“A Time for Renewal” (Luke 3:3-14)

 

Change the Course

Frank Koch, in the Naval Institute magazine, shares a story. A battleship was sailing in thick fog. The lookout shouted, “Light ahead, on the starboard bow!” The captain asked, “Is it steady or moving away?” The lookout replied, “Steady, Captain.” They were on a collision course. The captain ordered, “Signal the ship: Change course 20 degrees.” The reply came back, “Advise you change course 20 degrees.” The captain, irritated, responded, “I’m a captain. Change course 20 degrees!” The answer returned, “I’m a seaman second-class. You had better change course.” Furious, the captain sent, “I’m a battleship. Change course!” Then the reply: “I’m a lighthouse.” The captain changed course. Sometimes, we need to change course. Not tomorrow. Today.

 

Prepare the Way for the Lord!

Today marks the first Sunday of Advent. Advent means “coming.” Many churches set aside these four weeks to prepare for the coming of Christ. For us, Advent is a very special season of preparation and anticipation, not only for Christ’s birth, but also for His second coming. 

If you lived in John the Baptist’s time, and a king were about to pass through your town, how would you prepare? You would likely fill every pothole, clear away obstacles, and smooth out crooked roads before the king’s arrival. Likewise, if Christ were coming today, how would you prepare? Would you remove the clutter in your heart? Would you make peace with others? Would you seek forgiveness?

John the Baptist calls us to prepare for the coming of Christ. He says, “Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight. Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be leveled, and the crooked will be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth.” (Luke 3:4-5) Here the kind of preparation John calls for is “repentance.” Repentance means changing direction – turning from sin and turning to God.

 

Repentance Is Now

True repentance is not something we postpone. It is urgent. John the Baptist boldly preached a centuries-old message, “repentance”: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 3:2) People could easily have said, "I've heard this before" or "I'll quit sinning tomorrow." But John said, “The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and tossed into the fire” (Luke 3:9-10). The tree may not know it; it is not even hurt yet; but it is about to be cut down. Here we could feel the sense of urgency. It’s an emergency situation, so John’s message is quite straightforward even harsh rather than indirect and tender.  

The other day I received a call from an agency asking me to visit an elderly man in hospice care struggling and seeking some spiritual guidance. He was depressed, lonely, and estranged from his family. He had suffered an accident in June. He was still recovering but not improving. Though he had two houses and a new car, they brought no comfort to him. He had three children (one son and two daughters), but their relationships were strained. He was bitter and hopeless. As we talked, I asked, “Are you at peace with God?” He hesitated and replied, “I think so… but I am not sure.” Sensing the urgency, I spoke directly. I said to him, “We are all sinners. We cannot save ourselves. We need a savior. Jesus is God’s way of salvation. Turn to him. Repent. Receive and believe in Jesus, and you will be saved.” I asked him three questions, “Do you renounce your old ways and repent of your sins?” He said, “I do.” “Do you believe in Jesus as your new Master and Savior?” He replied, “I do.” Then, I asked, “Will you let of earthly things and forgive your children?” He said, “I do.” Tears filled his eyes. Then he smiled. God’s peace filled his heart.

 

Repentance Is a Verb

True repentance is an action. It bears the fruit of obedience. The people asked John, “What should we do?” He answered, “Whoever has two shirts must share with the one who has none and whoever has food must do the same.” (Luke 3:11) Then tax collectors asked, “What should we do?” He replied, “Collect no more than you are authorized to collect.” (Luke 3:13) No extortion. No greed. Soldiers asked, “What about us? What should we do?” He answered, “Don’t cheat or harass anyone, and be satisfied with your pay.” (Luke 3:14)

Repentance requires honest self-examination and leads to visible change in our lives. Recently, I saw one of my pastor friends featured on the cover of a local magazine, titled, “A True Shepherd.” When I saw the cover, I felt ambivalent. At first, I was happy for him, because indeed he was a great person. But at the same time, I felt skeptical, because he doesn’t believe in the resurrection of Jesus; instead, he teaches that Christ’s resurrection is symbolic, and we can attain a similar state through meditation and gook works. All day, I pondered, “What is a true shepherd?” In Ezekiel 34 God rebukes Israel’s self-serving shepherds, and says, “I myself will be their shepherd. I will seek out the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the wounded, and strengthen the weak.” (34:11, 16) In John 10 Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… I know my own and my own know me.” (John 10:11, 14) Then I realized that I, too, fall shorts of being a true shepherd. I repented and resolved to change course.

 

Repentance Is All of Life

As we begin our Advent journey, the most important preparation is “repentance” – to see where we are right now and change the course. Repentance is not just feeling or saying sorry; it’s a way of life. It’s not a one-time event but a continuous part of our Christian life. In his 95 Theses, Martin Luther’s first thesis writes this way: 

“When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ (Matthew 4:17), he willed that the entire life of believers be one of repentance.”

Repentance is a lifelong practice. Every single day, we turn away from sin and turn back to God. We repent of our sins and rejoice in God day by day. When Martin Luther struggled with doubt or temptation, he would look into the mirror and say to himself, “Martin Luther, you are baptized. Don’t forget.” Baptism is once for life, but we need to remember our baptism every day. In baptism, our old self dies with Christ, and our new self rises with Christ. In baptism, we repent of our sins and receive Christ as our Lord and Savior. Let us remember our baptism, and be thankful. Let us repent – change course now – and times of refreshing will come as God promises. Let us pray… 

Lord, I renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, 

         reject the evil powers of this world,

         and repent of my sins.

I confess Jesus Christ, as my Savior,

         put my whole trust in his grace, 

         and promise to serve him as my Lord,

              in union with the church

              which Christ has opened to people

              of all ages, nations, and races. Amen.