Jesus’ parables redraw the circles of who’s in and who’s out–as he causes his listeners to examine the state of their heart. In the parable of the shrewd manager, a man facing the loss of his livelihood is commended for forgiving the debts of his master’s debtors and ingratiating himself to those people–revealing Jesus Kingdom priority on people and grace over wealth and position, which is unlike the the Pharisees who on the outside look good but are full of love of money and pride of heart.

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus tells the story of a Father with two sons, the younger of whom disobeys and rejects him but at the end of his rope returns and experiences the Father’s loving embrace. The older son does everything the Father says but only to inherit the Father’s stuff, he too rejects the Father and can’t see the Father’s love for him. Can you see your lostness and need of the Father’s loving embrace?

If Jesus came to reveal God to us, what does the first Christmas tell us about who God is? God’s visit in the person of Jesus shows us that He willingly enters the Mess of humanity and lovingly lifts the Lowly.

God’s redemptive plan, as recounted through the Lessons & Carols service, reveals that the Christian story is Universal and Historic, but also Local and Personal–and it will cause Trouble for any, who like Mary, are willing to respond.

Into the Darkness, God’s light comes. Zechariah the Father of John the Baptist, after 9 months of silence, opens his mouth to declare the praises of God. He recounts Who God Is, Because of What God has done–retelling The Story of Redemption  and anticipating what God is about to do. Through it all, God is Faithfulness and Mercy come to their climax in his Visitation in the person of Jesus.

What is the nature of the salvation story–seeds of promise planted, waiting for the promise to come, and trusting in the outcome. It is the Advent story that is played out in the hopes of Israel and the promises made to faithful, barren and aged Zechariah and Elizabeth–that their prayers for salvation were being answered and they would have a son. Are we willing to live into the Advent themes of waiting, hoping and trusting?

Luke 1:5-25 & Isaiah 40:1-5

A woman bent over by a disabling spirit enters the Synagogue where Jesus is teaching. He sees her and in compassion calls her to him and heals her–setting her free from her physical and spiritual affliction. The religious leaders are indignant that Jesus is working on the Sabbath. But as Jesus shows, he is Lord of the Sabbath, who has come to offer freedom and rest, healing and shalom–the very things the Sabbath, which anticipates the rest of Heaven, intends. Jesus intends this freedom and shalom for all of us, if we’ll find our rest in him.

We live anxious, stressed and fearful–trying to achieve and accomplish and do what the world tells us we must have. Jesus says do not be anxious. How do we do this? By understanding and living from a new perspective–that in God, we have a heavenly Father who cares deeply about us. When our eyes are fixed on Him, who he is and what he does, even if our circumstances do not change, our perspective does and fear and anxiety no longer have their grip on us.

A disciple asks Jesus how to pray. He teaches them the Lord’s Prayer and gives two parables for prayer. Prayer, he reveals, is bold & persistent, it’s dependent & trusting, it’s it’s relational & personal. And through Prayer we experience and are shaped by God the Father.

What must we do to inherit eternal life? Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves. But this is impossible. So the religious leader tries to simplify by asking Jesus–who is my neighbor? Jesus tells the story of a man who is beaten, robbed and left for dead on the road to Jerich0. The religious pass him by, but a Samaritan (the hated race) is filled with compassion and at great expense to himself cares for the man. He, the one who showed mercy, was the true neighbor.

How does this parable challenge our heart issues? And what does it look like to be a neighbor?

UNFORTUNATELY, THE FIRST TEN MINUTES OF THIS SERMON FAILED TO RECORD

On the the Gentile shores of Galilee, Jesus finds a man possessed by a Legion of Demons. The man had lived an animal existence–apart from community, naked and dwelling in the tombs. Jesus sets him free, but doesn’t just heal him Spiritually, he also restores him mentally, physically, socially, returning him home with a new calling and identity. Likewise, Jesus desires to offer wholistic salvation to us and, through us, to the world.

What begins as a dinner party for Jesus hosted by a Pharisee named Simon quickly escalates into a bizarre scene when an unnamed prostitute enters and in stunning fashion begins weeping and acting in a way that would have been viewed as highly provocative and illicit as she falls upon Jesus wiping his feet with her tears and hair, kissing and anointing them with costly oil. The Pharisee is aghast. But Jesus challenges his religious view of this woman. In the gospel, sinners are forgiven–by grace. This woman is simply responding to God’s undeserved mercy in the only way she knows how–worshipping Jesus with all her heart and soul and body.

When we are seriously offended, hurt or even attacked, how do we respond? In a culture that is deeply divided and hostile toward one another, how are Christians to act? Jesus challenges the religious and cultural norms of his day and calls on his disciples to love their enemies and forgive those who sin agains them. When we fully realize the grace, forgiveness and love that Jesus himself offers us, we can respond with love, forgiveness and grace even to our enemies.

No one who met Jesus was indifferent–they wanted to kill him or the fell down and worshipped him. Confronted with Jesus–Peter exclaims, Depart form me I’m a sinful man. But when called, he leaves everything to follow Jesus. So too does Levi. Jesus came to confronts people with their deepest need–and he does so with every person, even the paralytic lowered through the roof seeking healing. Jesus knows what we need most is spiritual healing–forgiveness.

Today tens of millions of people are trafficked and enslaved across the globe and in our own country. But the God of the Bible desires justice and raises up people to carry out the good news of freedom to the captives. Listen to John Richmond, co-founder of the Human Trafficking Institute share his story of entering anti-trafficking work and what God wants to do for the poor, oppressed and enslaved today.

This sermon was preached at CCV’s celebration of IJM Freedom Sunday.