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Light on the Lessons Zephaniah 3:14-20; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18 Third Sunday in Advent; Cycle C; December 16, 2018 Leader Guidance Materials Needed + Bibles for everyone (variety of translations often useful) + Lectionary sheets (very convenient if you use them in worship) + Chalkboard, newsprint, overhead, or another means for displaying information and recording thoughts + Basic reference books for use as needed: Bible dictionary, Bible atlas, concordance, a one-volume Bible commentary + Read a Bible dictionary article on John the Baptism, if you didn’t do so last week. I Getting Started Read the lessons aloud before discussing them, either in advance or as they are studied. Ask participants to share prayer concerns. Then turn to the questions in “Getting Started.” 1. Responses will vary. When we trust that God, whose goodness we know through Jesus, his Son, is in charge of the cosmos, we are freed to relax a bit about our future and the future of our world. 2. Responses will vary. How many mark worry as unhelpful, yet indicate that it is powerfully present in their lives? Ask how they explain this situation, which is actually very common. IV,3, below, deals with coping with worry. 3. Responses will vary. Some may focus on ethics, some on faith. This issue is further explored in III,5 below. II Check the Texts 1. Zephaniah 3:14-20 A. In 3:1-9, Zephaniah preaches the word of the LORD against the corruption of Jerusalem. He cites especially the elites: officials, judges, priests, and even his fellow prophets (3:3-4). The people hear, but do not respond; they even become more corrupt (3:7). The LORD will remove the proud and haughty from the city (3:11). The simple people (likely the victims of the elite oppressions), however, will remain, and these are called the remnant of Israel; they will behave perfectly (3:12-13). B. Verses 3:14-20 are a hymn of joy to the LORD for his grace (verse 15a) and victory over evil (verse 17a). This is the song of the remnant mentioned in 3:12-13. The great joy for Christians, of course, is that we know through Christ that God has done for the world what he did for Jerusalem, verse 3:15a. C. In 3:17-18, the LORD remains near, he rejoices with his people, renews them in love, and takes away disaster. Share ways in which participants have experienced the same dynamics from God. Verse 3:19 speaks of the oppressed in contrast to the rejoicing in 3:17-18, but the deliverance of the oppressed is the act of the LORD that sparked the rejoicing. 2. Philippians 4:4-7 A. The general exhortation, “stand firm in the Lord” (4:1), is developed in detail in 4:4-7, and 4:2-3 as well. We can read the call to “rejoice” as an overarching style of life that shapes all else. (The whole letter stresses joy as a core quality of a Christian’s life. The joy, of course, is our response to what the God of grace has done for us in Christ.) This joy leads to prayerful intimacy with God and a transcendent peace. B. Definitions of “gentleness” will vary. It does not mean becoming a sponge or a sap. The sense is that of acting in love, and with deep concern for the other person. Paul’s readers expected Jesus’ return at any moment, so “the Lord is near” gave cause for rejoicing and acting gently toward others, even though they are razzing you or persecuting you. C. Interestingly, Paul offers prayer as the antidote for worry, rather than asserting again that the Lord is near. Underlying this advice is a confident faith that God can take care of things; we are free to let go of our worries. For Paul, this confident faith is one of thanksgiving for what God has done in Christ. The thought seems to be: Recall how God has taken care of the big things (your salvation in Christ, a new direction for the cosmos); therefore, why sweat the small things? D. The peace is said to pass all understanding; it is transcendent. This peace stems from a confident faith and trust in God. Such a faith will guard hearts and minds. 3. Luke 3:7-18 A. Titles will vary. Write all suggestions where they can be seen and work together on developing the best titles. One set of possibilities: Show your repentance, How to show it, What to expect next, and Luke’s summary line. B. John challenges his followers to put repentance into action (8a). He says they cannot count on their heritage or tradition; they must live the truth (8b). Like Zephaniah and other prophets, John stood in the line of those who confronted the unjust with warnings about “the day of the Lord.” C. John’s ethics are far from radical. He asks only that they do what they are paid to do. One gives a coat only if one has an extra to spare. In contrast, Jesus teaches a radical ethic in Matthew 5. Scholars have wrestled with how to interpret Jesus’ ethical radicalism. Perhaps he wanted to sharpen the Law in order to make it reveal more clearly our sin (our inability to do what God requires). D. The gift of the Holy Spirit seems to have differentiated the two baptisms. (The LBW rite of “Holy Baptism” invokes the Spirit in rubric 13, page 124. Note the gifts the Spirit will bring. With ELW, see page 231.) III What Does It All Mean? 1. Responses will vary. 2. Responses will vary. Our society, unlike that of the Roman Empire, offers upward mobility opportunities for large numbers of people. To get these, they must push themselves and struggle. In a static society, with no opportunity for betterment, serene gentleness (that is, accept your lot) comes more easily. 3. Responses will vary. The Spirit brings us the presence and power of God. The Spirit also makes real for us the things of God. 4. Responses will vary. Worry is energy consuming and counter-productive. To defeat worry is to open creative energies. Yet it is true: The more you know, the more possible worry-points are opened for you. 5. Responses will vary. The evangelical view is that our ethics are based on love and reflect our thankful response to God’s love for us; see 1 John 4:19. The good we do does not earn “brownie points” with God, and the bad we do can be forgiven by God. In all, God is the center, not ourselves. Still, loving others is an imperative for the thankful, responsive Christian; see 1 John 4:20-21. 6. Responses will vary. Fear very much affects our behavior. Many people fail to stand up for what is right for fear of criticism by their friends, colleagues, and neighbors. Fear leads us to “go along,” even when we know something isn’t right. 1 John 4:13-18 makes a good comment. 7. Responses will vary. Some fears are “existential,” having to do with threats to our existence, or the world’s, such as global warning and rising ocean levels. Jesus’ cosmic victory can speak to these fears. 8. Responses will vary. Talk about the role of expectation as a dimension of faith. 9. Responses will vary. The thankful heart wants to pray, to converse with the One who gives so much. Giving thanks forms a major part of our prayer life. 10. Responses will vary. Each day, God’s grace in Christ cleanses us from yesterday’s sins and frees us to live creatively and lovingly today. Taken seriously, daily baptism can free us from debilitating worries about what we did long ago, the guilt from the past that still haunts our nights. IV Into the Week Talk about last week’s suggestion.. Share ideas in #2. Encourage participants to try the meditation exercise in #3, especially those who admit to being “worriers.”