��.and the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness� � they may appear to be nothing special but they are very powerful words, not so much on there own but in the context of today�s gospel reading from Luke. We are confronted in today�s Gospel with a list of powerful rulers � the reason for the inclusion of their names is because the gospel writer wanted to ensure that we were aware that God had chosen John for a particular purpose. God could have chosen any of the powerful rulers who were named at the start of the reading and His word could have come to them in any of the big cities like Rome for instance. But instead the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness and he did, in fact, go down in history as greater than any of the rulers mentioned in today�s Gospel. It just goes to show that, to God, the important thing is not how much power we have, or how much wealth we have or even how we look on the outside. If we focus only on these things then we will fail to appreciate some of the people who God is really working through. Greatness is not measured by what we have but by our faith and trust in God in committing ourselves totally to Him and allowing His power to work through us. At first sight John the Baptist was thought to be a very strange man � his clothing was odd, the food he ate was strange and the message he preached was considered very unusual. Despite this the people came to see John in their hundreds � some may have gone because they were just inquisitive at first but many hundreds listened to his message and repented. At the time of John�s appearance, although the Jews were not physically in exile, they were suffering politically � their land had been divided under various rulers. They were suffering under the Jewish law when the Romans replaced their High Priest Annas � the reason being that under the Jewish Law a High Priest was appointed for life so in their eyes they couldn�t accept anybody else in that role. So you could say that things were not going at all well with the Israelites and they themselves were stuck in a wilderness of their own. Additionally many years had gone by since there had been any messengers from God which resulted in them lacking any kind of inspiration or vision of hope for the future. They seemed to have forgotten all that God had done for them in the past. John was able to give them the vision and hope that they so needed. In referring to the passage in Isaiah they were reminded not only of how God had brought them out of exile in Babylon but of the need to be baptized as a sign of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Even more importantly was his message that salvation was for everybody and not just the Jews and this equally applies to us today but especially now as we begin to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ during the weeks of Advent. Whenever we go through times of trouble these can also be referred to as wilderness experiences and whether we like it or not we do need God in that equation if we are going to survive these wilderness experiences. We also need to be reminded , like the Israelites were, of all that God has done for us in the past and how he has comforted and helped us in our previous struggles but especially how we have come through them feeling stronger. I particularly found this to be the case while I was training to be a Reader and to be honest I lost count in the end of how many wilderness experiences I had during that time. The important factor was that I survived these, just - not under my own steam I might add but with the help of God, who gave me the support and strength I needed at that time. During Advent we are asked to reflect on our life and all that has happened in the past year � to face our own wildernesses and to allow the word of God to come to us in our wilderness experiences and to strengthen us in the process. It is important that we face the darker side of our lives as it is through this experience that we come to realise our true need of God and will fully appreciate the Advent period which points to Jesus� return on the Last Day. In allowing God into our lives we gradually notice that those weaknesses no longer seem so daunting and those failures no longer seem so important. Needless to say God does sometimes choose to work through us in our wilderness experiences but in so doing He uses each situation to our benefit giving us the courage to face whatever we are experiencing at that time but also to strengthen us in a particular trait of our character. It may be that you are going through a wilderness time at the moment or possibly may do in the future. This, as I know from personal experience, can be a really uncomfortable and scary place to be at but God has never told us that our lives would be hassle free. He has told us, however, that he will never leave us and that no matter what we are experiencing He will be alongside us every step of the way. I would just like to refer to Paul�s words today in his letter to the Philippians � �I am quite certain that the One who began this good work in you will see that it is finished when the Day of Christ Jesus comes�. In other words no matter what we are going through now God has a plan and purpose for us and is working through us right now whether we realise it or not. Things may not always happen when or how we would like them to happen and there again there will be situations that we would rather not have to experience at all. These are, nevertheless, necessary and we can be assured that God has our best interest at heart, whether or not we agree with Him. We only have to look at Moses to see that it took God 40 years to prepare him for his leadership and the fact that it was in the wilderness that this took place. Moses� years in the wilderness must have seemed unending but it was exactly in that very place that he encountered God in the burning bush and also learned to recognise the voice of God. It was through his wilderness experience that Moses was able to protect and lead Israel through the desert and having been born into slavery he already had the compassion needed to carry out this task. An important lesson from this then is about not running away from our past but learning from it Just as God used John and Moses in the wilderness, he also wants to use each one of us to tell others of Christ�s coming and that salvation is for everybody. God wants this to be where we are at now, whether it is in our homes, at work or even out in the community. The question is are we prepared to step out in faith right where we are now so that we can share our Christian experiences with those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ. We can all do this but not by our own power. God can work the same wonders in us as he did in John the Baptist. A final thought - �God does not always change circumstances, but he may often change us.� CLOSING PRAYER Lord we ask that you will help us to be confident and able to put our trust fully in you, not only in the good times, but in our wilderness times as well. We pray that you use this time of Advent to prepare us and build us up spiritually in order that we may grow through your strength in us and will achieve your purpose within us. Amen |
| SERMON (Based on Luke 3 v 1-6) - Wilderness Experience |