Manuscript for Advent 3

INVOCATION

P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

 

HYMN OF INVOCATION

1 O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear. Refrain

ref Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

2 O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who ord’rest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go. Refrain

3 O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times didst give the Law
In cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain

4 O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,
Free them from Satan’s tyranny
That trust Thy mighty pow’r to save,
And give them vict’ry o’er the grave. Refrain

Text: Public domain

 

INTROIT Psalm 85:1–2, 6, 8; antiphon: Philippians 4:4–5

Rejoice in the Lord | always;*
again I will | say, Rejoice.
Let your reasonableness be known to | everyone.*
The Lord | is at hand.
Lord, you were favorable | to your land;*
you restored the fortunes of | Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your | people;*
you covered | all their sin.
Will you not revive | us again,*
that your people may re- | joice in you?
Let me hear what God the | Lord will speak,*
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to | folly.
Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*
and to the Holy | Spirit;
as it was in the be- | ginning,*
is now, and will be forever. | Amen.
Rejoice in the Lord | always;*
again I will | say, Rejoice.
Let your reasonableness be known to | everyone.*
The Lord | is at hand.

 

COLLECT OF THE DAY

 

P Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

C Amen.

 

(Sit)

 

OLD TESTAMENT READING Isaiah 40:1–11

¹Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
²Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
³A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
⁴Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
⁵And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

⁶A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
⁷The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
⁸The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.

⁹Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
¹⁰Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
¹¹He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.

 

A This is the Word of the Lord.

 

 

EPISTLE 1 Corinthians 4:1–5

¹This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. ²Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. ³But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. ⁴I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. ⁵Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

 

A This is the Word of the Lord.

 

HOLY GOSPEL

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the eleventh chapter.

 

²When John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples ³and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” ⁴And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: ⁵the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. ⁶And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

⁷As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. ⁹What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰This is he of whom it is written,

“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’

¹¹Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

 

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

 

 

APOSTLES’ CREED

C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

     maker of heaven and earth.

 

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,

     who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

     born of the virgin Mary,

     suffered under Pontius Pilate,

     was crucified, died and was buried.

     He descended into hell.

     The third day He rose again from the dead.

     He ascended into heaven

     and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

     From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

 

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

     the holy Christian Church,

          the communion of saints,

     the forgiveness of sins,

     the resurrection of the body,

     and the life T everlasting. Amen.

 

“Least in the Kingdom of Heaven” Matthew 11:11

 

Grace, Mercy and Peace are yours from God our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus says in Matthew 11:11 “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

When you read the Bible, you will from time to time, come across a phrase that is hard to “get”, hard to understand. Often it’s just because we are reading literature from an ancient time and a different culture. We need to learn the background. A pastor or professional scholars may fill in some of the ideas going on in the original setting that makes the passage make sense. Often it’s just our own fault for misunderstanding. We come to God’s word with some prejudice, some strong feelings about the way things ought to be and if the Bible contradicts our pre-conceived ideas, we say “What! I don’t get it.”

In this passage here today, Jesus seems to put down John the Baptist. He’s not the greatest. The weakest, lowliest, least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist. Almost anybody else might be greater than he. Who is the greatest? Jesus once answered that by picking up this child, some random kid, a rug rat who must have been running around in the midst of the disciples and others gathered around. Who is the greatest?  Jesus puts forth a child.

That’s a surprising answer to us. It was more surprising to the folks back then. In the ancient middle-east a “child” wasn’t “cute”. Children were not the representative example or ideal of innocence and purity. Instead a child was just there, a burden if anything, because you have to take care of a child, until he or she grows up enough to actually do something, contribute something to the family and the community.

So Jesus really turns the thing on its head. He says that in His view and in His Kingdom the “greatest” are those who most need care, those who are most a burden. All those people that Jesus was serving by opening their blind eyes and deaf ears, healing arms and legs and disabled spines, these people whom we pity as the least, are according to Jesus the greatest. The ones we honor and respect and admire, heroes like John the Baptist, in the Kingdom of heaven, they are the weakest.

John sent messengers to question Jesus, “Are you the one?” Apparently John had some doubts recently.  Doubts can make a person turn inward, and be self-centered. Instead of questioning Jesus, John should be serving him and others. The crowds were all worked up because John was in prison. Instead of worrying they should have been caring about the suffering of the weak ones in their midst. In serving others, we learn what the kingdom of heaven is all about.

