What if it’s Not All About Me?

A Sermon from Mark 1: 1-8

Mark jumps right to the good news about it all – there is another one on the way who is coming to make it all right.  Like John, we’re just the workers in the field, we’re just the messengers, we’re just the people making a path or a church or a Christmas tree to proclaim that one more powerful than us is really in charge – one with a more perfect vision – and more perfect vision – the ability to see a world of justice and peace and mercy and grace that is really hard for any of us to see, but is right there just beyond the darkness that clouds our own eyes and hearts.

Is anybody else out there a control freak?  I always want to manage every detail, make sure it all works out just to my specifications – until and unless I realize that there are other people out there working just as hard if not harder, people with better ideas and better ways of being in the world, who jump in so that I can release my need to be in control.  So today’s good news is especially good news for all of us who just raised our hands or probably should have raised our hands, but we were too busy being in control.  Because John is here reminding us that we’re not really in control anyway.  If you haven’t learned that yet in 2020, then you’ve been living under a rock!  You’re not really in control, I’m not really in control, but Jesus, Jesus is.  Jesus is in control and has come and is coming again.  Here’s our motto for the day, the week, the year, every hour: “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me”  And though we may not be worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals, he doesn’t care about that.  He just loves us and wants to be with us and walk through the good and the bad times with us.

Watch the full sermon from the second Sunday in Advent here.