Sermon Tone Analysis

His Name is John

Luke 1:

Luke 1.

Madred uses a number of torture methods, including sensory deprivation, sensory bombardment, forced nakedness, stress positions, dehydration, starvation, physical pain, and cultural humiliation to try to gain knowledge of the Federation's plans for Minos Korva.

Picard refuses to acknowledge Madred's demand for information.

Madred attempts another tactic to break Picard's will: he shows his captive four bright lights, and demands that Picard answer that there are five, inflicting intense pain on Picard if he does not agree.

Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, his son Jesus Christ our Lord (+) and the Holy Spirit.

Amen

“There are four lights”

those are the defiant words of Captain Jean Luc Picard played by Patrick Stewart in a very famous episode from the Old Star Trek Next Generation episode “Chain of Command”

“There are four lights” were the defiant words as Picard was being tortured by an enemy who in attempt to break him use various tactics like we heard about in the notorious ‘black sites’ from the wars of the early 21st century.

the tactic he was referring to was the intense shinning of 4 lights into him as he was being questioned and asked to acknowledge there are 5 lights not 4.

The tactic did not break him and in a final defiance as he was leaving after being rescued was to go up to his accuser nearly broken and declare for a final time

“There are four lights”

Only after the incident ended in the last scene did he admit he was broken and was willing to agree to anything even that there were 5 lights when there were only 4.

today is the Nativity of John the Baptist and the scene of John’s naming and prophecy by his father Zechariah.

Yet what has dominated the news this week has been a self imposed wound by our government

denounced by religious leaders of all faiths in the letter I provided to you this morning.

thankfully one day after I wrote that the government under pressure from all sides backed down.

and the challenge for myself and religious leaders across this nation is what to say today with a lesson

that presents us with a child, defiant mob questioning the parents, and a prophecy that refers to salvation and forgiveness.

When the child was eight days old, they went ⌊to the temple⌋ to circumcise him.

They were going to name him Zechariah after his father.

But his mother spoke up, “Absolutely not!

His name will be John.”

Their friends said to her, “But you don’t have any relatives with that name.”

So they motioned to the baby’s father to see what he wanted to name the child.

Zechariah asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.”

Everyone was amazed.

His name is John

Zechariah and Elizabeth were just as defiant as the fictional Picard

this child of God was chosen and that included his name---John

And through it all God is present and in control of what will happen.

John will be a precursor to Jesus.

the prophet prophesied about

scripture says

All their neighbors were filled with awe.

Throughout the mountain region of Judea, people talked about everything that had happened.

Everyone who heard about it seriously thought it over and asked, “What does the future hold for this child?”

It was clear that the Lord was with him.

What does the future hold for the children who have been detained.

Some are now saying they will have the equivalent of PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

what Our military has been experiencing from Head Wounds

But this is a special kind of trauma

One that is due to injury to their inner being

not outer body.

That is why the prophesy by Zechariah is so crucial

We sing this when we do morning prayer from the hymnal

and as one who has chanted it it changes in the middle

from the congregational voice that of the cantor

right at the moment Zechariah looks at the baby John and speaks directly to him

You my child...

shall be called the prophet of the most High

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.

to give his people knowledge of salvation and the forgiveness of their sins

The extremists on both sides are saying their is a special place in hell for those

disrupting and separating the families

Well in my theological opinion they have been reading a little too much of Dante’s Inferno

and his multi circles into the depth of hell.

because it is clear from today’s text that their is also forgiveness for sins.

and the prophecy promises even more.

in the tender compassion of our God a dawn from on high shall break upon us.

and guide our feet into a way of peace.

That is the prayer that the religious leaders hear and see is the end of this evil.

God’s compassion will guide us through this trauma,

Leaders, neighbors, parents and children.

It will end.

because not only this day

this moment

This nativity of John the Baptist

and John himself

Let light shine on the one who comes to save us

John points to Jesus

Points to Jesus

Remember that above all things.

Don’t quote scripture

it points to Jesus

and Jesus even when his disciples try to chase away the children

opens his arms and calls them to himself

John points to Jesus

Jesus points to God

who’s tender compassion is their for us all.

AMEN