Romans 15:5-13; Matthew 3:7-9; December 7, 2025; Second Sunday of Advent
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You know, I’m not so sure about AI.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know, several of you have recently, and excitedly, told me all about its wonder, its capabilities, its efficiencies.
But, I’m sorry, at this moment, call me skeptical. I mean, after all, skepticism is sort of my brand.
Remember too that I’m a self-described luddite, born in 1981, growing up with movies like The Terminator and the threat of Skynet. So, don’t only call me skeptical, but also somewhat worried about this AI.
For its disruption to the employment line and the communities that have and no doubt will be impacted, I am worried.
For its overuse of our electrical grid and driving up all of our bills, I am worried.
For its potential to create a real-life version of Wall-E. That great Pixar movie where we all become so lethargic as machines do everything for us, even at the expense of the planet, I am worried.
For its access and gateways for cheating, I am worried.
For its ease at making bots look and sound like us, thus causing deeper division between us on social media, I am worried.
And for its distortions of the truth. Passing off errors, biases, and unsourced, or not well-sourced data, as trustworthy, I am worried.
Yes, I am sure that like the internet, AI can be an amazing tool. And, that it already is for a great many of you. And I mean that sincerely. But to the collective whole, I wonder, are the potential advantages any better than the perceived disadvantages? Call me worried.
And while I think this is the conversation we should all be having right now…or at least one of them… perhaps, it’s best saved for another time as I’ve already spent too much of it already, and you all have grown accustomed to shorter sermons as is.
And it’s not really the main point of the sermon anyway, though it did provide a decent answer to the question asked of me earlier this week: “What is the difference between happiness and joy?” Joy being our word for the day on this particular Sunday in Advent.
Well, Google’s version of AI tells us (yes, this is intentional, and a humorous example of how even pastors can be hypocrites):
Happiness is a temporary, external emotion tied to circumstances, while joy is a deeper, more lasting inner state of contentment and peace that can exist regardless of external conditions. You can choose joy [AI continues], which is sustained by an inner sense of purpose, meaning, or gratitude; whereas happiness is more of a reaction to external events.
Now, don’t call me a convert just yet, but that’s actually a pretty good answer. Wow.
I mean, we should all want and choose joy more than happiness! Especially as this life is way too fleeting as it is. Unlike a temporary state of happiness, say like opening gifts under the tree, joy can provide us with us a longer duration and deeper meaning of hope, say like acknowledging that Jesus Christ has been born for us. Amen?
It’s perhaps then with good reason that the carol is: Joy to the World, rather than Happiness to the World, which sounds clunky anyway. …Happiness to the world, the Lord is come… yeah, no.
Anyway, last week Cassie talked about the glitter of hope; the hope you can never fully sweep away. And I loved that because it inverts one meaning for another: the absolute dread of glitter with the absoluter excitement of hope. Whereas I loathe glitter and always want to sweep it away, I love hope and would never want to give it away.
In a similar way, our text from Romans tells us we are all to be glitter ourselves. Not locking our souls away, but giving off light with the Spirit of hope, abounding in joy and peace.
And more, that we are to work with one another to achieve this peace, this “harmony.” Implying that we do harm when we deprive others of harmony and ourselves from it.
In this week’s lectionary text from the Gospel, Matthew chapter 3, John the Baptist goes on a fire and brimstone speech about those who would rather separate than come together, who would rather betray harmony by sowing divisions through tribalism:
But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for* his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! … Bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.” – Matthew 3:7-9
“We have Abraham as our ancestor…” Well, so what, John says. It’s not about who you are, or who you know, but what you know. And John’s question for them and all of us is, do you want to know God’s joy, peace, and harmony in Jesus Christ; or are you only wanting to know your own messiahs of control, domination, and fear?
You see, John was smart. These dudes didn’t come “for” his baptism with good or authentic intentions. They came against it.
The Greek word for for* here, is ἐπὶ. But it can also mean “against” given the context. And in this context, boy, did they come against John. I mean, just look how John responds when they show up: He says, “You brood of vipers!”
Yes, they came against his baptism alright, because John was offering the disadvantaged something only the advantaged thought they should have. Whereas they thought that power came from them, and their notable seats in the grid of the city, John was offering true power out in the wilderness, surrounded by locusts and wild honey.
You see, they who had all the advantages, thought they were inherently better than those who were perceived disadvantaged (sound familiar to a question asked earlier?), and these hypocrites, this brood of vipers, didn’t think any of these disadvantaged should gain access to the gift of baptism, to the grace and truth of God.
In other words, due to their biases, their errors, their unsourced, or not well-sourced data, they wanted to distort the truth, suggesting that God’s good news was actually only for a few. For people like them.
And so, it’s like they came to seize control of who could be allowed justice and liberty, for they feared if this weird and wild man were to continue to grant asylum to the thirsty and the hungry, then all bets were off, and anyone would be welcome.
But here’s the kicker and the amazing truth of freedom: anyone and everyone is welcome!
For this table behind me is not only for a few, but for all. “For the root of Jesse has come, the one who was to rise and rule the Gentiles; and in him all people shall hope.”
And more than hope, all people shall find joy.
That beautiful and enduring word, that provides a longer lasting inner state of peace that can exist regardless of external condition.
So that all who might bend from life’s crushing load (and man, can it crush!) will see the night clear and know the bliss of morning at the light of Christ’s coming. Amen?
Where can we find the truth of God, my friends?
It’s not in a store. Or under the tree. Or in some algorithm or product of artificial intelligence. But in the eternal wisdom embodied here where it is written:
“That we might welcome one another, and live in harmony, and together with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In whose teachings there is no greater truth.
Alleluia.
Amen.
