THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT DECEMBER 12, 2021

 

"The Gift of Amazing JOY”

Richmond Community UMC

Arnie Johnson, Guest Preacher

December 12, 2021

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 9:2-6
2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
³ You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.
⁴ For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.
⁵ Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.
⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Gospel Lesson: Luke 1:39-48
³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, ⁴⁰ where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” ⁴⁶ And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord ⁴⁷ and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, ⁴⁸ for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,

The Message: “The Amazing Gift of Joy”

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, our Lord, our Strength, and our Redeemer. Amen

        Has there ever been a time in your life when you were seized by an awareness of absolute Joy?  Perhaps you may remember such a time when all seemed right with Heaven and earth, and a feeling welled up within you of living in a moment of total perfection as the entire world seemed to assume a timeless glow of perfect beauty for a brief time.  Perhaps it was beside a still lake with the fish jumping in the early morning air and the water glowing with the radiance of a new dawn, that you first experienced Joy.  Or perhaps a moment of Joy seized your heart when you encountered the miracle of new birth as a parent. Or perhaps Joy first enveloped you on a perfect December day with the glow of evening moonlight dancing on the frosted sparkling fields like diamonds.  Or perhaps it was a Joy that entered your heart as a young child safe in the arms of caring mother or father at the end of a long day who covered you warmly, tucked you in for the night, and read your favorite bedtime story aloud before falling asleep.

Or perhaps Joy for you, like me, was experienced at Christmas- time caroling in my hometown neighborhood with my family. For me, singing those timeless Christmas carols to our friends and neighbors with my family brought an unforgettable Joy and as we shared the love of God on the streets of the small Kansas town I grew up in. [Details of organ in back of pickup truck]

The childhood Joy shared in those beautiful songs, transformed the prairie expanses of my Midwestern homeland into a place that seemed very close to heaven on Christmas Eve.  Well, whatever your experiences have been, I believe that we all, at one time or another, have experienced a brief moment of transcendent joy. For even in the worst of circumstances, the Word of God promises us that “weeping may endure for a night, but Joy cometh in the morning." Psalms 30:5 (KJV)

For Joy is, I believe, a sacred time and space where heaven and earth seem to fuse together for a moment, manifesting the presence of God. The prophet Isaiah describes such a moment when he says: “For you shall go out in JOY and be led forth in peace, and the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” (Isaiah 55:12) Likewise, Nehemiah reminds us, "This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep…… Do not grieve, for the JOY of the LORD is your strength."

Indeed, Joy is no less than a free gift the Holy Spirit wants to give to us all in this Advent Season wrapped in a beautiful surprise Advent package by God Almighty. Yet, true joy can only be born anew within us as we are willing and able to welcome the Christ child in our hearts once more. While this can be a difficult thing to do in these times of anxiety, hard times, stress, family and financial problems, and health challenges, such circumstances are not new. Indeed, it was in exactly such a time as ours of despair, terrorism, taxes, uncertainty, and great personal danger that Isaiah the prophet predicted in our Old Testament reading this morning that a time would come when all people walking in darkness will see a great light and on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light will dawn. For Isaiah prophesied that God Almighty will increase our Joy and many will rejoice, because "To us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."(Is. 9:2-6)

This prophecy remained unfulfilled for many long centuries of conflict and darkness, yet scripture tells us that in the fullness of time, it did indeed come to pass when Caesar Augustus ruled the world and the archangel Gabriel appeared to the terrified young Jewish virgin Mary and announced, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, Mary, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” (Lk.1:35-37)

While we have no doubt that Mary was very frightened by this announcement because of the reality of the Jewish Law which mandated terrible punishments in circumstances of adulterous or unwed birth, she bravely said "So be it" to the angel. Yet, Mary also wisely fled to her Aunt Elizabeth's home for refuge. So it is we find that prior to that first Christmas these two brave women were confronted by the choices of believing God's promises in terrifying circumstances OR giving up in fear and despair. Elizabeth risked death or permanent damage by giving birth for the first time at the advanced age of 60 or 70 as an old woman. Mary risked both ostracism and death by the possibility of giving birth outside of the marriage bond and being considered adulterous by her fiancé, Joseph. There can be no doubt potentially devastating circumstances surrounded them. What would they do? What would we do in similar circumstances?  What would you do? Personally, a reaction of Joy is the last thing I would think of. Yet, our gospel reading this morning states,

"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior..."  (Lk 1:41-47)

And so we find from the remarkable example of these two courageous women of God, the fact is that IF we believe God's promises and the angel's message that "With God nothing is impossible", then there is nothing that can take away God's advent gift of everlasting JOY. Those previous words are worth repeating: the fact is that IF we believe God's promises and the angel's message that "With God nothing is impossible", then there is nothing that can take away God's advent gift of everlasting JOY.

Happiness, in contrast, depends on our circumstances and what is around us in this world and, as such, is fleeting, temporary, and very fickle.  But JOY is the lasting gift of the Holy Spirit that can never be taken away.  Or, as a beautiful classic poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow called "Christmas Bells" states:

"I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat,
Of "Peace on earth, good will to men!"

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth", I said,
"For hate is strong
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men!"
 
Then peeled the bells more loud and deep;
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The wrong shall fail,
The right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men!"

 

          For both Peace and true Joy eternally exist without ending, and are not dependent on our circumstances. Indeed, the Old Testament prophet Isaiah wrote at a time of great difficulty and economic uncertainty in Israel that was much like our own time today, yet he wrote one of the most beautiful descriptions of Joy when he said, "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy."  It is amazing that Isaiah did not state we should merely “endure” in distress, but rather we should rejoice in the Lord and be joyful. Why?  Because Isaiah realized it is God who is the inexhaustible source and infinite supply of Joy. For the truth is, my friends, Joy cannot be bought, and happiness cannot be found permanently in worldly circumstances. It is true that “true Joy” is available to everyone who seeks it, even to those stripped of every material possession.  For lasting Joy is to be found in an individual and comes only through an intimate and personal relationship with the Lord in which it becomes possible for those of us who live in the worst of circumstances to rejoice in the God of our Salvation through Jesus Christ, our "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Is.)

For our Sovereign loving Lord, my friends, is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  For God still stands and moves among us right here in Richmond and anywhere we are through the Holy Spirit, offering triumph over all difficult circumstances to those who trust in Him.  Although the missions of both Elizabeth and Mary were not easy ones, they were certainly triumphant ones. All their potential reactions of cowardliness seem to have been swallowed up by confidence in God. Any fear was transformed into faith. Yet, Mary could have chosen to become an anxious insecure timid complainer. However, she chose to become a joyous messenger of God, brilliant song writer, and mother of the Messiah. In spite of the dangers, God lifted her up and strengthened her with the bountiful blessings of Joy.           How then do we receive this Advent gift of Joy that God wants to give us today? Has Jesus not said, “Ask and you shall receive"? Do not be afraid then in this sacred season to ask and seek for Joy. For you will find all the power and strength you can ever need in God’s gift of Joy. And so it is God waits eagerly today to grant infinite Joy to each of us releasing all the love, hope, peace, and strength we will ever desire in these trying times. For the victory over exhaustion, weariness, sickness, despair, bondage, addictions, loss, grief, oppression, and discouragement is indeed ours in Christ Jesus if we would only seek and believe. Together then, let us ask, seek, and knock! For all things are possible if we believe God's promises are still true today that our Savior has indeed come to bring "Good News that will cause great joy for all people.... This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Lk. 2)

So may it be. Amen