WHAT SHALL WE DO? WE HAVE HEARD THAT QUESTION MANY TIMES BEFORE AND WE HAVE ASKED IT MANY TIMES. WHAT SHALL WE DO? USUALLY IT WAS A TIME OF CRISIS THAT REQUIRED ACTION, AND THE QUESTION HAD NO EASY ANSWERS. THERE WERE DECISIONS TO BE MADE AND ACTION TO BE TAKEN, BUT THE ALTERNATIVES WERE FUZZY, NONE OF THEM ATTRACTIVE. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A PERSONAL CRISIS WHEN OUR CHOICE COULD HAVE ALTER OUR LIVES. THESE QUESTIONS AROSE AND CAUSED THE CRISIS THAT JOHN FACED AS HE WENT INTO THE WHOLE COUNTRY ROUND ABOUT THE JORDAN PROCLAIMING BAPTISM AS A MARK OF COMPLETE CHANGE OF HEART; REPENT! (CHANGE YOUR WAY OF THINKING), AND THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, AS THE BOOK OF ISAIAH SAYS-
THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS
MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD,
MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT
EVERY VALLEY SHALL BE FILLED,
AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL SHALL BE BROUGHT LOW:
AND THE CROOKED SHALL BE MADE STRAIGHT,
AND THE ROUGH WAYS SMOOTH:
AND ALL FLESH SHALL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD.
SO JOHN USED TO SAY TO THE CROWDS WHO CAME OUT TO BE BAPTIZED BY HIM.
" WHO WARNED YOU, YOU SERPENT'S BROOD, TO ESCAPE FROM THE WRATH TO COME? SEE THAT YOU DO SOMETHING TO SHOW THAT YOUR HEARTS ARE REALLY CHANGED! DON'T START THINKING THAT YOU CAN SAY TO YOURSELVES, ' WE ARE ABRAHAM'S CHILDREN,' FOR I TELL YOU THAT GOD COULD PRODUCE CHILDREN OUT OF THESE STONES!
THE AXE ALREADY LIES AT THE ROOT OF THE TREE, AND THE TREE THAT FAILS TO PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT IS CUT DOWN AND THROWN INTO THE FIRE.
THEN THE CROWDS WOULD ASK HIM, " THEN WHAT SHALL WE DO?"
GOOD QUESTION, ISN'T IT!
WHAT SHALL WE DO?
BEYOND REPENTANCE, THEN WHAT? CONFRONTED BY CHRIST AS WE ARE NOW-THE CHRIST OF BETHLEHEM , THE CHRIST OF CALVARY, THE RISEN CHRIST, THE RULING CHRIST, THE CHRIST WHO CAME TO GIVE HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM, THE CHRIST WHO COMES IN WORD AND SACRAMENT, THE CHRIST WHO COMES AGAIN TO GATHER IN THE WHEAT AND BURN THE CHAFF-WHAT SHALL WE DO?
BEYOND THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE TASTED THE LORD AND KNOW THAT HE IS GRACIOUS IN HIS COMING, SLOW TO WRATH, MERCIFUL, FORGIVING-WHAT SHALL WE DO?
WE CAN TURN OUR FACES TOWARD HIM. WE CAN TURN OUR BACKS AGAINST HIM.
HIS COMING IS A CRISIS SITUATION FOR EACH ONE OF US. ETERNITY IS IN THE BALANCE.
WHAT SHALL WE DO?
