Matthew 11:2-15
You’re six-years old; you just broke the neighbor’s window with a rock, because you were angry at your playmate … your Dad says, “Son, I’m disappointed in you.”
Your favorite teacher calls you into her office and says, “I expect so much more of you. I’m disappointed in you.”
“I’m disappointed in you!”
We’ve all heard it … we’ve all said it.
Speaking of disappointment, I’m thinking about Christmas gifts …
Now that Christmas is nearing, a little advice about gifts for that man in your life:
Rule #1:
When in doubt - buy him a cordless drill. It does not matter if he already has one. I have a friend who owns 17 and he has yet to complain. As a man, you can never have too many cordless drills. No one knows why.
Rule #2:
If you cannot afford a cordless drill, buy him anything with the word ratchet or socket in it. Men love saying those two words. "Hey George, can I borrow your ratchet?" "OK. Bye-the-way, are you through with my 3/8-inch socket yet?" Again, no one knows why.
Rule #3:
If you are really, really broke, buy him anything for his car. A 99-cent ice scraper, a small bottle of deicer or something to hang from his rear view mirror. Men love gifts for their cars. No one knows why.
Rule #4:
Never buy a man anything that says "some assembly required" on the box. It will ruin his Special Day and he’ll always have parts left over.
Rule #5:
Good places to shop for men include Northwest Iron Works, Parr Lumber, Home Depot, John Deere, Valley RV Center, and Les Schwab Tire. (NAPA Auto Parts and Sear's Clearance Centers are also excellent men's stores. It doesn't matter if he doesn't know what it is. "From NAPA Auto, eh? Must be something I need. Hey! Isn't this a starter for a '68 Ford Fairlane? Wow! Thanks.")
Rule #6:
It's hard to beat a really good wheelbarrow or an aluminum extension ladder. Never buy a real man a step ladder. It must be an extension ladder. No one knows why.
Rule #7:
Rope. Men love rope. It takes us back to our cowboy origins, or at least The Boy Scouts. Nothing says love like a hundred feet of 3/8" manilla rope. No one knows why.
Follow these simple rules, and you’re man won’t be disappointed!
Years ago, I read a book about disappointment. It was really disappointing.
Not really … but one thing I learned and one thing I remember about disappointment … look carefully at the word … the heart of it - appointment.
We expect thus and so … we make appointments for folks …
But …
Children go their own way.
Friends leave us in the lurch.
The pink slip arrives on our desk.
A loved one does something so hurtful, we wonder if we’ll ever recover.
The university of our dreams doesn’t want us …
The boss doesn’t think we’re so hot …
The long-anticipated vacation is mostly a flop.
John says to Jesus, “I’m disappointed in you!”
What did John expect?
The Rev. Dr. John Buchanan, pastor of Fourth Presbyterian in Chicago and editor of the Christian Century, writes:
“What people wanted was a king … who would unify the nation, rally the troops, drive out the occupying Romans and reestablish the monarchy. That’s what a Messiah is supposed to do – make things right by defeating God’s enemies, establish a new order of things based on real power” (Christian Century, Dec. 11, 2007, p.3).
“One who is more powerful than I is coming after me,” said John. “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
What did John expect?
We have to be kind with John …
He’s doing jail-time … Herod’s prison - the end of the road for this rough and ready guy.
A man of the desert … camel’s hair clothing, locusts and wild honey for breakfast.
Passionate about God - a voice crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD!”
Now he’s in the slammer!
“Are you the One?”
Jesus sends back a message:
“The blind receive their sight … the lame walk … lepers are cleansed … the deaf hear … the dead are raised … the poor have good news preached to them.”
This is the work of the Messiah foretold by Isaiah …
But John couldn’t see it … his appointment for Jesus clouded his vision.
Jim and Susie wanted their son to pursue a career in law, because Mom and Dad were lawyers, but the son becomes a photographer instead; has long hair and wears jeans to work … he’s a good photographer, a fine young man, but the parents can’t see it. Every time they’re together, tension and bitterness …
Jesus says to John, “Look carefully at this.”
