[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 10B: "John, the Baptist"

[Joe Parrish]

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-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Jul 14, 2018 8:54 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 10B: "John, the Baptist"



DearFriends,
 
ThisSunday’s sermon is entitled “John, the Baptist!” and deals with the gospel (Mark6:14-29).  Here it is:  
 
This morning we heardabout one of the strangest characters in the Bible- John the Baptist.  He was the last of the Old Covenant prophetsand had the job of preparing the way for Jesus. Even his beginnings were unusual. John’s parents, Elizabeth and Zechariah, were childless and way too oldto have children.  Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin and Zechariah wasa priest in the temple.  One day,Zechariah was doing his job in the temple when the angel Gabriel appeared andtold him that he and his wife would have a baby, who was to be named John.  Zechariah doubted the angel, so he was struckdumb.  Shortly after this incident andagainst all odds, Elizabethbecame pregnant.  It’s obvious thatZechariah and Elizabeth were accepting, compassionate people because after theVirgin Mary became pregnant, she spent some time with them- probably to gaincourage to face everyone when she began to “show.”  Well, in due time the child promised toZechariah and Elizabethwas born; and when he was circumcised and presented in the temple, everyone wasabout to name him “Zechariah” after his father. It was the custom of the day to name children after a relative.  Zechariah still could not speak, so he communicatedby writing, “His name is John.” Immediately, Zechariah’s speech impediment vanished.  Those watching these happenings wondered whatkind of a man this “John” would turn out to be.
            Theywere wise to wonder, because this “John”, actually “John the Baptist” was trulyunusual- many must have wondered about his sanity.  While others lived in comfortable houses, helived in the desert.  While othersdressed fashionably (or at least comfortably), he wore an itchy camelskin.  While others ate fish and breadand occasionally some meat, he ate what he could find- usually locusts and wildhoney.  He spent his time baptizingpeople in the Jordan River, giving them asecond chance to enter the Promised Land following God’s way.  As you recall, Jesus (John’s second cousin)was baptized by John.  When he wasn’tbaptizing, he was preaching.  Heencouraged the common people to repent and return to God, but he infuriatedthose in power by calling them “snakes”- not a very good way to get ahead.  When King Herod married his sister-in-law,John condemned the whole affair. Needless to say, he had many enemies in high places.  Herod was so angry with John’s meddling thathe threw him in prison.  While John wasthere he must have experienced a period of doubt, because he sent some of hisfollowers to ask Jesus if he was really the Messiah, or was he going throughall of this imprisonment for nothing. Jesus sent them back with the message that the deaf hear, the blind see,the lame walk, and the poor have the good news preached to them- in otherwords- the Jubilee message.
One of John’s most dangerousenemies was Herodias, the sister-in-law whom King Herod married.  One day, Herod threw a party (actually abirthday banquet).  After all the men atthe party were drunk, Salome (daughter of Herodias) really turned them on withher dancing.  Herod was so impressed thathe promised her anything she wanted, even half of his kingdom.  Salome asked her mother what she shouldrequest, and the answer came back clearly: “Ask for the head of John theBaptist on a platter.”  Since Heroddidn’t want to look like a fool in front of his friends by going back on hisword, that’s just what happened.
Out of the strange life ofone of God’s greatest prophets, what’s the message for us?  Here are five thoughts:
1)      John didn’t follow the crowdand neither should we.  Don’t worry whateveryone expects you to do.  Instead, betrue to yourself and your Christian values- especially “Love one another asmuch as I have loved you.
2)      Be careful about judgingpeople by their appearances- these days: tattoos, piercings, drooping pants,hair, etc.  Look, if John the Baptistwalked in here right now, I’m here to tell you that we’d probably get a littlenervous because (to put it mildly) he’d look different.  Actually, we’d probably wonder if we had acrazy man in here!  If we didn’t take himseriously, we would have missed one of the holiest people in the Bible.  Remember, Jesus comes to us in otherpeople.  (“Whatever you do to the leastof these, my sisters or brothers, you do to me.”)  Don’t diminish anyone just because of how helooks or talks or what she wears.
3)      We love second chances forourselves.  As God has given us manysecond chances, so must we do the same for others.
4)      Watch those promises.  Be careful about making them, and if yourealize you’ve made an unloving one- face up to it and risk looking foolish,but don’t keep it.  Love, not honor, isour Christian expectation.
5)      If you meet people whoaren’t quite sure about this “Jesus event,” be kind.  Remember, even John had his doubts when timeswere hard and he was in prison.
 
May God bless us as we try to faithfullyfollow our Lord in this difficult world.
 
For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updatedAfrican-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under“Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org.
 
Blessedpreaching,
JudyBoli
St.Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw,Michigan

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