subject themselves to a long lines and long waits as long as they like what they are going to get at the end of the line.

I mean people will not mind going out, camping out, falling in line on the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas as long as they are going to receive a very substantial savings on highly coveted consumer goods or items, right?

People won’t mind coming out early early in the morning to line up just to be able to position themselves good at the Golden Globe Awards, the Grammy’s, or perhaps, the Oscars and see their favorite celebrities, right?

So we are not surprised to see big crowds that morning as John the Baptist came out and visited the Jordan River. People from all over came to see and hear him preach his life-changing message.

I am sure, like us today, people back then were also experiencing trouble, hardships in life, and alike. Like us they too are tired of their situations in life and so they relief, they wanted to hear John’s message that everybody has been talking about.

Even Jesus came out to hear this message. John the Baptist claimed that the One (Messiah) who is coming is greater than he, one whose sandals he is not fit to stoop down and untie.

Interestingly enough, Jesus came out, went in line, and submitted himself to be baptized by John.

Over the years, this action of Jesus has caused a stir among the people of the faith community. They say, if Jesus is truly sinless Son of God, then how come he submitted himself to a baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sins by John?

Even John the Baptist thinks it is not “appropriate” to “baptize” Jesus as he “resisted” the whole notion when Jesus came to him to be baptized.

However, Jesus said, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness” (vs.15).

Over the years people have speculated as to why Jesus subjected himself to this baptism by John? He could have easily said “no” to this whole ordeal of waking up early that morning and lining up to see John the Baptist.

After all, he is Jesus; he is the Son of God, right? He could have gotten free pass, and a few more hours of sleep.

The Bible says his actions were made to fulfill all righteousness. It is a way to become close to God. There is something life giving at the end of the line. That is why the people came. That is why Jesus himself came. There is something of great value and life giving at the end of the line.

If there is anyone who could easily be excused from this meeting it was Jesus. He could have easily done that since he is God’s Son. Why does he need to wake up early and line up and be baptized by John. He is without sin!

The problem with us is that we don’t see that there is something of great value at the end of the line. We find ourselves no longer interested with such things. We tend to excuse ourselves and say we don’t need that anymore.

I remember several years ago in Iowa several churches in our county had a revival event. People from the different churches came. We had a number of staff people to cover the event. I remember one of the staff persons came to me. The boy didn’t recognize who I was as he asked me if I needed to ask Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and have a personal relationship with him.

At first I was kind of outraged (and felt insulted) at the notion of that young man. I kind of said to the boy, “Excuse me…do you know who I am? I am Pastor Neil Platon…the pastor of Macksburg United Methodist Church one of the sponsors of this event.” How dare you ask that question.

Later on I realized how a lot of times we tend to say to God that we don’t need that, or we think that we are excused from those events, or perhaps, we don’t have a need for such things.

The thing is “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

All of us are in need of God’s grace. Even us pastors. We are all need of something life giving at the end of the line. We are all in need of God’s grace.

Sometimes I think the problem with us is that we think of ourselves as exempt from these things since we have been with the church for a long time. We think of ourselves as too cool for church events…mid-week, Bible Study, or Sunday School…or what have you. We say, “been there done that.”

It’s interesting people will wake up early in the morning, drive the distance, and fall in line for a drive to Las Vegas, a good bargain or sale at a mall or an outlet store, to play golf, go for an out of town trip or vacation, a good breakfast, a chance to meet and greet a celebrity or famous people, or to attend a sporting event, etc.

But when it comes to God, or having quality time with God through prayer time with God’s people at Church, Bible Study, or perhaps Sunday School…we have a hard time doing it. It feels like pulling teeth.

At times when I schedule extra events for the Church such as for Advent or Lent, I get responses like, I am sorry Pastor can’t do it I just came off from a hard day at work. Things came up. I don’t feel like it. I am tired.

It’s interesting when it was time for Jesus to give his life for us and our sins he didn’t say while being nailed on the cross I am sorry I can’t do this, just came off a hard day, or that things came up, or I am tired, or I don’t feel like doing it.

How many of you watch the View on channel 7. How many of you are familiar with the role of Barbara Walters on the show. Do you know that she only comes to the show whenever she feels like it? She is not there every day.

It’s a good thing Jesus is not like that: showing up only when he feels like it.

It’s a good thing Jesus is not tired of us; that he showed up on the Cross to pay for our sins; otherwise we will all be in big trouble.

Back in the late nineties there was this movement called the Million Men March. It was their premise that fathers have been absent in the American families for a long time, and that they are encouraging fathers from all over the country to show up and take responsibility.

Story (God’s Secret Service)

Amen

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