Last week I talked about John, the Baptist, who came to prepare the way for Jesus. He baptized people in the water and warned them to repent and turn from their sinful ways. In last week’s Gospel he was calling the Pharisees and Sadducees, “you brood of vipers”. In today’s Gospel we have John in prison. You may remember that John, keeping with his strict moral teachings, told Herod that it was not lawful for him to take Herodias, his brother’s wife, to be his wife; therefore, John was arrested and put in prison—and later was beheaded at the request of Herodias and her daughter. So here is John, Jesus’ cousin, sitting in prison and wondering if Jesus is really the Messiah.

John and Jesus were such different men. John’s character was much more austere, more in the tradition of Elijah. He preached strong words of judgment. And of course he expected Jesus to be more that type of Messiah. He had preached that the “Coming One” would baptize in the Spirit and the fire, casting the wicked into a furnace of fire (3:10-12). And instead Jesus was more a social person, eating and drinking with all kinds of people. Rather than harsh judgments, Jesus showed compassion and mercy. The Gospel of Matthew was written for a community of believers that included both Jews and Gentiles. There were many tensions amongst his followers and probably one of their conflicts concerned the character of the Messiah. Just as in our day Christians believe different things about what God is telling us through Jesus, John and his disciples had lots of doubts. A lot of people were confused about Jesus. So many expected a Messiah who would be like a fancy King, wearing lavish robes and ruling from a fancy palace. Instead Jesus, the Messiah, focused on those that were marginal, vulnerable, sometimes even invisible. He himself was homeless and gathered about him disciples that were far from polished, well-educated men.

When John sent his messenger to ask Jesus if he were the one to come or should they look for another, Jesus answered him by pointing to the many transforming actions of his ministry, the same transformations, upside down, reversals that Isaiah had prophesized in our OT reading for today.

Isaiah says that the eyes of the blind shall be opened; Jesus says the blind receive their sight;

Isaiah says that the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped; Jesus says the deaf hear;

Isaiah says the lame shall leap like a deer; Jesus says the lame walk and so forth.

It’s pretty amazing how many times attention is drawn to the poor and marginalized, those forgotten by the world in the 3 scriptures for today. It’s about 18 times! The Psalmist echoes Isaiah in proclaiming these great changes: The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down…he upholds the orphan and the widow. Both scriptures promise everlasting joy and gladness. And then Jesus answers John by telling the messenger to convey to John what he sees and what he hears. He continues in describing how the lepers are cleansed, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.

The God of the Christian Christmas, not the God of the shopping malls, cares passionately about all those folks that society pushes to the shadows, beyond the borders. This Christ child that came to be born on earth over 2000 years ago represents a God of tenderness and love who wants to seek out and find all who are lost and in pain and bring them the hope and joy of Advent. At one time or another, just about every one of us fits into this category of being lost and in pain. Most of us have been in one kind of a desert or another. That desert that Isaiah was referring to was a place of dryness, deadness, parched land and parched souls. I’m sure it won’t take very long for you to remember such a desert experience, in the past or the present. For some there are relational deserts.* In my first marriage I had been struggling for several years to try to pick up the pieces from betrayals of several kinds. I was experiencing a lot of dead and dry places. Things may have looked okay on the outside, but underneath there was much pain. It was between Thanksgiving and Christmas that my two children and I moved out of the house leaving my husband and their father behind. We had both been so in love, so committed to the idea of marriage but somehow in spite of much counseling and many promises, I knew I had to separate, hoping at that time that the marriage could still be saved. That was a sad Christmas; the next six months, leading up to a decision to divorce, were tumultuous and so painful for everyone concerned. I was so thankful that I had my strong faith to see me through.

For some there are serious economic deserts. In these times, economic recession and depression can lead many folks to such a desert. What seemed like a secure job and a comfortable retirement suddenly went down the drain, for no fault of your own. For many people who continue working, problems such as the high cost of health care and shelter can lead to quite a wilderness or desert.

Others of us are experiencing pain because of losses; it may be the death of a close family member, a divorce, or even the separation either emotionally or by distance of those we love. It may be the loss of functioning we mourn as we grow older and can’t do the things we use to do. There’s also loss of position and feelings of competence. For many there are serious illnesses that interfere with the way one wants to live. Yes, my brothers and sisters, there are so many kinds of hurt and pain. I truly believe that God is concerned with our pain, our burdens. It doesn’t matter if we are rich or poor or in between. God is there to walk with us on our journey. I love the verse later in this chapter of Matthew where Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for …you will find rest for your souls.” Mt. 11:28-29.

How does this all fit in with this 3rd Advent Sunday that is designated the Sunday of joy? So many people feel that at Christmas they have to feel happy or something is wrong with them. In my opinion it’s so important to look at both the ups and the downs, the happy times and the sad times. That is one of the reasons I have felt called to do a special Blue Christmas where we can look at situations that are not all happy and fun AND STILL FEEL THE JOY. Denying one’s less-than- happy feelings does not help in the end. If there is harshness in your life right now, I am not promising you that Christmas will make it all better. It often seems to make it worse. What I do believe is that what we say to ourselves about the situation, what our attitudes and actions are can go a long way to leading us out of the desert. Let me tell you about two elderly women, both with severe physical limitations that I use to visit. The first one was a visit that I always dreaded. She was so bitter, so angry, so filled with her own unhappiness and wanting someone else to fix her, that no matter what I said, she continued to complain and be unhappy. The second woman had recently had both her legs amputated. She always asked about me and my well being, in the same way that Kay Bliss use to do. She was interested in what was happening and was excited and enthusiastic about all the crocheting, knitting she was doing to make things for other people. As you can imagine, she always had a lot of visitors. It was joy to be in her presence.

THE PROMISE OF NEW LIFE IS IN THE DESERT. I always remember that the Chinese symbol for crisis is a combination of the symbols for danger and opportunity. In the midst of wondering, “ why me, Lord”, it is possible to feel that inner joy that Christmas is all about. Isaiah says that the desert shall rejoice and blossom, like the crocus or the rose; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. He talks about a highway that shall be called the Holy Way for God’s people. And they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (from 35:8-10)

Yes, Jesus is the one to come. It is Jesus that we wait for during this Advent. John was expecting a fire and brimstone type of leader and was confused by the gentle, healing Jesus. Through the love of God come down to earth in Jesus, we can be changed, and through our love, we can change the world, starting with whomever or whatever is in front of us. I pray that you will let the Messiah be born into your heart this Christmas. Amen and God bless you all.