Sermon – 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 - “Divisions in the Church”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Churches
Sermon – 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 - “Divisions in the Church”
January 23, 2011

Today we are continuing with our look at the a letter from the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth. Paul knows the people of this church well having established the church five years before. But Paul has receive disturbing news of what is happening at the Corinthian church and this letter is his response. Last week we looked at the beginning of the letter where Paul gives thanks to God for all the blessings that have enriched the Corinthian church. Today we will be looking at some of the problem facing this church. But first, let's pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)
10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 14 I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel-- not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Conflict! There's not supposed to be any conflict in churches. We all love each other. How could there be strife and division within the church? But here it is in the New Testament. The Corinthian church is divided into factions. There seems to be a problem with baptisms. And some are even denying that Jesus died on the cross. These issues have split the church. Conflicts and divisions have continued plaguing churches for two thousand years. And Presbyterian church is not immune to this problem.

Just thirty years after Francis Makemie helped establish the first presbytery in Philadelphia the Presbyterian church faced its first conflict and division. It was the 1730s and the Great Awakening had come to America. The itinerant preaching of George Whitefield and others was causing people to weep, faint, scream, and go into epileptic seizures in worship. Some Presbyterians who wanted to hold faith and reason together decently and in order were concerned about the “enthusiasts”. The church divided into New Side Presbyterians, supporting the new pietism, and Old Side Presbyterians who found the changes suspect. This division lasted a generation until God was able to work on the hearts of God's people and the Presbyterian church reunited when the differences no longer seemed so large.

But then a new crises hit the church. The country was growing westward. Missionaries where sent to establish new churches and an agreement was reached between the Presbyterian and Congregational churches to work together in this evangelization effort. As a result new Congregational pastors would arrive at churches run by the elders. And Presbyterian pastors would take churches where the congregation ruled things. And churches back east found themselves supporting new churches with different governing styles. New School Presbyterians accepted all of this. Old School Presbyterians wanted to maintain elder rule in churches. Once again the church split until God has time to work on our hearts and reunite us when we realized that our differences were not that great.

But then the greatest division ever occurred in the Presbyterian Church. It was 1861 and the issue was slavery. Southern Presbyterians argued that the Bible never tells slave owners to free their slaves. They are only told to treat them properly. Northern Presbyterians said that we are commanded to love our neighbors, and no one can love someone and keep that person as a slave. In 1861 the church divided over this issue. And it took 122 years for God to work on our hearts until we could reach a consensus that slavery is wrong and in 1983 the church was finally reunited.

Conflicts within the Presbyterian church continued in the 20th century. Some where fearful that the writings of Darwin called into question that validity of our faith in God and in God's creation. Many wanted the Presbyterian church to specifically define the essential tenants, the fundamentals, of our faith. Others wanted to understand faith in a way that was more consistent with science and began looking at scripture taking into account its historical context and its genre and language. These challenges divided the church until God worked on our hearts through institutions like Fuller Seminary that taught us that thinking and reason are not incompatible with biblical faith.

The Presbyterian has Church been divided for the last fifty years over the issue of the ordination of women as elders and ministers of the word and sacrament. Some still argue that Paul said women should be silent in church. While other see the enormous contribution that women have made to our faith. Even Paul commended Junia, a woman, as an apostle. This division continues to this day as the Presbyterian Church in America will not ordain women to these roles while the Presbyterian Church USA encourages women to taken leadership positions in our church.

The current conflict in the Presbyterian Church USA is over the ordination of homosexuals as deacons, elders and ministers of the word and sacrament. Some point out that the Bible is critical of homosexual behavior and we should not ordain what the Bible condemns. Others point out that our culture has begun to accept homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle and claim that no one under 30 would ever join an organization that they perceive as being anti-gay. Should we ordain practicing homosexuals as deacons, elders and ministers of the word and sacrament? This question comes before the General Assembly every two years. We are roughly evenly divided on the answer. Whichever side we choose churches on the other side will probably leave the denomination. God had not yet worked on our hearts to bring us together on this one.

Maybe we can learn from history. Once before we faced a similar crises over the issue of ordination. It was 1789 and the Presbyterian Church was organizing into a national denomination. Regional synods were coming together. And pastors from different synods were being examined on their faith before becoming pastors in the Presbyterian Church USA. The standard of faith they used was the Westminster Confession. The Westminster Confession says, “Those of mankind that are predestined unto life, God … hath chosen in Christ, unto everlasting glory” (6.018). That's the good news, we are chosen by God.. But the Westminster Confession also says, “The rest of mankind, God was pleased, … to pass by, and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin” (6.020). This is called double predestination, God has chose some for salvation and some for damnation. Many Presbyterian pastors in 1789 could not accept double predestination and argued that nowhere in scripture does it say that God chooses some for condemnation. They argued that God offers salvation to all who repent. The church had to decided what to about all the pastors who could not, in good conscience, accept the Westminster standards.

The church decided, given this division, that God had not yet given them clear knowledge of what to do. So they decided on this plan. Any pastor who could not fully accept the Westminster Confession of Faith would state this to the church. This was called a scruple. And the presbytery would listen to the scruple together with the statement of faith of the pastor and his biography and they would prayerfully ask God if this particular person was being called as a minister in the new denomination. This let God decide who should be ordained and who should not. This worked and our church became open to theological reform, but only after a period of prayerful discernment of God's will.

There are some arguing that the same solution would work in our current situation. If we decide to either ordain homosexuals or not the church will be divided. So we need to engage in a period of prayerful discernment asking God what we should do. If a practicing homosexual experiences a call from God to ordained ministry the session or presbytery should pray and ask God what to do, and then follow God where God leads. In other words we let God decide for us. And the hope is that through this process God will work on our hearts and eventually bring us to consensus on this divisive issue.

