READING: Luke 3 v 7 – 18
John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
“What should we do then?” the crowd asked. John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely, be content with your pay.”
The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.
SERMON: “The Wolf of Gubbio”
Gracious God – bless thou the words of my lips and the meditations of our hearts, that they be of profit to us and acceptable to you, our rock and our redeemer. Amen
There is a story entitled “How St. Francis Taught The People of Gubbio To Feed Their Wolf.” It is a strangely humorous story with layer upon layer of meaning. I would like to relate that story to you and make some comments on it.
In a nutshell, the people of Gubbio in 1220 have a problem. The bloody remains of some of their townsfolk start showing up on the streets of their beautiful city when people awake in the morning. Since the people of Gubbio are very proud people, they are convinced that “a stranger” passing through must be responsible for the terrible crime. Nevertheless, they begin to “lock” their doors at night. When more deaths follow, the same denial “that no one in Gubbio could be responsible for such a thing” is expressed over and over again.
And then, someone sees a wolf wandering the streets of Gubbio one night after everyone has retired; and the people of Gubbio realize that there is a wolf living in the dark woods on one side of Gubbio. Of course, this could not be their wolf; because they never asked this wolf to come to Gubbio. Immediately, they begin to find ways to dispatch this wolf.
After a number of futile attempts, the people get desperate enough to approach the holy man of Assisi who has a reputation for being able “to talk to animals”.
St. Francis “speaks” to the wolf and gives the people what appears to be some strange and, not entirely, welcome advice.
He tells the people of Gubbio that they must “feed” their wolf.
At the first, the people are not impressed with this suggestion and begin to wonder why they ever approached the holy man in the first place. And, then, something miraculous happens. Bit by bit, people begin to leave food out for the wolf as he prowls the streets of Gubbio. The violent deaths cease and it is not long before every man, woman and child has learned how to “feed their wolf.” As a result, the people of Gubbio are transformed. They become more easy-going, less arrogant human beings.
People who hear this story for the first time have a variety of reactions to it.
Some are amused by the story and identify with the proud people of Gubbio. They recognize that arrogance has to “blame it on strangers” when something goes wrong. The denial and avoidance of the townsfolk are all too familiar.
In laughing at the people of Gubbio as they come to terms with their wolf, they realise that they themselves can find healing and freedom by embracing the negative aspects of themselves, their community and their church, that part of the story that is symbolized by the wonderfully vague image of “the wolf.”
Other people, however, just don’t get it. Or worse, they are offended by the suggestion of a self-identity that incorporates rather than excludes “their” wolf. They decline the invitation to befriend and feed that which they fear most in themselves and each other and miss the opportunity to come to a new and healthier understanding of themselves.
On this third Sunday of Advent, traditionally called Gaudete or Joy Sunday, the church asks us to consider some equally strange advice from scripture.
On the one hand Paul tells the folks at Philippi to Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again – rejoice!
That sounds like what this season of Yuletide is supposed to be about does it not?
Good cheer and holiday exuberance and all that. But, when we get to the gospel for this week, once again we hear about John the Baptist, carrying on from the message of last Sunday’s gospel reading, is doing what he does best – reprimanding us:
“Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees”; he cries out, “every tree therefore that does not bear fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
And once again we are reminded that the God who is coming is not Santa Claus “who knows whether you are naughty or nice”, but Jesus, God with us, the one who calls to us to turn around and follow him.
You see, that’s the trouble if you can call it trouble with listening to the Bible. It’s wisdom is so much different than the wisdom of our world.
Instead of finding “joy” through a “positive” psychological assessment of ourselves or in the mindless advice to “Be Happy” no matter what is happening, we are told that “joy” is what happens when we respond to that which God demands of us; and what God demands, in the words of John the Baptist, is “repentance” or a change of heart.
What the gospel is trying to do for you today is release you from the counterfeit “joy”
Real “joy” is what happens when we confront our wolf, face up to what keeps us unhappy, and turn towards God’s redeeming love.
The Good News of Advent, the joyful news, is that God is coming to us, not to destroy us but to refine us, to help us to become what we were meant to be.
It is God’s great gift to us: to own up to what we have been and done, to express our sorrow and be relieved of the terrible burden of having to think that we are “right” all of the time.
May you be filled with “the freedom” of knowing that you are not right all of the time – and “the joy” of knowing that you don’t have to be! Christ come’s to set us free. To forgive and to show us God’s love. Praise be to God!
Oh yes I nearly forgot to mention, the story of the wolf and the people of Gubbio concludes with a note that the wolf lived for a further two years at Gubbio, going from home to home for food and honouring his agreement with Francis. At the wolf’s death the city was saddened, for though he had slain so many, he was a symbol of the sanctity of Francis and the power of God.
According to tradition, Gubbio gave the wolf an honourable burial and later built the Church of Saint Francis of the Peace at the site. During renovations in 1872, the skeleton of a large wolf, apparently several centuries old, was found under a slab near the church wall and reburied inside. Amen
PRAYERS
Loving God – make us ready to receive the gift we need to become the people you have made us to be. Help us to recognise within ourselves those things that need to come to the light of day and to be tamed by your Spirit. Nourish such longing in us for your coming into our lives that we may grow into more humble and more joyful people
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer
Lord Jesus, come and bring your joy this Christmas. Come and bless the ones we love; come with the gifts that never break; the knowledge that we are loved and precious; the awareness that we belong and are valued; the realisation that we’re welcome and can welcome others. Give us the joy that turns ordinary food into a holy feast, that makes our friends and family the best and finest company, and which fills us with the wonder and ecstasy that the shepherds found in the stable
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer
Your coming has changed our history Lord, and given us a future. Help us celebrate this Advent and Christmas Season whole-heartedly and open-handedly, and to see that Christ can smile at us in every human face….
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer
Father, we hold before you too this day those in our family, our church, our community, and our world, who have a special need of your loving touch – hear now the prayers of hearts and the words of our lips
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer
Rev’d Kevin
Associate Priest at St Wilfrid’s and St Thomas’s
