"DISRUPTION" - Romans 15: 3-13; Matthew 3: 1-12

A Sermon by Alex Evans, Pastor

Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond, VA

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Texts: Romans 15:3-13; Matthew 3:1-12

“DISRUPTION”

            In 1997, Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen coined the phrase “disruptive innovation.” Before that, DISRUPTION – our word for the day - had a negative connotation. Power outages disrupted our lives. Children disrupted our sleep. Illness and diagnoses disrupted our plans. Well, no longer. Within a few years following 1997, Silicon Valley was disrupting everything with innovation – how we buy things, from household items, to clothes, to cars. We have seen disruptive changes in the publishing industry, the news industry, the travel industry, and almost every other aspect of our lives. (Sports Illustrated, 12/2/2019, p.72)

            DISRUPTION

Ginger and I recently saw the latest Tom Hanks movie “It’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” – about the wonderful Presbyterian minister from Pittsburgh, Fred Rogers. It is less a movie about Fred Rogers and his important ministry. It is a more a movie of the impact that Fred Rogers had on people – his compassion, his sensitivity, his presence with people all helped to create a DISRUPTION in the way people think about life, relate to one another, connect with one another.

In one poignant scene, Fred Rogers’ wife says that her husband is no “saint.” She indicated how he worked hard everyday to be who he was. He read the Bible. He prayed for people. He swam laps in the pool. He even banged on the piano sometimes - all to help him deal with life’s challenges and frustrations so he could continue to become the person he was and touch the lives of so many people.

Here is what one critic says about the movie - Many a movie will make you laugh or cry or think. But very few make you want to be a better person (Paul Asay).

And here is the thing - as the crowded movie theater let out, the sense of DISRUPTION was palpable. Everyone was so polite getting out of the parking lot, speaking to each other, smiling, sharing life in such a way that contrasts so sharply with our culture. We had all experienced a DISRUPTION in our selfish, often callous, indifferent way of living.

            DISRUPTION is not a negative word when we are challenged to be better people, when we are disrupted from our normal, inherently inward, often antagonistic ways.

DISRUPTION can be what we most need.

            John the Baptist is the name of a man who appears in all the gospel stories of Jesus. We usually encounter John the Baptist in the season of Advent – when we think about and seek to prepare for the coming of God. All the gospel stories are all about God doing something drastic and new – bringing about the dawn of the Kingdom of God. The dawn of the Kingdom of God begins with Jesus. But in all the stories, John is the one to point to Jesus – to indicate that Jesus is the One coming. John the Baptist creates a great DISRUPTION – an important and innovative DISRUPTION to set the tone for God’s coming.

            Listen to the story of John today from Matthew 3:

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”3This 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.’” 4Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.5Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

7But 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? 8Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9Do 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. 10Even 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. 11“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. 12His 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.”

            This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

            Who is this John the Baptist? This is what one commentator says – he is dressed like the old age, but he points to the new. His preaching style is vintage Old Israel; his message paves the way for the New Israel. He appears to have wandered out of some retirement home for old prophets, but he announces the arrival of one who is even greater than the prophets. He baptizes with the water of the ancient Jordan River; he promises the coming of one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. Everything is about to change. The old is passing away; the new presses in. The long, lost night of hopelessness is coming to an end, and John the Baptist is the rooster who awakens the sleeping world with dawn’s excited cry. (T. Long, Matthew, WBC, p. 25)

            DISRUPTION.

            All the gospel stories tell of the coming of Jesus and the coming of the reign of God. All the gospel stories affirm that the new era is dawning, the old is passing away and God’s new purposes are coming to fruition. And there is John, as the hinge, the rooster who announces the DISRUPTION.

            New Testament scholar Dale Bruner points out how “twice Matthew will use the same present tense verb” – the Greek is paraginetai – which is translated “appears” or “makes his appearance.” Matthew uses this same verb and same present tense – even though our translation has the past tense “appeared” – for the two main characters in this chapter – John and Jesus. John “makes his appearance” (3:1) and Jesus “makes his appearance” in 3:13. These “historic present tense verbs mean that the offices of these men still live today whenever their stories are told.” John’s ministry is a present tense ministry that lives on in his telling. John’s ministry is never meant to be relegated to history, to antiquity. (Bruner, Matthew, p. 69)

His name, his message, his way intend to be a DISRUPTION . . . . for our lives, . . .  in the present.

            This is what John says: “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven has come near.”

            There are – obviously - two parts to John’s message and they absolutely go together, though I suspect we sometimes might mostly just hear the first word – “repent.” When we hear only the first word – “repent” – we might even dismiss it because most of us are not inclined toward “fire and brimstone” preaching. We are Presbyterian, after all.

If I see a big sign that says something like “turn or burn,” it mostly makes me sad. That is not the main message of the gospel. If I pass someone at a big public event with a sign that says “repent,” I am aware that it’s only half of the message. John’s DISRUPTION – which certainly applies to our lives always - includes two things: “repent, for the Kingdom of heaven has come near.”

            So let’s think about the second part first: “the Kingdom of heaven has come near.” The “Kingdom of heaven” is a way to describe that time, that life, that age, when everything that opposes God’s good purposes for the world and for human life will be destroyed and all that expresses those wonderful purposes of God will be lifted up.

