Text: Isaiah 40:1-11
Last Thursday night while a group of us Rotarians were waiting at the Methodist Church for the delivery of the supplies for the Pancake Breakfast, several old timers began reflecting on the construction of the Cut-Thru. Pikeville must have been a very interesting place during that gigantic earth-moving project. One of the Rotarians observed that he enjoyed watching the excavation from the windows of the Landmark Restaurant during the Rotary meetings there.
It must have been fascinating to watch as they literally removed a mountain on the edge of town and then rerouted the river and the railroad around the city. The chamber of commerce likes to brag that this was the second biggest earth moving project in North America, second only to the Panama Canal. And what a great difference the Cut-thru has made! No more flooding. No more dirty coal trains running through the heart of town. No more traffic congestion in town. And the dirt from the Cut-thru has filled in the old river valley to provide much needed ground for commercial businesses and housing.
Well, I couldn't help but think of the Cut-thru when I read the passage from Isaiah for today. "A voice cries out: 'In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every 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.'"
Isaiah describes the preparations for the coming of God as tearing down the mountains and filling in the valleys. These images are symbols for the major road work that has to be done before the coming of the Lord. And we can use this image to help us prepare for Christmas.
Let's imagine ourselves traveling down the Christmas Highway. Traffic is already building up on the Christmas Highway. We see in front of us a line of vehicles racing to and from the retail shops getting just the right purchases for every person on the Christmas gift list. We are listening to the jolly music on the radio, frequently intermixed with advertisements for last minute gifts that we simply must purchase. It seems like the whole world is headed down this highway of holiday joy. At the top of our lungs we sing, "It's the most wonderful time of the year! It's the hap- happiest time of the year."
We are well on our way to a merry holiday, just like everybody else. Every time we walk into a retail store we see Santas and elves. On the radio and television, the cheery advertisements steer us down the great highway to the secular holiday. And the snow this week makes us yearn for a White Christmas.
Isn't this the real meaning of Christmas anyway? Isn't it about the those warm fuzzy feelings of happiness? Isn't it about family get-togethers and exchanging gifts with those you love? And if it snows that makes Christmas perfect. Doesn't it?
But then we look up ahead as we crest a hill and see a huge blinking arrow pointing off to the right. As we get closer we can see the sign that says, "Detour, One Mile." Our foot backs off the accelerator and we see another sign, "All Christians Take Advent Detour, One-half Mile."
When we get closer to the detour, we see a very old man there stopping every car to explain the problem. When it's our turn, we roll down the window and notice the old man's name tag – "Isaiah." He politely explains, "Well, folks, I'm sorry to tell you this, but you can't get to the Christ child this way. You have to take the detour. All those folks going down the super highway may find a happy holiday, but it'll be an empty one. You just can't have the Christ reborn in your life unless you take this detour. You see, we've got major road work ahead. There are mountains to be torn down and valleys to be filled in before anyone can find the true meaning of Christmas. There's a Cut-thru to be built. Now as you drive along, be careful to watch for the signs or you'll get lost for sure. In that case, you never will get to the real Christmas!"
We turn off the super highway and begin to bounce along the construction road. Before long, we come to the first sign. The one Isaiah told us about. It says, "Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem."
Every time I hear that phrase, I remember the haunting tenor line from Handel's Messiah. And that reminds me that I haven't gotten out that CD so far this year. Must do that first thing when I get home.
"Comfort." That's an interesting message. You know, it seems that most churches these days have forgotten that comfort message. They are so busy afflicting the comfortable that they forget to comfort the afflicted. It seems to me there are a lot of the afflicted who really need a dose of comfort.
Jesus was very critical of the Pharisees who seemed to add the burden of religion to people who are burdened enough already. At one point he said to them, "You are making people twice as fit for hell as you are yourselves."
But Jesus way was different. He was the friend of sinners. He once said, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30)
I can think of a lot of people who could stand that comfort message just now. I think about all the families in our area who won't have much to give their children unless someone helps them. I'm sure glad that the Mission Team got the sizes for 36 children at the elementary school. Members of our church are helping each one of those children have Christmas gifts this year.
And then I can't help but think about several of my friends who will be blue this Christmas. Sandy's father just died. June is in the hospital. Jim is battling cancer. Mildred's arm is still not working right after that fall. Yes, there's a lot of folks who could use a comfort-message this year.
You know, I think I'm going to take Isaiah's advice and "speak tenderly" to a few folks this Christmas. I think I can find somebody to say an encouraging word to this Christmas. Maybe that's the right way to Christmas.