This is the issue facing the church today. Last summer the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA adopted language that would replace language in the Book of Order that prohibits practicing homosexuals from serving in ordained offices in the church with language that sessions and presbyteries should prayerfully evaluate each instance in the light of scripture and our confessions of faith. If a majority of presbyteries approve this change it will become effective, if not then the current language prohibiting homosexual ordination will remain. Last Tuesday New Castle Presbytery, approved the change. We will know in a few weeks whether it passes or not. Many fear that this change will allow practicing homosexuals to serve in ordained offices. Those fears might be realized. Others fear that we have not opened our doors wide enough. What we can be sure of is that God is working on our hearts and one day Presbyterians will wonder why we were so divided.

Father in heaven, our church is divided. American culture is beginning to accept homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle. Many are asking why we do not ordain homosexuals to the offices of deacon, elder and minister of the word and sacrament. Faithful people disagree on how to answer this question. So we ask for guidance. Shape our hearts around yours so that your will be done. Amen.

Sermon – 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 - “Enriched in Every Way”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Churches
Sermon – 1Corinthians 1:1-9 - “Enriched in Every Way”
January 16, 2011

This morning I am beginning a series of sermons drawn from the opening chapters of the Book of First Corinthians. Corinth was a Roman city first established as a colony in 44BC. It was built on the ruins of an old Greek city which had been destroyed by the Roman legions a century before. The new city had grown spectacularly in the years that followed, and a great temple to the pagan goddess Aphrodite had been constructed. Corinth was an important trading center and generated great wealth for the Roman empire.

The Apostle Paul arrived in Corinth the year 52AD. He found work in the leather industry where he met two Christians who had been expelled from Rome with all the Jews and Jewish Christians the year before, Priscilla and Acquilla. As was his usual custom the Apostle Paul began to teach in the synagogue. There he would reinterpret the Hebrew scriptures in light of the coming of Jesus, the Messiah or Christ. A conflict developed in the synagogue over Paul's teaching and he was forced to leave. He then established his own group in the nearby home of a gentile convert. But the conflict with people in the synagogue continued and ended up in the civil courts. Eventually the conflict turned violent when the leader of the synagogue, Sosthenes, was assaulted by the opponents of Paul. When this happened Paul decided to leave and eventually returned to Jerusalem.

In 57AD Paul was in Ephesus and received a letter from the churches in Corinth about problems they were experiencing. This concerned Paul very much because he had established the church there and loved the people. So Paul wrote a letter in response. But before we get to that letter, please pray with me.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)
1 Corinthians 1:1-9 NIV 1 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ-- their Lord and ours: 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way-- in all your speaking and in all your knowledge-- 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

This is January, the time of year when you will get all your financial statements. Your employer will send you a W2 with you wages and withholding. You will receive year end statements from your bank accounts and mutual funds. You will receive statements of charitable giving. You will receive financial statements from the businesses you own. And, of course, you will get started on your taxes. If you are like me you probably will see an increase in your 401K and IRA, but you still may have a little unease about the economy. Some of you may be fearing the return of inflation, and some may even be buying gold. With rising prices and a high unemployment rate we all have at least a little fear of the future. We don't feel as rich as we used to.

The reason the Romans established a colony at Corinth was get rich because Corinth was the perfect location for trade. It was located on a narrow isthmus. Anyone traveling from northern Greece to southern Greece had to pass nearby. Also just to the east was a major port the led to trade with Asia. And just to the north was a port that led to the Adriatic and Rome. Add to this the rich agricultural land surrounding the city and you have the potential to make lots of money from international trade. So many merchants from Rome and all over the world went to Corinth with the hope of making a fortune which many did. Money was the foundation upon which the Roman city of Corinth was erected.

But there must have been something wrong in Corinth. They had all the money they needed, but something was still missing. Money wasn't enough. They needed something more. They needed to be rich in another way. Despite their unease, Paul knew that the Corinthians were rich in the truest sense of that word. So Paul wrote a prayer thanking God for all the riches the Corinthians had received. Through this prayer Paul taught the Corinthians that in Jesus Christ they were enriched in every way. Paul was telling them that wealth was not necessarily money in the bank, rather wealth was a gift, Jesus Christ, provided to us by the grace of God. So how are we enriched by this gift from God? Paul says that we are enriched in three ways.

First, Paul tell us that the gift of Jesus Christ enriches us in knowledge. This is knowledge about God as revealed in scripture and though the person of Jesus Christ. We see in Christ an example of how we should lead our lives. In Christ we know that we are to love God with all our hearts, souls and minds. And we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. In Jesus Christ we are enriched with the knowledge that God loves us and we are called to respond to that love by loving God and all of God's creation. Wealth is measured in terms of love which we receive as a gift and multiply it by giving it to others. And if we measure wealth in this way then all of us as Christians are truly wealthy.

The gift of knowledge about God can be found in our study of the Bible here at church. On Sunday mornings and Wednesday evening you have an opportunity to grow in the knowledge of God. I urged you, if you have not yet, to go to one of the adult Bible studies we have at the church. Donna/Mary teaches a Bible study before/after church each week. And I teach a class on Wednesday evenings. There you will find the knowledge of God that will enrich your life.

Second, Paul tells us that the gift of Jesus Christ enriches us in testimony. Testimony is when we tell others about Jesus Christ and what Jesus Christ has done for us. Testimony is how others see Christ working in us. This is how we are to love one another. We show how God's love has affected our lives and invite others to share in that love. We are enriched when we share love through our testimony because love is something that grows whenever it is first given away. So our wealth is, paradoxically, maximized by giving our love away through our testimony to others. So every time you tell someone else about what God is doing in your life you are creating love and making deposits in a heavenly account making you very rich.

