12-17-95	Go Tell John!	Isaiah 35:1-10

Return to Sermon Index	James 5:7-10

Matthew 11:2-11

One of the things about reading the Bible is that even though you may have read a passage again and again there is always something new that you can get out of it. And sometimes, if you're lucky (or blessed, depending upon your perspective), you might find something a scripture that few others have noticed, including scholars and authors of commentaries.

For instance, there is our Old Testament lesson for today. It is the beautiful account of how the desert and the wilderness will be transformed in the day of the Lord. "The desert will burst into bloom. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow."

Now, sometimes when I read the Bible I like to see what a commentary has to say about the passage. You can, after all, learn from what others have studied about the Bible. So, I turned to the Interpreter's One Volume Commentary, published by The United Methodist Publishing House and turned to the commentary for Isaiah 35. Immediately I noticed a heading, "Israel Restored and Renewed." And then I went on to read, "The land of Israel is transformed and receives all the blessings which belong to Lebanon and to Carmel and Sharon."

However, going back to the actual scripture, I read it very carefully and noticed that Isaiah wasn't talking about the transformation of Israel. Rather, he was talking about the transformation of the journey of God's people as they made their way to the Promised Land. It wasn't the Promised Land that was being changed. Rather, it was the wilderness, itself, the place of God's Holy Way that was being changed for all who wanted to come closer to God.

Now, when you think about it, this is a very profound concept. So often in our lives, and especially in our faith journey, we consider the goal of that journey to be far more important than the journey, itself. And, in fact, there are many churches that spend much more time talking about that goal than about the journey. And, of course, the goal is heaven. So, in these churches you will hear a lot about standing around God's throne, and sing hymns about streets of gold, and seeing Jesus face to face, and what it will be like "When We All Get to Heaven."

But, if we really pay close attention to what Isaiah is saying in our lesson for this morning, we will notice that much more attention is being given, not to the goal, but to the journey. We are told that the place of that journey will rejoice and blossom. Instead of being a place of drought, waters and streams will gush forth. And instead of being a place where we feel weak and afraid, feeble hands will be strengthened, weak knees that give way will be strengthened, and God will tell us not to be afraid.

Of course, most of us know that in Spiritual terms we are all on a journey. And life, itself, is that journey. And no one alive has completed that journey. Even those of us who believe in Jesus Christ are still on the Way. For Jesus, himself, said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me." So, even with Jesus in our hearts, we cannot say that we are complete, or that we have made it.

Nevertheless, the Church has always been burdened by those who do not accept this; who in their relationships with fellow Christians and even non-Christians act as though God's word began with them; or as though they have nothing left to learn; or as though they have everything all figured out. So, when something different, new, or challenging comes along they panic and refuse the opportunity for movement such occasions have to offer. These are the ones, then, who are stuck in their journey through the wilderness. Rather than progressing down the Highway of the Lord, they choose to find a safe place, perhaps anchoring themselves under a rock.

In the time of the writing of the 35th chapter of Isaiah, there were thousands of exiled Israelites looking forward to making their way back to the Promised Land. For them, everything between them and Jerusalem, including the place they were living, was wilderness - - nothing but barren, dry desert. And you can imagine how they must have felt when they thought about making that trip back home, again. But for many others, after being in exile for so many years, the trip back looked dangerous. And many of them felt that they were too old to make the journey. And, besides, they were getting used to their life in exile. In fact, some of them were doing pretty well just staying where they were. And, yet, Isaiah knew and God knew that unless they made their way back to the Promised Land their heritage as God's people, and the memory of their very existence, would be erased for all time.

So, Isaiah told his people who were afraid of the journey, not to be afraid. And he tells us to have courage, as well. For, in fact, the joys of the journey – the movement, the changes, the challenges, the hills and the valleys, and the fellowship along the way – can be well worth the goal of the trip, itself.

Now, as we continue though this season of Advent, I know that most of us are thinking about Christmas. But, an honest celebration of Advent demands that we talk about the other ways by which Christ comes to us. And, indeed, one way that Christ comes into our lives is when we receive Christ into our hearts. And another way that Christ comes to us is when we encounter God's Word in prayer, scripture study, or meditation. And another way that Christ comes to us is when we meet Christ in the life of a person in need, "for whenever you did it unto these, the least of God's children, you did it unto me." And, yet, another way that Christ comes to us is when we finish our course upon this earth and meet Christ face to face in heaven. And, finally, another way that Christ comes to us is when he returns at the end of the age.

