We Shall Stand ~ Luke 3:1-8 ~ Second Sunday in Advent

Recently, a group of quantum physicists conducted an experiment that would resemble your typical school science class project...

They start out with two samples of pure water.  The first sample, they stored in bottles that were labeled with words that praised it for its beauty and purity.  The second sample was stored in bottles labeled with words and slogans that were nasty and demeaning. 

After several months, people drank the water from both bottles—and they noticed a difference.  The water with the nice labels was pure and refreshing; while the water with the nasty labels was cloudy and foul-tasting.

They went on to put samples under a microscope—and to no surprise, the molecules of the “nice water” were more orderly, while the “nasty water’s” molecules were all twisted and fuzzy.

This experiment is absolutely stunning—because we don’t think of water as something living, that words would have an impact on it.  But that’s exactly what happens! 

And you know what?  God does almost exactly the same with the waters of our baptism.  When we are baptized, God speaks over the water.  These are words that promise God’s unconditional love and forgiveness.  These are words that save us.  Even though we cannot see God’s power, or even to fully understand it, God is acting.  When God speaks, we will not be unaffected by it.

What great news this is—because there is so much that happens in life that tears us apart.  There are giants in our lives.  These giants are sicknesses and hurts; they are losses; they are fears; they are failures and regrets.  The greatest challenge of our faith is trusting in a God whom we cannot see in the presence of all these giants whom we cannot help but see...  Sometimes it is beyond belief that God is greater and more powerful than all these giants...

What giants are you facing today?

The third chapter of Luke’s Gospel begins with the naming of some of the giants who ruled during the time of Christ.  Some of these names will be familiar to us—like Pontius Pilate, King Herod, the Roman Emperor Tiberius, and the High Priests Annas and Caiaphas.  When hearing these names, the people in Jesus’ day  would be more than a little disturbed—because these were not nice people.  They were ruthless and corrupt.  They sat atop a political and religious system that exploited the common people for the benefit of themselves and a fortunate few.  And we will hear many of these names again—because they will be responsible for carrying out Jesus’ crucifixion.

But there’s a reason why Luke names these powerful men...   Luke sets them up—because God is about to knock them down!  A man by the name of John comes from the wilderness (in other words, from out of nowhere) to announce that the present order of things is about to be overturned.   God has taken on human flesh and walks upon the earth.  The world as we know it is about to be turned upside-down, and all the world sees the salvation of God.

For us, it all begins at our baptism.

The moment we are baptized, we are born anew.  Our baptism is the sign of God’s power washing over us and immersing us grace. 

We’re drawn out of a life that was dominated by fears and anxieties about what tomorrow will bring.  We’re drawn out of a life that was defined by our shortcomings and our failures.  And God uses each and every one of us to bring new life and healing to all that is broken and dead in the world.

Just because we cannot see God’s power—or understand how it works—does not mean that God isn’t working...

New life comes to us in the living Christ—and today, God is calling you to pay attention to what is underway.  That’s not always easy to do, especially when we’re under pressure; as the days bring more and more challenges; and most especially when we feel as though our prayers are going nowhere.

So today, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the changes and challenges of life; if you’re afraid of what tomorrow will bring; or if you’re struggling to keep the faith through it all, challenge yourself to do this:

Name the giants in your life.  Name your losses; name your worries; name your fears; name your pains.  Name your sins—and all the things that you’re struggling to let go of so you can live as a disciple of Jesus.  Stand them all up before God—so that Jesus can knock them all down and raise you up to new life.

And remember that you are baptized.  You are sealed with the sign of the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.  This means that there is a greater power at work in your life than the things that have you feeling broken, and weak, and afraid.  That power is the love of God.  And even though we can’t see it or understand how it works, there is no greater power in the world than God’s.

God is on our side.  All will be okay.