You have ample opportunities to share your testimony here at the church. Women gather in monthly groups and men get together weekly to share stories of how God has impacted their lives. Through these testimonies God's love is shared in these groups. So I urge you to get involved with a group where testimonies and God's love are shared.

And third, Paul said that we are enriched in Jesus Christ by the grace of God with spiritual gifts. Each of us has received different gifts, but they all come from the same Holy Spirit and they are given us for building up the common good. Some of us are rich in wisdom and have the ability from the Holy Spirit to advise others. Some of us are rich in knowledge and have the Spirit given ability to teach others about God and Jesus. Others of us are rich in faith and are able to comfort others when their health fails or a loved one dies and their faith is a little shaky and they need some of your faith to get through their difficulties. Some of us have the gift of healing and are blessed with the power of the Holy Spirit to bring someone to health. This is a gift of prayer being to pray unceasingly for those in need and to help other rely on God's grace in difficult times. Some of us are blessed with miraculous gifts that allow us to prophecy, distinguish between evil and good spirits, and speak in tongues. In extraordinary times when our faith is shaken to the core we need people with these gifts to lead us forward. And the church is enriched by having people to whom the Holy Spirit has provided all of these gifts.

In today's hard economic climate when the price of gas and food are rising, when our investments are flat or falling, when we feel like we are becoming less and less rich we need to remember, with the churches at Corinth, that we are rich, enriched by God's Holy Spirit with the gift of Jesus Christ. We have been enriched with gift of knowledge of God in Jesus Christ. We have been enriched by the gift of the ability to love others through our testimony about God, we have been enriched with a variety of spiritual gifts for our collective good.

But, why had God given us these wonderful gifts? What does God want to accomplished by blessing us so much? The answer Paul gives is that we have been enriched to prepare us for the coming of Jesus Christ. We don't know when Jesus will return. But God wants us to be strong while we wait. So God gives us knowledge, testimony for others and spiritual gifts so that we will be strong until Christ returns. And this strength preserves our faith and allows us to live lives pleasing to God as we wait for Christ's return. We see in all of the God's great faithfulness to us. God has enriched us and strengthened us to prepare us for the day when Jesus comes again.

So this month as you assemble all the paperwork for you taxes and when you calculate you net worth remember all the other riches you have received. These don't have to go on your tax return. But do ponder them in your heart. Consider all the ways God has blessed you this year: how you have been enriched by the knowledge of God you have received in this church, how you have been enriched by the testimonies you have given and heard, how you have been blessed with spiritual gifts which have strengthened you to remain holy until Jesus returns. And once you have considered all of this in your heart you will realize that you are truly rich indeed. Amen

Sermon – Ephesians 3:1–12 – Mystery of Christ

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Presbyterian Churches
Sermon – Ephesians 3:1–12 – Mystery of Christ
January 9. 2011

Today is the Sunday after Epiphany. Epiphany is that sudden awe inspiring feeling we get when we come into the presence of God. We celebrate Epiphany on January 6 as that time when God came into the world as a man named Jesus. During the weeks that follow Epiphany the church traditionally looks at the teachings and activities of Jesus Christ while walking on this planet. Last week we looked at what the incarnation of God as a man means for us, and we saw that Jesus can listen to our prayers with a human ear, experience our feelings with a human heart, and then communicate our hopes, desires and petitions to his own father, God Almighty as our high priest. Today we will look at how the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ reveals mysteries that God has kept hidden for generations. But first, let’s pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety to thy glory and our own edification.” (Calvin)

Ephesians 3:1-12 NIV Ephesians 3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-- 2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. 7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

I love mysteries. Years ago I began reading Agatha Christie novels. I loved the multiple characters who all came together: the estranged son, the jilted wife, the new wife who inherited everything, the devoted friend, and the evil brother. The settings were always exotic: an English manor house, a train crossing Europe. The focus of every story was a murder that happened after the group had assembled. The police were called in, but they followed the wrong clues and failed to solve the case. A great detective arrived who saw all the clues clearly and revealed what has been hidden in plain sight. The mystery was solved.

The Apostle Paul also liked mysteries. But for him mysteries were a little different. For Paul a mystery was a reality that has been hidden by God for centuries. These realities were always there, but concealed. God had cloaked these realities so that we would not know them until the proper time. Then God would reveal the realities and the mystery, kept hidden for so long, would be solved.

Paul knew that God acts in this way, keeping things hidden and then uncovering them, from the Book of Daniel. In the second chapter of that Old Testament book the king of Babylon has had a dream, but no one seems to know what it means. Daniel realized that the dream was a mystery in the form of a reality hidden by God. While Daniel was sleeping God uncovered the hidden reality in a dream. And Daniel praised God for allowing him to solve the mystery for the king. Paul too had experienced revelations from God uncovering hidden mysteries. These mysteries, which the risen Jesus Christ had revealed to Paul, became the foundation of Paul’s theology.

In the Book of First Corinthians, Paul makes it clear that the mysteries of God are revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. We cannot understand the reality God keeps hidden from us on our own. Rather we need the Spirit of God which lifts the veil and uncovers the reality underneath. The mystery that the Holy Spirit reveals to us is the hidden reality of the resurrection from the dead. God has concealed his true intention for us, but with the coming of the Holy Spirit it is revealed that death will not be the end, but one day our bodies will be reassembled and new breath will be breathed into our lungs and we will live for eternity in the presence of God.

In the Book of Colossians, Paul said that there is still another mystery that God has kept hidden, but has now revealed. This mystery is Jesus Christ who is in you. It has now been revealed by God that with Christ in you, you may now hope to be glorified and become what God always wanted you to be. You will be transformed, built up and strengthened with all goodness and wisdom and overflowing with thanksgiving. You will truly be revealed as a creation in the image of God.

