We Have Seen This Before

Second Sunday of Advent December 10, 2000 Malachi 3:1-4 We have seen this before Introduction The Story of Tina and her little sister....... It seemed that nothing seemed to work to help her sister to learn. SheÐÏ à¡± á ; þÿ þÿÿÿ ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ þ'N£ £ ° T› Ð ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ § È à=Ð/ Ð 8 d ÿÿÿÿ Ð 2 – ¥ Rev. Harriette Cross Second Sunday of Advent December 10, 2000 Malachi 3:1-4 We have seen this before Introduction The Story of Tina and her little sister....... It seemed that nothing seemed to work to help her sister to learn. She knew the warnings by heart. She heard everything that was said to her, but for some reason she was not willing to listen in her heart. The message in Malachi was written for the hebrew people, who were much like Tina's little sister. It seemed that they knew the message of God convenant by heart, they heard the message everywhere in there lives, but for some reason, they were not able to listen to what they were being told. Explanation of Malachi Malachi is the hebrew word for messenger. It is not known exactly, who this malachi was at the time. The case against God The one thing that I love about the hebrew faith, is that they are allowed to ask God some serious questions. They can look at life, and look at the promises of the scripture, and if things are not going the way they think it should, they are allowed to go directly to the source, to God, to ask why? Why is it that bad things happen to faithful people. As a matter of fact, in the book of malachi, the people have decided to go further than just asking questions. They have taken God to court, and are arguing their case before the preist, who serves as the judge. Exactly where is this God of justice now? The people are starving, families are poor, the land is not producing crops, there is choas in the government, some people are getting along very well, while others are not getting their fair share, there is fighitng and wars evrywhere, some people are not able to keep their land. God made a promise to them that these things would not happen. Goid promised that she would be the God of the hebrews and take care of them. Where is this God of justice now? The people want to sue God, because she has not lived up to her promises. Where is this God of justice now? Isnt that an apporpriate question for us to ask today? Isnt it ironic, that today we as a people are spending our time in the court system too? As citizens, we all faithfully performed our duty to vote and to speak our opinions and yet over a month later we still don't have a president. As the court battle drags on and on, you wonder who is it that is in charge. Who will be able to give the final answer on our behalf. Where is this God of justice now? And we look at the descendants of the hebrew people today, in Isreal today. And we see that there is unrest. constant bickering which turns violent. People are being killed, lives are disrupted, the leader has just resigned. Where is this God of justice now? All throughout the world, there are places where people are starving, places where a few benefit from the drudgery of every body else, there are places where people are in crisis, where the land is not porducing enough food, Where is this God of justice now? In our church we still struggle with the way in which we treat one another, we struggle with what it means to be equal in the sight of God. Where is this God of justice now? In our community, sin is rampant. There is violence because of selfishness, and drug use. Where is this God of justice now. I think that we can all agree with the hebrew people in their charges. There is definitely something wrong with our world. Things are not the way they are supposed to be. Something has got to change. Someone has to be held accountable for the conditions of the world. And they need to give some definite answers to these charges. The preparation for the case The priest, who serves as the judge feels that even though the people have a case. They may want to stop and think a bit about what they are doing, before they have this face to face meeting with God. Afterall, this is God that they are questioning. a very powerful and forceful God. And face to face meetings with God are not always a simple, pleasant expereience. Afterall, God burned the face of Moses, and tore the hip of Jacob. the priest reminds the Hebrews and indeed us to, that God comes into our lives of people in many ways. God answers our questions of faith very clearly, but we are not always told what we want to hear. God does answer the charges of the people. Where is the God of justice now? God does admit that things need to change. She acknowledged the conditions of the world during the time of Malachi, and you know, she is acknoweldged the troubles of our world today. Yes things do need to change, and someone does need to be held accountable. Somebody needs to be told that they are wrong. But are we prepared for God's response. Because as God comes into our lives, and as God takes a stand on the witness stand, God tells us that the changes that need to take place our inside of us. God reminded the hebrews that the promise was two fold. She would be there God, but they would also be her people. The problems in the world came about because the people were not faithful. worship had lost meaning, people were just going throught the motions. People had a long list of expecations of what God was supposed to do, but had forgotten thier obligations to God. God seemed to be absent from the situations of the world, because the people had forgotten to look for God in the situation. The question was not where is the God of justice, the question was where are the people of justice? You see, even today, we are alot like Tinas little sister. We are told the story of God's love for us over and over again. We know the story of Christmas by heart, we hear it over and over again every year. We hear it, but do we really listen to it? Do we really understand that this is the story that will change the conditions of the world? When God came into the world as teh baby Jesus, everything changed. The government was turned on its head, those who felt treated unfairly felt that there voices were finally heard, hope was given for a people who had given up. And every year, that the story is told again. Things changed. Becuase those who not only listen, but are willing to hear are transformed. We are changed, because God is willing to answers our questions of faith. Because the story tells us that God is willing to meet and to speak with those who are willing to meet and speak with her. It is yet to be determined, whether our court case will end. Will we really have a president for Christmas. Or will pilgrims feel safe in traveling to bethelhem to celebrate the birth of Christ. Yet the gifts from God, are deeper than that. The faith that we have, will help us to get throught all of these events and more. God comes into our lives, and answers our questions. And as we meet with God, we are never the same. WE are transformed. We see our faith a little more clearly. We are given the power to make a difference in those things that at one time we could only ask about. The world changes, because we change, our faith changes. We are in a time of preparation for a meeting with God face to face in our lives? A meeting with God is always a life chainging event. How will things be different for you this year? ey think it should, they are allowed to go directly to the source, to God, to ask why? W o u ƒ … ¶ Ñ 8 N c ƒ ¥ § {uouicicici{ / B Q k m o q s u ƒ … µ · ¹ Š Œ ´ ¶ Ï Ñ 8 N P P µ · ¹  ‘ Ö Ø Õ × 2 4 Ë Í Õ × Ü Þ Ž  a c   ƒ · ¹ Ë Í · ¹ » W ¢ é ë ¥ § § < P  § = > ? 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