Does your family have an Uncle John? He’s that unpleasant fellow who shows up at every Christmas party. His clothing is way out of date and his personal hygiene is questionable. But that’s not the worst of it. Uncle John is a know-it-all. He has an opinion on almost everything and as far as he’s concerned his opinions are the God’s honest truth. He shares his opinions not to enlighten but to challenge you not just to think more wisely but also to live in a better way. The worst of it is that he’s nearly always right. But he tells you the truth in such a critical, even angry, way that you don’t want to listen to him. You ask yourself every year, “Do we have to invite him to Christmas?” And the answer is always the same: “Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without Uncle John.”

          You see where I am going with this analogy, don’t you? John the Baptist has a lot in common with Uncle John. He shows up for Christmas about this time every year and shouts his angry diatribe at anyone who will listen to him. And people do come to listen.

Part of the attraction must have been the way he looked. He is like a ‘60’s hippie on steroids. He has long dirty hair and it’s clear he badly needs a bath. His clothing is equally repulsive. His clothes are made of camel’s hair with a belt around his waist. Now don’t think of a soft comfortable fabric made into a garment from Joseph A. Bank. This camel’s hair has the consistency of coarse steel wool. Such clothing must have been incredibly irritating to John’s skin. But John went even farther. He cinched up a leather belt around his waist so he could feel the full effect of the camel’s hair. To top it off, his diet is disgusting: locusts and wild honey, bugs and bees. And do you think that the bees sat by passively while John raided their hive? He must have been stung painfully many times. No wonder he was so angry. Yet crowds of people from all walks of life came out to the Jordan to hear him.

His message was as sharp and angry as he was. Everyone felt the sting of his tongue. Ordinary people were challenged to face the error of their ways and commit themselves to live better lives. If people decided to clean up their act they symbolized this by being baptized in the Jordan. Don’t think of this as stepping into a pleasant lukewarm bath. The Jordan is fed by mountain streams and the water is icy cold. I know because I was re-baptized in it myself. Such an experience must have reminded people that giving up their sinful ways would be uncomfortable and difficult. Important life changes are always that way.

Corrupt hypocritical religious leaders also came out to listen to John and what an earful they got! “Who warned you to come listen to me you bunch of poisonous snakes?! God’s wrath will surely strike you down unless you completely change. As a leader your responsibility is even greater than for ordinary people. People look to you for a good example of devout faith and moral life. And don’t tell yourself this doesn’t apply to you because of the accident of your birth. God doesn’t bless self-righteous snobs. If you don’t change your ways, everything you are and everything you have will be destroyed.

When the people in the crowd asked John what they should do, he gave some very specific suggestions. “If you have two coats, give one of them to someone who has none. If you have food, share it with someone who is hungry. You tax collectors must collect no more than is lawfully due. And you soldiers should not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusations. Be satisfied with what you are paid.”

“For all of you, who are listening to me today, know that none of you will be spared the judgment when Messiah comes. All of us have fallen short of who we should be. As for myself, I’m not worthy even to carry his sandals when he appears. Time is running out. The time to repent is now.”

If we take seriously the possibility that John was right then we have to face two fears: the fear of the existence of God and the fear of existence without God. If the foundation of everything is the living God then everything wrong about our lives must change. If there is no God then it really doesn’t matter what we do because life is meaningless. We can hang around churches if we like. We can sing the familiar carols. We can plunge into the mindless consumerism of a secular Christmas, but in the end all of that is meaningless.

But if John is right and there is a God and this God is coming near to us not only at Christmas but through the entire year then what is wrong with our lives must change. In Greek the word “repent” means “to turn around” Why? Because we know we are going the wrong way. A friend of mine told about riding with someone one night who started to enter a busy thruway by driving up the exit ramp. Fortunately he quickly realized his mistake, backed up, and took the entrance ramp. John’s message to us is the same: “Turn around! You’re going the wrong way.”

How can we meet God if we are going the wrong way, if we haven’t taken stock of our lives and made a commitment to change what we know is wrong? And, friends, do not trust any preacher who tells you we are fine just the way we are. Take a long hard look at your life. See what is wrong and begin the process of change. For each of us that will be different and for all of us it will be difficult. But the wonderful promise of Christmas is that if we do clean up our lives we will come to Bethlehem ready to greet the Christ Child.

But before I end this message let me add a P.S., a Pastor’s Suggestion. Sometime soon find a quiet place to be alone and write down on a pad of paper what you know needs to change in your life so you can become the person God wants you to be. Then, put this at the bottom of your list: “God help me to change” and sign your name. You’ll be amazed at what will happen. And this year will truly be a Merry Christmas for you. Now, aren’t you glad you invited John to Christmas!