In the eleventh chapter of Romans, Paul said that Jesus had revealed a reality, long hidden by God, that the Jews would be saved. Although it appeared in the first century that the hearts of Jews had been hardened, which caused them to reject the salvation offered by Jesus Christ, the hidden reality was that God had chosen the Jews for salvation. By revealing this mystery God keeps us Christians from feeling superior to the Jews and becoming conceited because both Jews and Christians are children of God.

In today’s scripture, from Ephesians chapter 3, Paul refers to yet another mystery that
God has revealed to us. This hidden reality is one that God has kept hidden for his good pleasure. This cloaked reality is the reason why God sent Jesus Christ into the world. And God had waited until just the right time to reveal it. This hidden reality had been predestined by God even before the creation. And this veiled reality was perfectly consistent with God's will. Paul said that he was compelled by God to reveal this mystery. Paul asked his followers to pray that he could reveal this mystery fearlessly. And he ordained others to reveal it. So what is this mystery that God has finally revealed?

The mystery that God has revealed is that everyone, Jew and Gentile, Black and White, men and women, young and old, all of us together form one body of Christ. We all share in the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. We have all been chosen as God's children. We are all free to approach God's throne of grace.

This has important ramifications for the church today. We are called to go beyond the doors of this sanctuary to proclaim the good news to all people that God has revealed that Jesus has come for everyone. Of course it is difficult to proclaim the good news to people different from us. It is much easier to focus our attention on people like us. We enjoy sharing the gospel with other white Presbyterians. But it is far more difficult to share it with Blacks, homeless, day laborers, Hispanics, Asians. But like Paul the mystery that in Christ we are all one has been revealed to us, and like Paul we are called to proclaim the good news to those who need it most.

It was just six years ago this month that I began to realize the importance of proclaiming the good news to people different from me. I met Grace in a classroom one evening. She was looking for an American who could teach a Bible study to a group of international students in her home. All I had to do was show up and be ready to have conversations with people who were just learning English at a local language school. I was to use the Bible to start discussions. I had no idea what I was getting into. I showed up at Grace's apartment one afternoon. About a dozen international students from Poly Language Institue in Pasadena CA showed up. Grace cooked a Korean meal of bulgogi and rice; I had never had anything like it before. I was having trouble talking with the students given their lack of English. Then I noticed that everyone was using chopsticks except me. I was the only one with a fork. So I asked them to teach me how to use chopsticks. This broke the ice and I began developing relationship with the students. This was also the beginning of my relationship with Grace and we were married the following winter. We submitted this story and won the PCUSA Multicultural Story Contest for 2006.

What this taught me was that it is great fun doing church with a diverse group, because of the interesting ways different groups worship. Here in Pocomoke I love working with the Pocomoke Ministerial Association because I can get together with pastors of the Black churches here in town. I would love to find a way that whites and blacks in Pocomoke could occasionally worship together. And I encourage you to participate in diverse groups and invite all kinds of people to church. Like the Apostle Paul and me you too will experience the joy of bringing everyone to Jesus Christ.

So the mystery that God has kept hidden for so long is that the church of Jesus Christ must reflect the ethnic diversity of God's people. People from east and west and north and south will all have a seat at the table. And we will be blessed with a rich cultural diversity in worship. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Lord Jesus, help us to go into the world this week armed with the good news we have heard. Help us to proclaim this good news to our community and build a church that reflect the cultural diversity around us. Amen.

Sermon – Hebrew 2:10-18 – Our High Priest

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Hebrew 2:10-18 – Our High Priest
Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Presbyterian Church
January 2, 2011

We are now at the second Sunday of Christmas. Christmas is a twelve day period when we remember the birth of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Here in America we start celebrating Christmas early, beginning just after Thanksgiving. But for most of the world Christmas has just started and will last until January 6 and great feast of Epiphany. The traditional reading for Epiphany is the coming of the wise men with their gifts. So for most people in the world Epiphany not Christmas is the day for giving and receiving gifts.

There is noting in scripture that tells us that the first Christmas occurred on December 25th. There are two contemporary theories about why we celebrate Christmas when we do. The first theory is that Romans celebrated the pagan festival “Birthday of the Unconquered Sun” on December 25, because on that date the sun stops its southward journey. This theory suggests that the festival was Christianized by the early church as the birthday of Jesus, the Light of the World. The second theory is that the early Christians celebrated the annunciation to Mary and the resurrection of Jesus on the same day. Under this theory one can simply count up nine months and you get to December 25. According to this theory the celebration of the pagan festival on that date was just a coincidence.

We celebrate Christmas as the time when God came into the world as a human. We call this the incarnation. The incarnation is an extraordinary event which is attested to in scripture and of which we we believe by faith. But what does this mean for us? In what way does the incarnation affect us and our lives? Why is the incarnation important for us? These are most important questions, but first please pray with me.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of your heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety to your glory and our edification.” Amen. (Calvin)

Hebrews 2:10-18 10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 12 He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises." 13 And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me." 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death-- that is, the devil-- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

It is AD70. General Vespasian has brought the Roman Legion to the gates of Jerusalem. He purpose is to negotiate terms of surrender with rebels inside. If that doesn't work he will reduce the city to ruble and kill all of it occupants. Inside Jerusalem a leading Rabbi Johanan Ben Zakkai urges acceptance of Vespasian's demands. No one listens to his advice. So the rabbi calls for his assistants Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Joshua. They put Rabbi Johanan into a coffin and carry him to the city gate. The gatekeeper will not open the gate because of the danger without. But the rabbis call out and say that it is unlawful to keep a dead body in Jerusalem overnight. So the gate is opened and rabbis escape the coming destruction. They flee across the Jordan River, and establish a synagogue in Pella where Jewish prayers and instruction could continue after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. Before leaving Jerusalem, Rabbi Johanan Ben Zakkai predicted that Vespasian would become emperor, a prophecy that was realized just two days later. The Roman Legion reduced the city to rubble and killed everyone in it.