Oops, there's the second sign. Isaiah said to pay special attention to those signs or we would never make it to the right place. What does that one say? Now I can see it.
"Cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the LORD'S hand double for all her sins."
That's a long sign. If I were making it, I would probably have just put up one word – FORGIVENESS!
That reminds me of John the Baptist. He had the same idea about preparing for the coming of the Messiah. When he showed up in the wilderness eating locusts and wild honey, he talked a lot about forgiveness. Mark 1:4 says, "John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."
You know, I've been feeling a bit guilty lately about some of the things I have done this year. I try not to let everybody know about my sins, but I've sure got some things to be ashamed about. And I still struggle with sins I committed a long time ago! Forgiveness is not easy. I can tell myself over and over, that it's Okay, my sins are forgiven, but I find it hard to convince my gut. I still get in knots over it sometimes.
I read through the Psalms this week in preparation for our Bible study Sunday night. I found in them a treasure trove of wonderful sayings. I have always liked Psalm 139:23-24 which says
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
And I read Psalm 51, which is David's confession to God after his great sin. He says what I want to say, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me."
Isaiah's sign says the penalty is paid, the term is served. In Bible times, that message was given to the people of Israel after they had been so long in exile. All the prophets made it clear that they had suffered because of their sins. I know I've suffered for mine too.
But there came a time when God said to Israel, "Enough! You have suffered enough. Now it is time to put your lives back together."
I guess God still says that to people today. I've seen people crippled by alcoholism and raging anger. Their shame can almost be touched. I think there are many of us who need to read Isaiah's sign.
And maybe that's the best gift I could receive – the assurance that my sins are forgiven. The Bible says that Jesus died for our sins. That's why he came into the world at Christmas – so that we could be set free from our sins.
David's psalm describes exactly what Christ came to do for us:
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit."
Hey, there's another sign! "All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever."
Grass withering. That's a strange sign for Christmas. It doesn't seem to fit with all the clichés of the Christmas season.
I told you the psalms had spoken to me this week. Psalm 144 talks about this very idea.
"O LORD, what are human beings that you regard them, or mortals that you think of them? They are like a breath; their days are like a passing shadow. (Psalm 144:3-4)
In the New Testament, James picks up that message by saying:
"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.' Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil." (James 4:13-16)
You know, my life does feel like a mist that is here for a while then vanishes. In fact, most of it HAS vanished! I can't even remember what I got for Christmas three years ago, nor two years ago. In fact, I don't remember what I got for Christmas last year!
But do you know what I do remember from all those years? The big pile of wrapping paper in the middle of the floor after all the presents are opened. Maybe that wrapping paper is a symbol of the fleeting nature of the things of life. I really do need to keep THINGS in perspective. They fade; they wither.
But some things last forever. I vaguely remember an old poem that says, "Only the things done for God will last." I do have a vivid memory of the many mission trips I have taken. I remember the obvious joy of the Prison Aid folks in Baltimore last summer when our group spent a week helping to rebuild a row house. I still remember the lines of people waiting to visit our little medical clinic on our medical mission trip to Guatamala in 1990. And I still remember the eagerness of wonderful people of Zambia from my mission trip there in 1980. I remember those things as if they were yesterday.
Maybe the real Christmas is about helping us to get over our natural preoccupation with ourselves and to do something for others.
Hey, here's the final sign. I can see the main road again now. We must be almost there. After this bumpy construction road, it is really good to finally arrive at our destination. The sign says:
"'Here is your God!' See, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep."
Finally, when we have the way prepared, when the mountains are brought low and the valleys filled in, then we are ready for the coming of the Lord. Only after the long detour do we get the sign that says, "Here is your God!"
And that is the ultimate goal of Christmas – not the happy secular holiday, but the presence of God! Psalm 100 says, "Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing." When we sing the Christmas carols, we are not singing for warm fuzzy feelings. We are singing so that we can come into the presence of God.
I remember that verse from Matthew, “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” (Matthew 1:23)
There you have it. After all the preparation, and we come to the end of the Christmas highway, we find God. And that God is found again in the babe, which is Christ Jesus our Lord!
Endnotes
1) For more information about the Pikeville Cut-Thru see http://www.pikecountychamber.org/transportation.html
2) The highway imagery for this sermon was inspired by a sermon by Sid Burgess on The Protestant Hour, 12/3/2000.