Advent I
27th November 2022 Year A

Isaiah 2:1-5

The piece you have just heard read has the subtitle; ‘The future of the House of God’ It is a 20th century appendage but it gives a focus to this the first reading of the Advent Season.

Advent is all about hopeful expectation – the dreams of the coming of the promised Messiah in Isaiah’s case and of our hopes the promised return of that Messiah. In Hebrew teaching the Messiah was to be the long promised son and heir of God, the one who would restore the fortunes of the Hebrew people. Most Jews today still await the birth of the Messiah; we Christians acknowledged his birth over two millennia ago. There is one thing for certain and that is that we humans are not very good at agreeing with each other on so many things let alone faith. The Muslims too, do not acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah but simply revere him as another prophet. All this disagreement can lead to interesting debate but for us Christians, those of us who have chosen to follow the ways of Jesus this Advent period is a time of rejoicing in the birth of the Messiah and hoping that his ways will reign on earth. But, why

do we keep Advent at all? If as we say we believe that the Messiah was born some 2000 years ago why do we keep hoping? Why not just celebrate his birthday and not the weeks before it as well?

The early Christians did just that, celebrated only his birthday but as the church grew and time progressed it was felt that a period of prayerful preparation for that birthday celebration was needed – perhaps as a way of giving increased significance to the actual event.

Personally I like the Advent time of preparation and anticipation as it gives me hope. For me, it serves as a period of reflection and prayer even if it is interspersed with pre-Christmas celebrations and parties. I love the way that anticipation makes Christmas all the more important.

In his writings Isaiah and this is Primary Isaiah

(that is the actual Isaiah and not those who wrote in his name at a later date) gets very excited. He imagines in metaphor all that the hoped for Messiah will bring and that all people will flock to him to learn from his ways and teachings. What Isaiah is implying is that all who recognise the Messiah will acknowledge him as the most important person in the known world. That they will come to him and

offer him homage and give thanks to God for him as well. Isaiah hopes that the Messiah will offer wisdom and guidance and prove to be the leader the world needs. As he says:

“May he teach us his ways.” Isaiah 2:3b

He also hopes and expects that through his teaching the people of the world will be united and follow only the paths of God resulting ultimately in peace between all nations:

“He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many people; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” Isaiah 2:4

If nothing else is to be hoped for in Advent today then the hope for peace between nations is worth praying for and encouraging others to strive for as well.

Romans 13:11-14

This piece like the piece from Isaiah has a 20th century subtitle; ‘An urgent appeal’.

Paul and this, like Isaiah in the previous passage, is actually the real Paul is writing to the Romans to remind them that although they are no longer waiting for the arrival of the Messiah they should not be tardy in celebrating who he is and seeking to follow his ways. Believers, Paul suggests need to be just as watchful and awake to greet the Messiah as their Hebrew forebears were. In this immediate post-resurrection and ascension period of history Paul indicates that Christians need to be ready to greet Jesus at his return. In the early decades of the Church it was believed that Jesus would return soon after his ascension. We 21st century believers know that we still await that return, we are still anticipating the ‘Parousia’ but in the youthful enthusiasm and minds of those early Christians the return could have come at any minute. The fact that Jesus has not returned as quick as was first thought is something that some early Christians found disappointing. Paul is encouraging them not to lose heart or hope. He encourages them to hold fast to their beliefs and not to return to their old ways and old religions but to look for signs of the second coming. I suspect that some Romans had given up

on Christianity and had returned to worshipping their pagan Gods or the emperor and that this worried Paul, who wants them to live in the light of Christ’s new day and not in the dark of their old lives.

Advent reminds us that Christ’s light has already come into the world and has yet to be extinguished, despite what we may sometimes think or be told. This Advent challenges us to look for Christ’s light in the world and I believe that if you seek it you will find it or at least get a glimpse of it for Christ never seeks to disappoint us.

As the poet Lawrence Sail writes in his poem ‘The Glimmering’ ;

The horizon draws the line
At having been trampled down
All through a slutchy autumn,
Moves in as a caul
Of rain which blears the hills,
Hissing like the prefix which history Adds to words and laughter:
Finally, shrinks to the glimmering From under a stable door,
A straw-breath of light which can only Imply the warmth of spring

Or the memory of it – the long Pursed buds of the lily
Peeling open on the angel’s wand.

Spend time this Advent looking for the glimmer of light under that stable door. Where will you see it and what will it show you?

Matthew 24:36-44

‘The necessity for watchfulness’

Matthew’s Gospel passage seems to sum up quite well the previous two readings despite falling chronologically and historically between them. Jesus tells us that not even he knows the hour of his return or when the Kingdom of God will be fully established on the earth. He suggests that it will take us all by surprise as we go about our ordinary business and live our daily lives. He also, however, suggests that we should be prepared at all times for this coming and not be caught out. We need to be ready to welcome the Kingdom and his return at anytime and he encourages us, just as he encouraged his first listeners and followers to live for today with one eye on the future as well.

It is I think good advice. Too many of us live lives weighed down by the past and can miss out on things of the present and thus the future as well. If one is constantly looking over one’s shoulder to the past one will never see what is coming towards one or what is here already. We need to be alert to today and to anticipate the future as well. Live your lives in this present time, try not to dwell on the things that have gone and that you now have no control over but seek to use your experience of life to

prepare for the future. Let the coming light of Christ always be your guide and the illumination along your path.