In the years that followed Jewish scholars wrestled with a most important religious matter. How could people deal with the problem of sin with no temple and no high priest to atone for their sins? Although this important issue dominated Jewish discussions in the years after the destruction the temple, Christian scholars rarely mentioned it. We know that the early Christians used the temple regularly for prayers and teaching. With the destruction of the temple prayer and teaching continued in churches. But there was no concern among Christians over the loss of the sacrificial system.

While the temple was operating, people would come for teaching, prayer and sacrifices. To deal with sin people would bring something, a couple of pigeons, or a handful of grain. These would be burnt on the altar and the smoke would symbolize their prayers going up to heaven. Then the High Priest would pray and tell them that God had forgiven them. But with the destruction of the temple there was no altar and no High Priest? What were people to do?

Christians had no problem with the destruction of the sacrificial system because the sacrifice that God desires was made once and for all on the cross of Calvary. Jesus' death on the cross was a sufficient sacrifice for the atonement of all of our sins. And so, for Christians, the sacrificial system was no longer needed. They used the temple for prayers and teaching, but avoided the sacrifices. This accounts for much of the animosity between Christians and Jews during the temple period. And this accounts for the ease Christians had in moving from the temple to churches for prayers and teaching.

In order for the sacrificial system to end God had to come to earth as a man because only as a human being could God be our sacrifice and our High Priest. An unknown Jewish - Christian writer in about 150AD looked back on the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. He said that the temple was destroyed by the sin of the continuing sacrifices, and argued that Jesus Christ abolished sacrifices altogether by his death on the cross. He also said that Jesus instituted baptism as a means of absolving us of our sin through his atoning sacrifice. (Recognitions 1:33-71)

According to the author of Hebrews the reason that God came to earth as a man was to glorify us. Glorification is the lifelong process whereby the Holy Spirit purges sin from our lives and makes us holy. This process could not occur unless God is with us. So God became one of us so that we could be glorified. Suppose that you wanted to learn to swim. So you go to the YMCA and sign up for swimming lessons to make you a swimmer. What would you think if your swimming instructor could not swim and was afraid of the water? What if the instructor sat way up in the lifeguard chair and yelled instructions to teach you how to swim? Would you learn how to swim that way? Of course not! You would want an expert swimmer for an instructor who would get into the pool with you. That's the only way you could learn how to swim with an instructor with you. The same is true with glorification. You need God with you to be glorified. And that's the good news of Christmas. God is with us to glorify us.

Now if glorification is the process by with sin is removed from our lives we would expect it to be a very traumatic event. Suppose you have been diagnosed with cancer and the doctor says you need surgery, radiation and chemo. As you go through these procedures you will suffer pain, your hair will fall out, and you won't have the energy to do the things you normally do. But all this suffering is worthwhile because of your hope that the cancer will go away. It's the same way with glorification. The removal of sin is an awful process. The devil and evil spirits don't want to lose you as a human sinner. So they will fight back. And the only way for you to fully get sin out of your life is to die. Who wants to die to get sin out of your life? Do you? Of course not! No one wants to die just to get sin out of his or her life. We would prefer to live and keep on sinning. So we need someone to experience suffering and death for us. We need a proxy. And that's why the incarnation is so important. God came to earth to suffer and die for us removing our sin and starting us on the road to glorification.

According to Hebrews Jesus Christ not only died as a sacrifice for our sins, but also the risen Jesus Christ continues to serve as our High Priest. As High Priest Jesus hears our prayers and delivers them directly to God. You have probably played the parlor game where the first person tells a story to person number two. Person number two tells the same story to person three and so forth until everyone hears the story. Then the last person then tells the story and it is compared to the original story. Everyone is surprised by how much the story changes. So too with prayer. If we tell our prayers to a priest what assurance do we have that our prayers will be accurately communicated to God? But if Jesus Christ is our High Priest then all of us must be priests and we have the ability to say our prayers directly to him. Jesus, being fully human, is fully able to understand our feelings and thoughts and words. Jesus, being fully God, can perfectly communicate our prayers to God. So thorough the incarnation God was able to abolish the old sacrificial system and replace it with a direct channel for our prayers to go to God.

So Jesus Christ is our High Priest. He came to earth to save us from sin and restore us to what God created us to be. He did this through his suffering and death that removed sin from us. And now he serves us by hearing our prayers with a human ear and perfectly communicating our prayers to his father, God Almighty. This is the good news of Christmas. We now have a High Priest in heaven who listens our prayers, forgives our sins and leads us to glory.

Lord Jesus, we are here on the anniversary of your birth. Hear our prayers of confession. Communicate them to God. And respond to us with the gift of forgiveness. We ask that you be with us to purge us from sin and bring us to glory. Amen.

Sermon – Coming to Jesus – John – Matthew 3:1-12

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Church
Sermon – Coming to Jesus – John – Matthew 3:1-12
December 19, 2010

Christmas is almost here. The parades and shopping are almost over. The time with family and friends exchanging gifts and feasting together is just ahead. And we Christians are coming to Jesus. Three weeks ago we were joined by a young man whose life had been interrupted by the news that his fiance was pregnant and he took the bold step of welcoming a new life by obeying God and adopting Jesus as his own son and descendant of David. Then two weeks ago we were joined by some wise men who saw a star and remembered the ancient oracles that king was to be born in Judah. Last week we were joined on our journey to Jesus by the mothers of the children of Bethlehem who were weeping over the death of their children murdered by Herod and in their grief were joined by Rachel and God. Our journey to Jesus is about to come to an end. But first we will be joined by everyone else looking for an answer to the one thing that keeps us away from God. But before we get to this please pray with me.

