The Fruits Of Christmas-Peace

Isaiah: 

George and I chose to be very traditional in our approach to Advent this year. There are certain themes that continuously arise as reflections for the season. As you see, they are so familiar that we can even buy bulletin covers reflecting the themes. They are hope, peace, joy and love. Advent is a season that asks us to remember the first coming of Jesus and to prepare ourselves for the second coming. As we thought about the sermon series, we realized that these topics or themes are part of a list of behaviors or acts called the Fruits of the Spirit. If, as we believe, the second coming of Christ into creation is often found in us as we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and allow God’s Spirit to guide us, then what is it we are preparing ourselves and the living of our lives for this Advent Season? How and where are we being asked to look for the Christ this year which allows him not only to be born again into our lives, but allows us to be good disciples in our living of our faith? The passage we are about to read from Isaiah is entitled, “The Peaceable Kingdom.” Let us see what we are being told about God’s hopes for our lives together. 

Read Isaiah 11:1-9 

We see that shalom, peace brings about a genuine sense of harmony and even care to the world, even among those who have been natural enemies. They will no longer hurt or destroy, but will live together in equity, and care. Theologian Martin Buber makes this statement that reflects the intent of this scripture and how we live our lives together as God’s hope for all of creation. Buber says, “Our highest human duty is to transform society into community.” Matthew: Jesus says something very similar to Buber in this teaching from his Sermon on the Mount found in the section we call “The Beatitudes.” 

Read Matthew 5:9 

Sermon: 

There was a book written many years ago entitled, I’m Ok, You’re Ok. In all fairness I must admit that I have never read the book, but I remember a response I read about the title. The person asked, “If I’m ok and you’re ok, whose messing up the world?” A good question.

Nancy and I have focused our thoughts this Advent Season on the “Fruits of the Spirit.” Fruit, biblically, meaning the results or consequences of our actions. Jesus, himself, says, “By our fruits, by what we do, how we act, people will know us as his disciples.” This teaching means that there will be something observably different about who we are. When people watch us and the lives we live, they will see something markedly different that allows them to know we are Christian. Yet, when people who do not attend church are asked why they do not, their response is often, “I see no difference between people who attend church and people who do not. Why should I spend time and energy when it makes no difference in how I live my life?” 

I heard a similar quote used by Nancy last week shared by author and seminary professor Leonard Sweet. He said, “God calls us to turn the world upside down so that it will be right-side up.” People, the world want us to be different, I believe even prays we will be different, for they want to know that maybe there is a way to turn this world, to turn our lives into something more. It is last week’s fruit of hope. Hope, as described by the Apostle Paul in the Book of Romans is, “something we do not yet see, but wait for. Who hopes for what they see?” People, those outside the church, watch and want us to be successful, want us to be right, for where else is there hope? As someone said, “The church is the last, best place for hope.” 

By our fruits, people will know us. Today, the fruit we reflect upon is “peace.” When the angels announce the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, they break out in praise saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those he favors!” We know that Jesus is called The Prince of Peace. So what is God telling us about Jesus, and about the life he brings.

In the book, The First Christmas, written by Drs. Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, they show how these birth stories are turning the world upside down so it will be right-side up. They share that those who would have read these stories initially would have recognized that God was asking them to choose between two different kingdoms, and two different understandings of life. The emperor of Rome was also named or was given the title The Prince of Peace. The question being asked by the gospel writers is which Prince will you follow? Whose way will you embrace? The kingdom of Rome brought peace by violence and conquest. As one observer of that day stated, “Rome creates a desert and calls it peace.” Peace simply means here an absence of conflict, but surely not an absence of violence. People are captured, controlled and used by another. Jesus, and his kingdom of peace, is one brought about by justice. Biblically, justice is not about following rules or human-made laws. Justice is defined in Isaiah 1:17 as “rescuing the oppressed, defending the orphan, pleading for the widow.” It is just the opposite of Rome, for instead of enslaving people and making them powerless, Isaiah is saying that we are called to defend the rights of those who are often neglected and forgotten by the society in which they live because they have no power. It is the biblical understanding of shalom, which we define as peace, which is used to describe Jesus and his ministry. It is the fruit we are asked to reflect today. 

Shalom literally means to bring healing, wholeness and harmony to our world and the relationships we share in it. There cannot be shalom, without a genuine concern for others. There cannot be shalom unless we respect and honor all life, all of God’s creation. We cannot hide behind rules that allow us to diminish others and still live in shalom. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” It is a call to an active, dynamic way of living our lives. It means we cannot tell ethnic jokes that demean others. How does that make us different? It means we cannot be apathetic towards the poor and powerless, for how does that make us different? We cannot gain at the expense and wellbeing of others, for how does that make us different? We cannot love and embrace only those who think like us, look like us, or act like us, for how does that make us different? It is the point made earlier as we reflected upon the Isaiah passage and theologian Martin Buber’s point. “Our highest human duty is to transform society into a community.” We call this community “The Family of God.” 

What we do, what we practice, what fruits we are called to bear are radical statements of faith that turn a world upside down to make it right-side up. It is looking at this Christmas story and realizing it is a call to choose between the way of the world, or the kingdom we pray to come on earth as it is in heaven. We prepare ourselves this Advent Season to receive the one who asks us to come and follow so that the world might be saved. John 3:16 does not say, “So a person might be saved, but creation, so all persons might be saved.” The word might is in the subjunctive tense, which means it is possible, there is the hope it can happen, but it is not assured. It is only by our saying yes to the Prince of Peace, that shalom even has a chance.

Today, as we do every month, we prepare to share in the sacrament that shows us this upside-down world. There was a time it was said, “That if Jesus came to a United Methodist church and did not bring a covered dish, he probably would not be allowed in.” But, it has been pointed out that there is nothing nicer that could be said about the church. This meal we are about to eat together, reflects the life of shalom in its deepest essence of turning the world upside down. In Jesus’ day, to sit at table fellowship with another said that they were acceptable to you and that they were friends. When we gather at this table, we are reminded that we do not all love each other, that we do not all agree with each other, but we are one in community, because we are one in God’s grace. We are brothers and sisters all. Wolves, lambs, lions, calves, children, adults, Democrats and Republicans, Americans, Hispanic, caucasion and anglo. We all sit at this table as brothers and sisters, and we pray for and work for each other’s wellbeing. 

They will know us by our fruits. They will see society transformed into a loving community where all are honored and respected in shalom. It is the hope we bring to this God’s creation. It is the hope the world is looking for that will turn our world right side up.

Sermon delived by Rev. George Cushman on December 7, 2008.