Like the Ghost of Christmas Present to Scrooge: "Look upon me!”
A second look is warranted … a reconsideration … another go at it.
God is always more … or less … than what we expect, and people are rarely ever what we want them to be!
People are who they are … neither more nor less … innovative and creative, silly and sly … wonderful and loving … self-serving and conniving … mean-spirited and jealous … glorious and gracious … all of that and more in spades!
People are complex … life is full of surprises …
It was the day after Christmas at a church in San Francisco. The pastor of the church was looking over the lawn when he noticed that the baby Jesus was missing from among the figures.
He hurried outside and saw a little boy with a red wagon, and in the wagon was the figure of the little infant Jesus.
So he walked up to the boy and said, "Well, where did you get your passenger, my fine friend?”
The little boy replied, "I got Him at church."
"And why did you take Him?"
The boy explained, "Well, about a week before Christmas I prayed to the little Lord Jesus and I told Him if He would bring me a red wagon for Christmas I would give Him a ride around the block in it” (Thanks to Jan Murphy for this cute story).
Places we never dreamed, experiences we never expected … responsibilities that tax us to the limit and beyond.
“Mom, you never told me it would be like this.”
There’s probably no tougher disappointment than self-disappointment:
We’re going to be a millionaire by the time we’re 30 …
We’ll write a best-seller … join a rock band and go gold … marry the person of our dreams.
We’ll live in exotic lands and see the world …
We’ll have the perfect marriage.
We’ll sign up for great causes and win a Nobel Peace Prize.
Our children will be straight A students and find a cure for cancer.
But life goes its own way …
Perhaps you’re familiar with Bruce Wilkinson, author of The Prayer of Jabeze, a book that transformed the way millions of people pray.
After huge successes on every front, Mr. Wilkinson turned his attention to South Africa … a major effort to take care of the children of AIDs … to promote health and healing, faith and hope … huge dreams, but it all came crashing down … Wilkinson resigned and returned home, heart-stricken and sad.
No one’s immune to disappointment!
What do we do about it?
I think of David & Goliath … David had only a sling & his faith, and on his way to battle, David stopped by a creek bed and gathered up five smooth stones.
When it comes to disappointment, We have spiritual weapons at our disposal … a sling called faith and five smooth stones.
THE FIRST SMOOTH STONE:
Surrender our life to God … day in and day out … moment-by-moment … everything we are and everything we hope to be … “LORD Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, I give myself to you, in faith and obedience.”
THE SECOND SMOOTH STONE:
Christ at the center of our heart, so nothing else can get in there … the light of Christ, the love of Christ, the glory of Christ … His kindness and His mercy … His forgiveness and His patience … His hope and His endurance.
THE THIRD SMOOTH STONE:
To be generous in our estimate of people around us … to let them be more or less of who they are … to appreciate their creative energies and allow them space to a bad day … when I chat with parents, I remind them to let their children have bad day … we all have tough days, and one of the kindest things we can do is make allowances for such things.
THE FOURTH SMOOTH STONE:
To have a sane and sober estimate of life … things happen, things go awry … plans collapse; folks just don’t show up at the all the appointments we make for them, and we fail to meet our self-appointments. A little biblical realism – sin abounds … but so does grace. As Donna says to me: “Get over it!”
THE FIFTH SMOOTH STONE:
A positive mindset:
Life is good; God is good …
Rub the eyes and take a second look.
Determine to see the good, because it’s there
Look for it until you find it … wrestle with it until you get the blessing … Jacob wrestled with the angel all night long and wouldn’t let go until he got the blessing.
Count your blessings and name them one-by-one. Celebrate what you have, not what you’ve lost …
Remember, things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out!
Whatever comes your way, you’ll handle it.
However unusual your pathway, God is right there beside you.
If Goliath stands in your way, sling a smooth stone and send him crashing to the ground in a heap of dust.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Amen!