Father in heaven, in anticipation of the shalom Christ brings to all people we come now before your throne of grace to give you our praise and thanksgiving. Amen. (adapted from When We Gather p.3)

Matthew 3:1-12In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" 4 John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

Verse five tells us, “People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.” This must have been a big crowd. Jerusalem is not that close to the Jordan. The Roman road passes though the desert from Jerusalem to Jericho. It is long and dry and dangerous. And yet people were using it to come to the Jordan river. And it was not just the people of Jerusalem. We are told that people from the whole region of Judah were coming. But it doesn't stop there. All the people of the Jordan river, the Galileans and even the gentiles on these east bank of river were coming. A a huge crowd had assembled. And it's bigger than that. Literally the scripture says that all of the people of Jerusalem, all of the people of Judah, all of the peoples around the Jordan have come. Well maybe not everyone went to the Jordan, but it was a very large group.

And we know that this was not just a one time thing. People kept coming to the river, over and over again. They were searching for something. They thought they found it and went home. But then they realized that it wasn't enough and they went back to the river over and over again trying to find what they needed. Why would they do this? Why would so many keep coming to the Jordan river over and over and over again. The reason they kept going to Jordan River over and over again was that they needed to do something about sin.

Sin was destroying their lives. Families were being destroyed by adultery. Lives were being destroying by alcoholism. Businesses were being destroyed by greed. Even the religious leaders were being destroyed by their lust for power. Sin was like a cancer eating away at society. The people realized that there was nothing they could do about it. They would try to do better for a while, but then they would slip up and sin would keep on going. The fads just didn't work. So when they heard that prophet like Elijah had come, baptizing people for the forgiveness of sins in the Jordan river, well this was an offer they just couldn't pass up. So huge crowds made this long and dangerous trip over and over again hoping that John was the one real thing that would work.

When they arrived at the river John warned them that a new kingdom was about to come. This kingdom would be controlled not by the Roman occupiers, or the religious leaders, or even the local political puppets, but by God. So the people had to choose sides. Would they continue in the sinful ways of the Roman Empire. Or would they repent, change their ways and obey God? John would baptize those who wanted to change, stop sinning, and enter into the new kingdom. But baptism in the Jordan wasn't enough because as soon as the people got home their sinful behavior would return. So over and over again they would make the long difficult journey to John, and hear the message of repentance over and over again.

John was a prophet. He saw clearly the problem the people faced. They were trying really hard to change, but they couldn't. No matter how hard they tried they just couldn't get away from sin. In fact they still wanted to sin. They knew that sin was bad, but sin had stained them so much that they actually wanted to sin. They had become addicts to sin and no amount of washing in the Jordan river could change this situation. John knew what was needed. God had to intervene. God had to remove the spirit of sin that plagued the people and give them a new spirit.

We see the chronic effects of sin in our own time too. Today's Washington Post Magazine has a wonderful example of sin at work. Two years ago the Church of Christ in Harrisonburg VA called a new pastor. At first he seemed perfect. He was a friend to all and preached wonderful sermons. But then some started questioning his theology. Heated arguments erupted in the congregation. Elders were removed from session. There were questions about the finances of the church. And a belated background check was made on the new pastor. The findings were startling. Their new pastor was a murderer. His first wife had complained about his drinking, that he couldn't hold onto a job, and was cruel to their children. After the divorce he found a new girlfriend, but one day became enraged and beat her fourteen month old baby to death. After 12 years in prison he seemed to be changed. A local pastor helped him to be paroled and found him a job. He seemed to be embarking on a new life. But a couple of years later he had an affair with a friends wife, and left the church. A few years later he was convicted of medicare fraud and landed back in prison. But in 2008 the Harrisonburg Church of Christ was looking for a new pastor. They were thrilled when William M. Drumheller III accepted their call. He and his fourth wife moved into the manse. The church didn't recognize the wolf in sheep's clothing. Their new pastor was a person addicted to sin.

This is way sin works. We know better. We know what to do. But we still sin, we still do what displeases God. And if we are honest with ourselves we must admit that it doesn't really bother us that much. We don't really care if we sin or not. Sin has so changed us that we begin to think that sinning is ok. And the last thing we want is to go to a church that tries to change that. John knew that his telling people to behave and dunking them in the river would have little effect on their behavior and desire to sin. Somehow God had to intervene; a savior was needed who would remove the sin from our lives.

And that is why we celebrate Christmas. At Christmas a savior comes into the world to remove the sin from our lives. The savior acts like a skilled surgeon cutting out our sin with a scalpel. The savior is like the radiologist directing a concentrated shot of radiation at the sin within us. The savior administers the chemo that kills the sins that infects us. The savior acts like a doctors curing us from a deadly disease. And sin is a most deadly disease. The good news is that the savior arrives at Christmas.

Jesus Christ is coming into the world. He is God's intervention in our lives. Through Jesus Christ the sin that stains all of us is finally removed. This allows us, if we so choose, to desire a godly life and to begin elimination sinful acts from our behaviors. In this process, Chirst's spirit is in us and with us to guide us and help become sin free. This is a lifelong process, but it begins now at Christmas when Jesus enters your life to free you from sin.

“What do you want for Christmas?” is the question Santa asks little kids. As your pastor I must ask you what you want for Christmas. Some of you might want a Lexus with a big red bow. Others might jewelry with glittering diamonds. Some of you might just want to see a smile on your grandchildren's faces. But the best gift waiting for you under the tree this Christmas is a savior, born in Bethlehem, who will free you from your desires for sin and deliver to you the life God's created for you. Merry Christmas!

