“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has Come Near”
Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ December 5, 2010
Second Sunday of Advent with Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
Scripture: Matthew 3:1-12
The Greek word John uses in this passage, we translate as “repentance.” It refers to far more than a simply being or saying one is sorry for past sins, far more than mere regret or remorse for such sins. It refers to a turning away from the past way of life and the inauguration of a new one. In the 1970’s there was a musical production that was written, produced and performed by students at Carnegie Mellon University. Later it moved to La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in Greenwich Village. It was then re-scored for an off-Broadway production which became a long-running success. You might know it as Godspell. One of the songs refers to this understanding of repentance; “Turn Back Oh Man.” It was an adaptation of an old hymn. Turning away from what leads us to sin and turning toward what leads to righteousness. Never an easy task.
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
SERMON
Perhaps the best and simplest definition of "repentance" comes from Richard Jensen in Touched by the Spirit. He connects it to baptism: The daily baptismal experience has many names. It may be called repentance. Unfortunately, repentance is often understood as an "I can" experience. "I am sorry for my sins. I can do better. I can please you, God." So often we interpret repentance as our way of turning to God. That cannot be. Christianity is not about an individual turning to God. Christianity is about God turning to us.
So repentace is not a onetime vent. In repenting, therefore, we ask the God who has turned towards us, buried us in baptism and raised us to new life, to continue his work of putting us to death. Repentance is an "I can't" experience. To repent is to volunteer for death. Repentance asks that the "death of self" which God began to work in us in baptism continue to this day. The repentant person comes before God saying, "I can't do it myself, God. Kill me and give me new life. You buried me in baptism. Bury me again today. Raise me to a new life." That is the language of repentance. Repentance is a daily experience that renews our baptism.
It is the greates value to Christians to visit the stable, the mountain, the garden, the corss and the tomb to hear Jesus' story over and over, because our own will lead us away form God. "Turn back, oh man, and foreswear your foolish ways." Like a driver who missed a turn, we need to turn back to the way of Christ. Looking into the image in our review mirror we realize we have once again missed the turn and have to turn back, retrace our steppes. But in life we cannot go back to who we were, so how do we turn back? John says, "Repent (or turn back) for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near." We need to look for a sign post that their is a new direction we can take. One that says, "turn this way to the kingdom of God." From Jesus' teachings we know eveyone is invited: from east and west, north and south, and every kind is gathered into the net, the weeds and the wheat are allowed to grow together, faith as small as mustard seed can do wondrous things in the kingdom of heaven, you must be a child to enter it, it is like a great banquet or a marriag feast. I f we use Jensen's image of asking God to kill off our old life, we see how radical kingdom living is! John says, "Bear fruit worthy of repentance." In the kingdom of heaven we recommit ourselves to God's Lordship every day. When we can't find our way, we pray because we can't do it, but God can!
At the table of the Lord, all our excusees die and we are given new life in Christ Jesus. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Resources: Touched by the Spirit by Richard Jensen, 1975, Augsburg Pubishing House p.49
See: Matthew 8:11, 13: 29&31 and 22:2
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