            So imagine that – everything that opposes God’s good purposes for the world and for human life will be destroyed. The Kingdom of heaven: what opposes God’s good purposes for the world and for human life? Lying, . . . cheating, . . . abuse of power and degradation of people, . . .

What opposes God’s good purposes? Poverty,  . . . pain, . . . grief, . . .  suffering. Wealth amassed among a few . . .  and hunger and desolation among many. . . .

What opposes God’s good purposes? Bombs and terror threatening human life, . . . borders and people in cages, . . . Refugees, . . . . chaos,  . . . .depression and darkness all too prevalent, . . . .injustice in so many places. The list goes on.

            What would it look like if all that expressed God’s loving purposes was lifted up? Peace in hearts, in relationships, and across the land. Compassion and mercy everywhere. No more crying or pain. No more lost and forgotten. No more injustice.

            John the Baptist – pointing to Jesus – says “the Kingdom of heaven has come near.” In Jesus – in his words and actions, in his teachings and healings, in his life and death and resurrection – everything that opposes God loses out and everything that expresses God’s purposes comes about.

            That would be an awesome DISRUPTION.

The Apostle Paul puts it like this: “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.” It is a bold claim that even though suffering, warfare, injustice, pain, and death still savage and sting us, and all creation, these forces have been rendered impotent.

“The Kingdom of heaven has come near.” DISRUPTION.

            And because the Kingdom of heaven has come near, John the Baptist, in the wilderness, in his crazy attire of camel’s hair and a leather belt, urges “repent.”

            To repent is not to feel sorry about the things we have done. It is not to feel guilty about life. Repentance is about the basic orientation of our lives. It means turning from one framework of meaning to another, from one way of thinking about self, others, God, and life itself to another competing and compelling vision.

            But repentance is never just about turning. It is turning in response and because of a certain truth! What is the truth – “the Kingdom of heaven has come near.” It is not turn or burn – it is more like “wow – the Kingdom of heaven is come near, let’s re-orient life in that direction, toward that compelling vision!” It is recognizing that we have been living with a flawed perspective – toward injustice and pain, toward power and lies – and we have a new way and a new reason for living differently – the Kingdom of heaven has come near. We see it in Jesus - healing and love, peace and forgiveness, care and compassion, mercy and light – and we want to live that way.

            DISRUPTION – John gets our attention and announces that the old way is no more. A new way is emerging – it comes in Jesus. We are to align our lives – repent – turn toward that way – toward life and light, toward all that expresses God’s purposes. John the Baptist disrupts life – present tense - so life can be oriented toward Jesus – toward the Kingdom of heaven.

            And John’s word seems so very pertinent and important in these days, for our lives. Matthew tells us that John is speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees, which is equivalent to saying he is speaking to the Democrats and Republicans, the fundamentalists and the liberals.  Pharisees and Sadducees represent opposite ends of the political and religious spectrums – but they are so stuck in their ways that they are opposing the Kingdom of heaven. They show up later in Matthew, linked arm-in-arm against Jesus. The “Kingdom of heaven come near” is such a DISRUPTION that all the powers-that-be oppose it, want to combat it.

            John challenges them to “bear fruit worthy of repentance.” That is what matters – how you live, how you love and serve. It is never the blood line – “children of Abraham” – or the party line. It is only the ethical production line that matters – how you serve, how life has been disrupted and remains focused on serving God, promoting that which expresses God. (see T. Long, p. 29)

            When are we going to realize that anonymous tutoring of children in an inner city school is of more value than being famous for something? When are we going to learn that dishing out meals, or serving tea in our Walk-In ministry, will stand eternally, long after the satisfaction of making a six figure salary and having lots of possessions?

            John wants us to get it right – bear fruit with our lives. When will be learn it? The kingdom of heaven has come near. How shall we live?

            Fred Rogers lived his life striving to be oriented toward all that expresses and lifts up God’s purposes: compassion and care, forgiveness and fortitude, justice and peace, light and life. All of our lives need this kind of regular, practiced, intentional dedication toward all that expresses and lifts up God’s purposes – kindness, attentiveness, care, devotion.

            It is so easy to contribute to the world’s gloom. The gloom is all around us. Dark shadows. Dark landscape – think about it – personal lives, family life, public life – so much darkness.

            But John comes on the scene to get our attention – prepare the way of the Lord. DISRUPTION.

And Jesus comes on the scene and invites us to mirror God’s image, . . . and he shows us how. He says you too can become light, as God is light. What is all around us is not all darkness and despair, but rather a world waiting to be filled with hope and faith, love and light. God is present. God is at work. God is making all things new. Life is always full of God. It is a beauty, not a delusion. We are called, and we can, lead a meaningful life in it – even now.

            May the DISRUPTION of God – especially in these Advent days -  change us, and keep changing us, to live each day with faith, hope, love and peace, working with God for the redemption of the world and the coming of the Kingdom of heaven.  AMEN

Prayer of Commitment: Holy God, to turn from you is to fall; to turn to you is to rise; to align our lives with you in love and service – that is to abide forever. Show us that way. AMEN

Alex W. Evans, Pastor, Second Presbyterian Church, Richmond, VA preached this sermon during Sunday morning worship on December 8, 2019. This is a rough manuscript.