Sermon – Coming to Jesus – Rachel – Matthew 2:13-23

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Church
Sermon – Coming to Jesus – Rachel – Matthew 2:13-23
December 11, 2010

I am continuing today with my series of sermon on Coming to Jesus. We have been looking at those who came to Jesus two thousand years ago as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. Two weeks ago we watched as Joseph heard the bad news that Mary was pregnant. And this led us to the genealogy in the first chapter in Matthew which demonstrated to Joseph and us that he was a descendant of David and was needed to adopt Jesus to make him the Messiah. Last week we watched as a wise men east of the Jordan saw a star and the oracle of Balaam guided them to Judah to search for a new king. Today we will look at a text we would rather avoid. It is a text of inexplicable evil. I warn you that children are about to die and women will experience inconsolable grief. And yet it is an important part of the Christmas story. Let us pray.

Father in heaven, in anticipation of the shalom Christ brings to all people we come now before your throne of grace to give you our praise and thanksgiving. Amen. (adapted from When We Gather p.3)

Matthew 2:13-23 13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." 16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." 19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead." 21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."

In the common lectionary that most pastors use for preaching texts, this passage from Matthew is usually assigned for the Sunday after Christmas when most preachers take vacation and someone else has to preach this difficult text. We all enjoy Joseph’s dilemma and rejoice with him as he embarks on his new life with Christ as his adopted son. We also enjoy the historical research and careful thinking of the wise men. But we run away at the thought of dead children in the streets and grieving mothers.

The reason that this story is in Matthew’s account is that not all of us come to Christmas rejoicing. Some of us come filled with grief. Maybe a loved one has died this year and you are approaching your first Christmas alone. Maybe your health is not good and you won’t make it to the family festivities at all this year. Maybe your finances are so terrible that little will be under the tree for the children. So approach Christmas annoyed by all the rejoicing and hoping just to get through it. Grief is a part of Christmas for many of us, but none more so than Rachel.

Rachel was the pretty one who could have anything she wanted. When Jacob came to town looking for a wife he immediately spotted Rachel. She was the one he really wanted. So he worked seven hard years to get her and then was tricked into marring her sister Leah. So Jacob worked another seven hard years to get the sister he really wanted, Rachel.

But Rachel’s life was difficult. Her role was to bear sons, and in this she was a complete failure. Sister Leah had one kid after another, ten sons and some daughters. But Rachel had nothing. She grew so desperate she asked her husband, Jacob, to sleep with her servant so that at least she would have a child to care for. And she prayed over and over again asking for a son. Those prayers were heard and she called her son Joseph, which in Hebrew means “give me another.” So every time she said her son’s name she was praying for another son. Those prayers also were heard and Rachel became pregnant a second time. But she died in child birth, and she named her new son with her dying breath, “son of my sorrows.” Rachel died but was not forgotten. Her story stands today in the Book of Genesis.

Centuries later the prophet Jeremiah watched as the Israelites, naked and ashamed were forced to march to exile in Babylon. The prophet said that the matriarch Rachel must be weeping over the humiliation of her descendants. As Jeremiah watch the destruction of a once great nation and he spoke these words of hope.
Jeremiah 31:15-17 15 This is what the LORD says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more." 16 This is what the LORD says: "Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded," declares the LORD. "They will return from the land of the enemy. 17 So there is hope for your future," declares the LORD. "Your children will return to their own land.

The ancient rabbis explained this passage in Jeremiah by saying that God was so moved by the exile of his children that God began to weep. And God did not wish to grieve alone so he asked Abraham so grief with him. But Abraham said to God, “why did you let this happen? You stopped my hand before the knife plunged in Isaac’s heart. Why did you not stop this?” So God kept looking for someone to grieve with and found Rachel. The two of them wept over the exile of God’s people, and it was Rachel who was comforted by God’s words that her children would one day return to their land.

According to Matthew this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. By the divine care of God, Jesus was protected from Herod’s evil act. Egypt became a sanctuary just as it had for Rachel’s children. And in Jesus’ return to Galilee the son of God returned to the Promised Land. This is Good News for all who are experiencing grief this Christmas. You are never alone. Rachel and God are always there weeping with you. And they will comfort and remind you that your grief will come to an end because Jesus is coming to restore all things.

So how are we as church to help those who are grieving this Christmas? The author Philip Yancey tells a story about a woman named Claudia. Claudia was a young newlywed married to a hospital chaplain. Suddenly her world was turned upside down with she was diagnosed with cancer. A deacon of her church visited her in the hospital and told her to reflect on her life because she must have done something displeasing to God. A few days later a woman from the church arrived with flowers and began reading some happy psalms; she avoided any talk of illness. A friend dropped in one afternoon and told her about a television evangelist who does faith healing. Finally her pastor arrived and told her that she was on a special mission from God. All of these people were trying to be helpful, but none of them gave Claudia what she really needed. She needed to know that God still loved her. (Yancey, Where is God When it Hurts ch1)

There is another story about Saint Francis. One day Francis, a nobleman, was riding his horse. This was at a time in his life when he was bitter toward God. As he rode he saw a leper lying on the side of the road. Francis could have cursed the man for being sick. He could have cursed God for allowing the illness. But what Francis did was to get off his horse and embrace the leper kissing him on the lips. (Yancey p. 242)

What Francis did was to show God’s love to those who are suffering. And that is what we are called to do. We are to weep with those who grief joining our tears with their’s and Rachel’s and God’s demonstrating God’s faithfulness and love no matter what happens.

So I ask you to go out into the community this Christmas and visit those who grieve, those who have lost or are loosing a spouse, those who are sick, those whose children are in trouble, those with no money in the bank and creditors at the door. Visit them. Cry with them. Pray with them. And assure them that no matter what happens God will always be there to love them.

