Let us walk in the light of the Lord! Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision to gratify the desires of the flesh. Be ready – for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
Today is the first Sunday of Advent. When I was a kid, that meant we had begun the countdown to Christmas – to no school and presents and cookies and Christmas concerts and Sunday school programs and family games and TV Christmas specials and candlelight devotions. Advent signaled that the magic had begun. I loved it.
However…the sad part of growing up…is that the magic isn’t quite what it used to be. We glimpse it in our children and grandchildren, and we recreate the wonder and joy as best we can for them. But as adults, there are so many other things that vie for our attention. You know…”real life”. Things like how to pay the bills..or grief or loneliness…or fear or anxiety. “Real life” …things like living in a world where people think its reasonable to bomb hospitals or turn a fire hose on people in freezing temperatures… where winning is what matters, at any cost…and profit margins are the ultimate value. “Real life” – where people aren’t always nice – where hate is real – and people are judged and mistreated because of the color of their skin or their religion or their immigration status or who they love. Yes, “real life” is a problem if Advent is about Christmas magic.
Fortunately for us adults, however…Advent is actually about “real life”. One of our lessons for today is from the prophet Isaiah – and it’s a word written to the nation of Israel when their leaders were corrupt – catering to the wealthy and powerful and ignoring those who were in need…and using weapons and violence as the solution to their problems. Another lesson today comes from the book of Romans, written by Paul to people living in Rome under the rule of Nero – whose reign was marked by depravity and self indulgence of the worst kinds…he actually used to wander the streets and kill innocent civilians for fun. And our gospel this morning is from Matthew — written to folks in Israel after the Jewish revolt in Israel had failed – a revolt which began after the Jewish people had protested that the governor stealing the temple offerings because his tax revenues were low. The governor’s response was to send in troops and massacre 3600 innocent civilians…leaving the temple as the pile of rubble that still stands today. They Jewish people rose up in retaliation …and were brutally crushed by the massive Roman legions. Yes indeed, these scriptures for the first Sunday of Advent ARE for people who are living a “real life”.
And in the midst of real life – they are encouraged “to walk in the light of the Lord”…to imagine a world where differences are not solved by war or violence. They are encouraged “to put on the Lord Jesus Christ” – and live not like Nero…thinking only of his own pleasure and desires…but to think of others ..to serve, not be served. And they are encouraged to “be ready”…to be ever on the lookout for God’s presence among us…for where we least expect it, even in the midst of defeat, the Lord shows up.
This is a word for us this morning. When corruption only seems to be growing and injustice and hatred seem rampant…we are encouraged by Isaiah to “walk in the light”. We are encouraged, in a world that thinks violence is the answer…to choose a different way. To act differently. To speak differently. To be peacemakers – to believe peace is possible. We are encouraged to be “dreamers”…like Martin Luther King…to have a dream of a world where all people are treated with worth and dignity and respect…and to live as if the dream were reality. To walk in the light of God’s truth.
And on this first Sunday of Advent, we are encouraged by Paul to choose “put on Christ”. And Paul means something far more meaningful here than putting a fish bumper sticker on our car or checking the “Christian” box on the census. What Paul means, is that instead of acting on our impulses – saying and doing whatever we feel …which Nero was the supreme exemplar of… we actually wonder “what WOULD Jesus do?”. In “putting on Christ”, we choose to live with joy and compassion – we welcome strangers and quit finding excuses to hate one another. We shrug our shoulders at what other people think … and defend and care for those who are despised, outcast, and ill…as Jesus would do. And as Jesus encourages his disciples…we stay “ready”. Because, here’s the thing — we don’t know God’s timing or God’s plans. We don’t have all the answers. We don’t know where God will show up…but it’s probably not going to be when or where we expect. So we need to be “ready”.
I want to be clear though… this isn’t the ‘being ready’ that means “you need to get right with Jesus or you’re going to hell”. No…not at all. Again, Matthew is written to Jewish Christians who have seen the temple destroyed and their friends and neighbors massacred by the Roman armies. They are feeling hopeless and defeated. When Jesus tells them to “be ready”…he reminds them not to give up on God…to hold on, whatever comes…and trust that God is here. And that God is coming again. To look for God…even in the midst of the complete desolation. To wait for God.
No, Advent isn’t about Christmas magic…it’s about waiting in the midst of our very real lives…with hope. It’s about lighting one candle. And another. And another.…in defiance of the darkness that surrounds us. It’s about letting those little lights of ours…our baptismal lights ..(do you remember that candle you get at your baptism…’let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven’). It’s about letting our lights shine in our real lives….living as children of light in the midst of the darkness that is so prevalent….and refusing to succumb the ways of hate and violence and fear and demagoguery. It’s about hope. That God is here. And God is love. And this is God’s world. And we can trust that, whatever “real life” may bring. So light your candles…and wait with me. It’s Advent, after all.
Leave a Reply