NATURALLY WE HAVE A FEW IDEAS, AND I DO MEAN NATURALLY. THE CHRIST WHOSE WAY THE PREACHER IN THE WILDERNESS PREPARED HAS COME, BUT IF THE CHRIST HAS NEVER COME TO US, WE HAVE A FEW IDEAS NATURALLY, WE, TOO, CAN SLITHER LIKE A BROOD OF VIPERS FROM THE FIRE IN THE GRASS THAT SHELTERS US. WE CAN RUSH FOR REFUGE TO THE DRAWS WHERE WE KEEP OUR SACRED PAPERS, OUR BAPTISMAL RECORDS, WAVE THEM IN HIS FACE. WE CAN CLIMB THE LADDER TO THE TOP SHELVE OF THE BOOK SHELVES, TAKE THE BIBLE DOWN FROM ITS EXALTED PERCH, AND QUICKLY RUMMAGE THROUGH THE PAGES FOR A MAGIC WORD. WE CAN GO BACK TO CHURCH AGAIN AND MUMBLE THROUGH OUR LITURGIES, CONFESSIONS, PRAYERS. THAT'S A DRASTIC STEP, BUT IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO FLEE THE WRATH TO COME, TO GET SHAPED UP PROPERLY ADJUSTED, OR IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO ESCAPE THE CRISIS OF THE MOMENT, SO LET IT BE. WE HAVE OUR LITTLE RITUALS AND OUR TRADITIONAL SECURITIES THAT HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY DESIGNED TO GIVE THE MAXIMUM GOOD FEELING AT A MINIMUM OF INCONVENIENCE. WE CAN ARRANGE THIS OD BIT AND RELIGION ON THE EASY-PAYMENT PLAN, AND SPREAD IT OUT ACROSS THE YEARS SO THAT IT CAN'T COMMAND TOO LARGE A CHUNK OF OUR RESOURCES EVERY MONTH. AND THAT WAY, TOO, WE CAN BUILD UP EQUITY IN HEAVEN FOR THE DAY WE RETIRE. WHAT SHALL WE DO? NATURALLY, WE HAVE FEW IDEAS AND EACH ONE US COULD PROBABLY LIST MORE. WE ARE ADEPT AT PLAYING ROMAN WAR GAMES WITH THE LORD, EACH OF US BEHIND HIS SHIELD THAT KEEPS A WORD FROM GETTING AT US. AGAIN I SAY: PREPARE THE WAY: " WHAT SHALL WE DO? BUT PERHAPS YOU WILL RECALL THAT DAY IN ANCIENT ISRAEL WHEN IT WAS NECESSARY TO SELECT A MAN WHO WOULD SUCCEED SAUL AS KING. AND THE LORD SENT SAMUEL TO BETHLEHEM TO A MAN NAMED JESSE, FATHER OF 8 SONS, ONE OF WHOM WAS GOD'S OWN CHOICE. '' WHEN SAMUEL SAW THE FIRST OF JESSE' SONS HE WAS IMPRESSED AND THOUGHT THAT SURELY THIS YOUNG MAN WAS THE APPOINTED ONE. BUT THE LORD TOLD SAMUEL, THE "PROPHET," " DO NOT LOOK ON HIS APPEARANCE, OR HIS HEIGHT OR STATUE. I HAVE REJECTED HIM. THE LORD SEES NOT AS A MAN SEES. MAN LOOKS ON THE APPEARANCE, BUT THE LORD LOOKS ON THE HEART. THAT MAY HAVE BEEN A DAY IN ANCIENT ISRAEL, BUT IT ISN'T REALLY ANCIENT. GOD STILL LOOKS ON THE HEART, NOT TH APPEARANCE. DOWN THE CENTURIES TO JOHN THE BAPTIST-THAT'S WHAT HE SAID, TOO. THERE WERE THE PHARISEES AND THE SADDUCEES WHO HEARD HIS WARNING CRY AND WHO REPLIED, " WE ARE THE SONS OF ABRAHAM. WE ARE HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE. GOD MADE A COVENANT WITH US. HE IS OUR PRIVATE PIECE OF REAL ESTATE, AND WE ARE NOT ABOUT TO STAND BY WHILE YOU CONFISCATE IT" BUT GOD WILL NOT BE HAD THAT WAY. WHEN WE ARE BROUGHT BEFORE GOD, WE ARE NOT STANDING AT A BARGAIN COUNTER. REFUGE CAN'T BE PURCHASED WITH A PENNY. THE PHARISEES AND THE SADDUCEES WERE SONS OF ABRAHAM COULD CARRY NO MORE WEIGHT THAN THAT WE HAVE OUR NAMES DRAPED PRETTILY ACROSS THE PAGES OF A MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY AND THAT WE HAVE MARTIN LUTHER AS OUR GUIDE. CHRIST IS NO LONGER IN THE MANGER. HE IS ON THE THRONE. HE IS NO LONGER BABY JESUS. HE IS KING OF ALL.
AND WE MEET HIM NOW- HE COMES TO US IN HIS WORD? INDEED! AND IN HIS HOLY SUPPER? CENTAINLY! BUT HE WILL NOT BE BOXED INSIDE THE COVERS OF A CATECHISM, OR WRAPPED IN WORDS OF CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED DOCTRINES'
(RABBI HERSHEL PUTS IN INTO PERSPECTIVE, WHEN HE SAYS:
GOD IS GREATER THAN RELIGION;
FAITH IS GREATER THAN DOGMA!
THE PREACHER JOHN THE BAPTIST, IS HIS OWN BEST ILLUSTRATION OF THE ANSWER TO OUR QUESTION, "WHAT SHALL WE DO?" HIS LIFE WAS CHRIST'S. HE COULDN'T CLAIM IT AS HIS OWN. " ONE MIGHTIER THAN I IS COMING
I AM NOT WORTHY TO UNTIE THE LACES OF HIS SANDALS." HE MUST INCREASE. I MUST DECREASE" JOHN'S LIFE WAS AT GOD'S DISPOSAL. " WHAT THEN SHALL I DO?
VIGILANCE IS ESSENTIAL
No comments:
Post a Comment