Lord God, be with all who grieve this Christmas. Comfort them and assure them of your great love. Weep with those who grieve as you did with Rachel for those mothers in Bethlehem. And prepare us for the coming of our savior who will redeem us from our grief. We pray all this in the name of your son whom you lost on the cross. Amen.

Sermon – Coming to Jesus: Magi – Matthew 2:1-12

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Coming to Jesus: Magi – Matthew 2:1-12
Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Presbyterian Church
December 5, 2010

I am continuing today with a series of Christmas sermons on the theme of coming to Jesus. Last week we started with Joseph and saw that sometimes coming to Jesus begins with God interrupting our lives and us taking a bold step into a new life that God has created for us. Today we will be journeying with some Wise Men from the East as they travel to pay homage and worship a new king. We will find that to be wise means to bless and not curse others. But before beginning all of this please pray with me.

Father in heaven, in anticipation of the shalom Christ brings to all people we come now before your throne of grace to give your our praise and thanksgiving. Amen. (adapted from When We Gather p.3)

Matthew 2:1-12 NIV Matthew 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 6 "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

This is the familiar story of the Magi. Some traditions say that these were kings bringing treasure. Some traditions say that since there are three gifts there must be three kings. Other traditions say that there were twelve kings. Some traditions call these “wise men”. The NIV translation that I just read simply transliterates the Greek word “ma,goi” into “Magi” from which we get the English word “magic” or “magician”. The text from Matthew tells us little about the Magi, except that they came from the east with gifts following a star and looking for a new king. Why would they do such a curious thing?

I think that the answer for this question lies in a odd story found in the Old Testament book of Numbers. In Chapters 22-24 of Numbers we find story of a wise man living east of the Jordan River in the land of Moab. His name was Balaam. Balaam was a wise man. He lived alone, probably high in the mountains. From there he could observe the world around him. He watched the heavens and saw the patterns of the rising and setting of the sun, and thus could tell the farmers when to plant and when to harvest. He measured rainfall and attempted to predict the weather. He taught young men to be wise. And he learned to write so that his observations of the world and his wisdom could be preserved for future generation.

The story in Number about Balaam goes this way. The Israelites, who had been wondering in the wilderness for forty years, were ready to go into the Promised Land. They assembled on the east bank of the Jordan River and prepared to cross the river and occupy the land. As you might expect, the king of Moab, on the east side of the river,was more than a little concerned. If he wasn’t careful the Israelites might turn on him and his kingdom would be in jeopardy. So he sent his advisers to see the wise man, Balaam, to tell him to come to the king to pronounce a curse on the Israelites.

When the advisers of the king arrived, they told Balaam what the king had in mind. Balaam decided to sleep on it. And that night the Lord, God of Israel, spoke to him in a dream and told him not to go to see the king. So the next morning Balaam told the king’s advisers that he was not going anywhere and he sent them back to the king empty handed. The king of Moab was, as you would expect, not happy with Balaam’s response. So he sent the advisers back, this time with more men, with instructions that Balaam must obey the king’s command and come to curse the Israelites.

While Balaam was on his way down the narrow mountain path to see the king his donkey suddenly stopped. Balaam was so upset with the donkey he began beating him with a stick. And an extraordinary thing happened. The donkey began to talk. “Why are you hitting me, Balaam? I haven’t done anything to you. I carried you all the way here.” And then the usually observant Balaam saw something that he had missed. There in front of the donkey was a angel with a drawn sword blocking the way. And the angel told Balaam that he was not to obey the king of Moab, but should listen for and obey the word of God.

So Balaam made his way to the king who wanted the Israelites cursed. Balaam raised his arms and prayed a blessing not a curse. This infuriated the king who told him to pray again and curse the Israelites. But again Balaam raised his hands and blessed them. And then Balaam spoke on oracle that will be remembered for all time. He said, "The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened: "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” (Numbers 24:15-17)

Centuries later a group of wise men east of the Jordan River saw a star rising over Judah. They consulted their ancient scrolls and found the oracle of Balaam. The star which they saw rising over Judah meant that a new king had been born. This king would be powerful enough to destroy Moab. So they decided to travel to this new king with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh and to prostrate themselves before his throne. They made their way to Jerusalem for an audience with the king where they found out that the Wise Men of Israel were expecting a messiah, descended from David and born in Bethlehem. So the wise men continued on their way following the star and they came to a house in Bethlehem and a baby held by his mother, Mary. They prostrated themselves before the baby and presented him with their gifts. And this is the story of the wise men coming to Jesus.

We continue to have wise men and women today, wise people who are observant of the world around them, wise people who listen for God's word. Today’s wise people are the farmers who watch the calendar and measure the rainfall so they know when to plant and when to harvest. Today’s wise people teach students in our schools how to be wise. Today’s wise people pass on their wisdom to their children, grand children and great grand children. As we have seen one characteristic of a wise person is being receptive to what God is saying today.

One wise person we have today is Bill Gates. His development of Windows and other applications for the Personal Computer have revolutionized information flow around the world. Bill made billions of dollars and is one of the richest men in the world. Today he works full time blessing others as God has blessed him. He and his wife are giving their money away through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations. This foundation is guided by the wise principle that “every person deserves the chance to live a healthy, productive life.” So they fund programs to improve the health and productivity of people throughout the world. A wise visionary who saw the impact that a computer on every desk on the productivity and well being of everyone on the planet is now putting his wisdom to work blessing people who need it the most.

So if you are a wise person, and I know that many of you are very wise, then I urge you during this Christmas season to watch and listen for what God is doing in the world. Use your powers of observation to see God at work in the world around us, and listen carefully to what God is saying to us and how God is guiding us into our future. Your wise ancestor, Balaam, did this and realized that God was calling him not as a curse to Moab’s enemies, but as a blessing for everyone. So this Christmas season be a blessing to others just as God has blessed you. Amen.