It might strike you as strange at first that John the Baptist has to ask if Jesus really is the one that believers had been waiting for. Wasn’t it obvious? Jesus tells him, “Look! The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.” That’s what the Kingdom of heaven looks like when the King is doing what He does.

So John’s question reveals that he has a different prejudice, a different preconceived idea about what the kingdom is and how it comes. Did he want a flashier Messiah? A more powerful Savior? The kingdom is coming, but is it coming fast enough? The fire is lit, but is it burning hot enough to consume the sinners and the enemies of good?

Jesus didn’t come to rise to power and glory and lift up all his best people with him. He wasn’t giving John the Baptist, nor any of the disciples, power, authority, glory. You’d expect Him to enjoy when success comes, and share that success with those most likely to succeed. But no. He turns to the blind, the lame, the deaf, the poor, those that others might overlook or avoid, even be a little squeamish about. Jesus is not squeamish to touch the leper to heal, to pay attention to the beggar, to help the broken, to go up to the dead and raise them, to love the sinner and give all kinds of undeserved blessings to the undeserving.

Then Jesus turns on the crowd. They too had their preconceived ideas about what the Kingdom of Heaven should be. Why did they go out to hear John the Baptists preaching? What were they expecting to get out of it? “Something comfortable, in nice clothing?” Jesus asks. Don’t listen for what is just going to fit your preconceived ideas, your strong feelings that you don’t want to let go or let be changed. You can’t walk away from what you hear from John the Baptist and not have a change of ideas and attitudes, a change of heart. Because that’s what you get from John the Baptist’s preaching: “Repent and believe the Gospel” was what John had to say, “Prepare for the Lord.”

Jesus says, John indeed was a prophet, and the Greatest of the Prophets. But that’s not the measure of greatness. Greater than the preacher is the poor, miserable sinner who hears the message and does what it says, that is, the one who repents of their sins and trusts the Savior.

Hear the Word of God. Hear the promise of the Kingdom come to you. Let down all barriers of preconceived ideas. Stop the wanting and expecting to have your old ways affirmed. Stop the reluctance to change your old habits and old mindset. Say, to yourself often, “I might be wrong. I need to hear what the Lord has to say.” Then listen when He says, “Repent and believe.”

Jesus said, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Dear Jesus, we hear you. We love you. We welcome you.

Amen.

 

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Bless all who gather here in this house to hear your Word, that they may be fed by it and nourished in their faith. Bless all who listen at a distance, that they too may be comforted by your Gospel and strengthened for the difficulties they are enduring. Grant grace to us all that we may daily show forth the light of your love to the world.

O Holy Spirit, Lord and giver of life, Help us in this holiday season to be truly loving, serving our Savior and caring for our neighbors. Fill us with your gifts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control. Inspire in us a generous spirit and a pleasant attitude.

Bless all those in need among us and in the community around us. Help those who help others, the medical professionals, technicians, first responders and administrators. Guide those in leadership offices in our nation and around the world, that they would serve not for their own pleasure and greed, but for the good of us all.

Almighty God, grant to Your Church Your Holy Spirit and the wisdom that comes down from above, that Your Word may not be bound but have free course and be preached to the joy and edifying of Christ’s holy people, so that in steadfast faith we may serve You and, in the confession of Your name, abide unto the end; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

 

LORD’S PRAYER

C Our Father who art in heaven,

     hallowed be Thy name,

     Thy kingdom come,

     Thy will be done on earth

          as it is in heaven;

     give us this day our daily bread;

     and forgive us our trespasses

          as we forgive those

          who trespass against us;

     and lead us not into temptation,

     but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom

     and the power and the glory

     forever and ever. Amen.

 

BENEDICAMUS

A Bless we the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

BENEDICTION

P The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and T give you peace.

C Amen.

 

345 HARK! A THRILLING VOICE IS SOUNDING

1 Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding!
    “Christ is near,” we hear it say.
“Cast away the works of darkness,
    All you children of the day!”

2 Startled at the solemn warning,
    Let the earthbound soul arise;
Christ, its sun, all sloth dispelling,
    Shines upon the morning skies.

3 See, the Lamb, so long expected,
    Comes with pardon down from heav’n.
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
    One and all, to be forgiv’n;

4 So, when next He comes in glory
    And the world is wrapped in fear,
He will shield us with His mercy
    And with words of love draw near.

D 5 Honor, glory, might, dominion
    To the Father and the Son
With the ever-living Spirit
    While eternal ages run!

Text: Public domain

 

 

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV^® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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