On this first Sunday in Lent, we are given two stories of temptation with two very different outcomes so that we might begin the season with self-examination: which choice have I made? Whose lead have I followed? In whose service do I place my abilities and my talents? What kind of world am I helping to create?

Do not give up on the kingdom of God – and do not give up on the people of God who are, together as a body, given to the world as salt and as a light to reveal the goodness and beauty of God’s way, especially in the face of injustice and oppression and persecution and despair.

The servant in whom God delights brings forth justice quietly and gently. The servant does not rally a force or demand attention. The servant protects the weak so that they are not further harmed as justice is brought forth. This justice is not promised swiftly but the servant will not stop until it is established…but just who is this servant?

We have arrived at the 4th Sunday of Advent – Christmas is just around the corner and perhaps you are as ready as I am to move from Advent’s transformation-of-the-world politics to Christmas’ sparkly lights and newborn baby. And, at first glance at least, our readings seem ready too, replacing John the Baptist with Joseph and his already-pregnant betrothed, Mary.
But it’s not that simple…

The season of Advent calls us to be both – to wait with John and to sing with Mary; to watch for the future and refuse to settle for less than the kingdom and to bear witness to what God is doing now; to the beauty and power and hope that springs up all around us.

Today, we are proclaiming Christ to be King – on the cross, in the manger, and now in this world. Which means we are also proclaiming ourselves to be subjects of this King; inhabitants of this Kingdom, not only in the age to come but now.

Time is a gift – and a constant one at that. There is, in fact, no wasting or saving or spending time. Time passes no matter what we do or don’t do and God’s work unfolds around us and within us.

The parable set before us this morning is greeted by preachers and students of the Bible across the church with…well, let’s just say without a lot of enthusiasm. I think the favourite comment I read in my preparations was simply: “The parable defies any fully satisfactory explanation.” So, with our expectations suitable managed, let’s see what we can do.

We need to do the work to hear the truth the Spirit is speaking through these texts…This prophecy – this word from God – is for us, today. How can it not be when it describes the kind of devastation we see on the news every night; the kind of devastation that we know our aching earth will continue to experience with greater and greater desperation.

“We are dead and our life is hidden with Christ in God.” It is the stuff of fairy tales and fantasy novels – and it’s no wonder that early Christians were treated with suspicion or even hostility. This faith of ours disrupts the natural order in ways I don’t think we usually really notice, allowing such claims to become tame metaphor rather than wild assertions