The fact is that we Christians shouldn't discount any of the ways by which Christ comes into our lives. And while there may be those of us who are impatient and even believe the TV preachers' scenarios concerning the end by the year 2,000, we need to remember that there were those who were impatient back in New Testament times, as well. For instance, in our Epistle lesson for today there are James' words to the impatient Christians of his day: "Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming." Reminding them that waiting for the Lord's coming is like a farmer who must wait for his land to yield a crop, he tells them, "You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near."

Of course, that was 2,000 years ago – the end of the world hasn't come, yet. But, still, we should remember James' words to his fellow Christians: "Don't grumble against each other, or you will be judged. And the judge is standing at the door."

Now, that's an interesting thought. Remember how it was when you were in school? Do you remember how back in the seventh grade or so all the things that would happen if the teacher had to leave the room for a few minutes? I remember one class I was in where that happened one day. The school we were in had an intercom in it. The intercom came on and a voice said, "Mrs. Jones, you have a phone call in the office." Mrs. Jones looked up at the intercom, said "Thank you," and then headed out the door. Immediately, of course, the class jokers started to compete with each other in making funny noises. Several others started to throw paper airplanes. And, then, one of the braver wise guys in the class got out of his seat, went up to the black board and started to draw a caricature of the teacher. Now, what these idiots didn't realize was that this particular classroom was located across courtyard from the school office; and it was possible for anyone in the office to look out the window in the office and see everything that was going on in the class room. And, because the intercom had been left on, everyone in the school office – the principal, the secretary, the dean, and the teacher – could hear it as well. So, as the minutes ticked by and the class got crazier and crazier, and bolder and bolder, names were being written down in the office, and a record was being kept of who was being naughty or nice.

After ten minutes, or so, the teacher returned back to the classroom. Of course, the lookout at the door had warned the class that she was coming down the hallway. So, when she got to the class everyone was sitting quietly in his or her seat. But, to the dismay of the class jokers, the teacher started to read off a list of names of those who were to stay after school for a half hour or so to write sentences. They didn't realize that although the teacher was going to come back to the classroom, she (in effect) had never left.

And that is what James was talking about when he told his fellow Christians to behave themselves. For while they may be waiting for the judge to return, in effect, the Judge is standing at the door! He can see and hear everything that is going on in the room. God can see and hear everything that is going on in our lives.

So, the question is, "How are we treating one another as we go forth on this journey through the Wilderness?" With respect, I hope? Are we loving enough to help those who get stuck on the way? Are we patient with the lame and the blind and the fearful and with others who may get hurt along the way? Do we encourage one another as we make that journey?

I am reminded of the story of a woman by the name of Lillian Alling, a Russian immigrant living in the U.S. Back in the spring of 1927, this woman became very homesick and decided to return to her family in Russia. And, because she didn't have any money and wouldn't accept rides from strangers, she decided that she would have to make the 12,000 journey on foot. Equipped with maps, a knapsack and an iron rod for protection, the young lady passed through Chicago, Winnipeg, British Columbia, the Yukon and Alaska, arriving in Nome, Alaska, the halfway mark for her journey, in July 1929.

Not only had this young lady endured untold hardships, but she had lost her dog. After having been her pet and companion for a year, the little fellow had died back in the Yukon and she, unable to part with him, had had him stuffed. And, so, as she had traveled along, she pulled her stuffed dog and the rest of her belongings in a cart.

Soon after leaving Nome, Alaska, she was seen approaching Cape Prince of Wales (on the Bering Straits) and that was the last time anyone on this continent is known to have seen or heard of her. Apparently, she reached the Cape, as she had planned, purchased a boat and then rowed across the 36 miles of the Bering Straits to Siberia.

As amazing as that journey sounds, all of us are on just journeys that are just as amazing. We need only have faith that God is walking with us. And with God with us the journey and the wilderness, itself, is transformed.

Amen.