Isaiah 40:1-11 and
Mark 1:1-8
Today we begin our Advent preparations
in earnest. My kids think it will take
forever for Christmas to get here but you and I know that we have just a few
short weeks left. Today we begin with
our familiar friend John the Baptist, calling us to prepare the way. In the blink of an eye it will be Christmas
morning, and since Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, I look forward to sharing
that day with all of you here in worship.
Our texts for this morning are clearly
linked as Mark quotes from Isaiah in his telling of the story of John. But, in another way, these texts feel like
polar opposites. Isaiah preaches
comfort, but John the Baptist preaches a fiery brand of repentance. Are these dual themes of Advent, or merely a
strange mish-mash of readings?
In our first reading the prophet
Isaiah speaks to the people in exile. You remember that the people had been taken
captive by the Babylonians and have been in exile for generations. They are far from home and wondering if
perhaps God has abandoned them all together.
Isaiah offers the people an image of hope and comfort through several
voices. “Comfort, O comfort my people”
says the voice of God, “speak tenderly to Jerusalem.” And later the prophet says that like a
shepherd, God will feed his flock “he will gather the lambs in his arms, and
carry them in his bosom.” It is a wonder
to consider that the same God who comes with might and strength to rule; also
comes with the tenderness of a shepherd.
The word comfort is one of those words
that sounds just like what it means: “Comfort.”
It brings to my mind images of warm blankets, a hot cup of tea, and
curling up on the couch next to a cozy fire.
Or it makes me think of my favorite comfort foods like homemade macaroni
and cheese or fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. The words from Isaiah bring the image of
comfort to the exiles of Jerusalem. They
are reminded of God’s loving care for them, and God’s desire that they be comfortable,
cozy, and warm.
The gift of comfort is one of the
gifts of the Christmas season. Who
doesn’t associate this season with warm fuzzy moments? In days like these, many of us could use a
word of comfort from God. Our minds and
hearts are heavy with worry and stress as last month’s political mess bleeds
into this holiday season. In this
political climate, many of us are experiencing a strain on our holiday celebrations. There was an article in the newspaper last
week saying that families were cancelling their holiday plans because they
didn’t want to end up in political fights at the table. Hard to believe that we can’t just get along
but it seems like that really is the case this time.
Add to that all the shopping stress of
black Friday and cyber Monday and we get a little bit out of control. With our holiday hijacked by consumerism, many
people lament the loss of Christmas’ true meaning. A word of comfort is certainly needed in our
world at this time. Who isn’t ready to
get scooped up into the arms of God like a little lamb right about now?
But, everyone knows that we can’t have
Advent without John the Baptist and comfort is nowhere on his agenda. John has all the marks of a true
prophet. He wears crazy clothes, just
like Elijah; and he rejects the traditional ways of life by living out in the
desert and refusing to eat meat and wine.
John the Baptist is the one who has come to prepare the way of the Lord,
and to prepare us for the arrival of Christ into our world and into our
lives. Comfort is nowhere to be found in
the message he has come to preach.
John is all about repentance. He calls us to turn from our negative ways,
the ways of our past, and to turn towards a new life in Christ. While we may long to hear words of comfort,
the message of repentance is also a key theme of Advent. Like Lent, Advent is meant to be a season of
confession and contemplation. That is
why both Advent and Lent can share the liturgical color of purple. These are twin seasons of reflection,
confession, and repentance.
John has come to warn the people that
the Messiah is near, the time will soon be ripe for his arrival. As modern readers, we need to remember that the
celebration of Advent isn’t simply about preparing for the coming Christmas
holiday. We are also called to consider
the second Advent, the second coming of Christ during this season. We are supposed to be thinking about what we
will be like, when we finally meet our Lord in person.
If we are to prepare a way for Jesus
in our hearts, then we must engage in repentance, literally to “turn
around”. We must change our minds,
change our hearts, and change our actions in order to meet him. Unfortunately, at no other time of the year are
we more tempted to wander from our Lord than Christmas. This is the time when we are torn between the
material values of a consumerist culture, and our desire to humbly celebrate
the birth of our Lord. This is the
holiday that we want both ways; we worship the material world at the shopping
mall, and our God here at church. This
is the time when we are at our most dualistic and most distracted. John’s call for us to turn around and to
focus on preparing a way for Christ, rather than a way for Christmas parties,
is an admonition that we all need to hear.
While these two themes of Advent,
comfort and repentance, seem to be polar opposites, they are both true to our
understanding of who God is. Our God is
the great parent who longs to welcome the prodigal home. Our God is also the judge, who will call us to
account for how we have treated each other.
At Christmas we celebrate the theme of comfort in our constant talk
about peace and hope. The birth of
Christ is all about bringing a light into darkness, and hope into our
lives. But repentance is also a theme;
and we cannot come to the manger, unless we have waded through the Jordan with
John the Baptist.
When I think of the themes of comfort
and repentance, I am reminded of the care a parent gives a child. When my kids start to get out of control with
a tantrum, I try to calm them down by saying, “Look at me”. I want them to stop their fussing and to turn
their attention toward me so that I can offer them comfort. This is the same message that we get from our
scriptures this morning. “Look at me” God
says to each of us during this Advent season.
Turn from your fussing with gifts and decorations, turn from your worry
and stress about the world, and look at me.
Our God longs to comfort us in God’s arms as a shepherd does the lambs,
but God must get our attention first. In
order for us to get the comfort we so desperately need, we must turn away from
the world that distracts us and turn toward our God.
In order to foster opportunities for comfortable
contemplation, I am once again offering Taize worship on Tuesday nights during
this season of Advent. This is a
wonderful opportunity to sit in silence and meditate on the miracle that is the
incarnation, “God with us”. Join me here
for candlelight, singing, and silence and make a conscious effort to prepare
the way for God to enter your heart this year.
During this holiday season, I invite
you to consider these dual themes of Advent, comfort and repentance. While we are so easily distracted by the
bright shiny world of Christmas, our God is calling to us, “look at me”. God, the comforter, accepts you as you are,
sooths your hurts and eases your woes.
But God also calls for repentance, and will not leave us as we are. God longs to constantly reform us into new
creations. God offers us new life in
Christ. This Advent season I invite you
to stop what you’re doing, and to try to stop worrying. Honor this season by turning from the world,
and turning toward God. Be drawn to the
One who saves, comforts, blesses, and transforms all of us. Amen.
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