Advent 1 2010
Jesus Comes Quietly
Scripture: Mathew 24:36-44(ESV) Selected Verses
36 "No one knows about that day or hour. Not even the angels in heaven
know. The Son does not know. Only the Father knows.
37 "Remember how it was in the days of Noah. It will be the same when
the Son of Man comes.
38 "In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking.
They were getting married. They were giving their daughters to be
married. They did all those things right up to the day Noah entered the
ark…. 42 "So keep watch. You do not know on what day your Lord will
come. 43 You must understand something. Suppose the owner of the house
knew what time of night the robber was coming. Then he would have kept
watch. He would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also
must be ready. The Son of Man will come at an hour when you don't
expect him.
Devotion:
This is the season. Although Christmas is still 29 days
away by my count, People are mobbing the stores looking for gifts to
give to loved ones and sometimes just folks they feel obligated to get
gifts for. There is much noise. The liturgy of the season in invoked
millions of times: Cashier—Will this be cash or credit? Shopper Credit
please. Cashier—would you like to sign up for our store credit card you
can get an added 10% off your purchases today? Shopper—no thanks you.
Cashier—your total comes to $107.07. The shopper then slides their
credit card through the machine and presses the appropriate buttons.
The receipt pops up and the Cashier hands it to the shopper with the
words; “Have a happy holiday.”
The transaction (liturgy) completes the happy shopper walks
away knowing that they have been able to complete their shopping for
the year for a few people. Then the hunt goes on for other bargains at
other stores. Until the final liturgy is complete and the by now
exhausted shopper can go home and wrap all the goodies found during
their day of shopping.
This is what we have let Christmas become. What began in
secrecy with Angel’s quiet announcement to Mary, and confirmation to
her betrothed Joseph, and ended in a stable witnessed only by farm
animals and eventually shepherds and angels. God in the form of a tiny
baby had slipped into the world virtually unnoticed by the crowds. The
rulers of Israel both Jewish and Romans had no idea that there was a
tiny boy. They did not have any idea this baby would one day turn their
world upside down.
Has Jesus really turned our world upside down? Are we not
in the condition that Matthew records Jesus predicting in today’s
scripture reading. We go on buying and selling. We continue eating and
drinking. We go along with the culture that has stolen from Jesus the
preeminence of his birthday. We have let Madison Avenue with all its
(fake) glitz and glamour steal our Christmas. Maybe we should take a
lesson from the Grinch who tried to steal Christmas, only to find that
the Christ child comes into every heart that is prepared to receive
him. Jesus comes quietly wherever he finds souls open to his presence.
May our hearts be so prepared.
Prayer:
Help us O God to return to the spirit of that first Christmas. Prepare
our hearts for this advent season. Quiet our souls. Let us prepare in
our homes a place for the Christ child to come to us and abide with us.
May the Christ child’s returning to his people this Christmas be one
full of warmth and love for all humankind. I pray it all in Jesus name.
Amen.
Scripture: Mathew 24:36-44(ESV) Selected Verses
36 "No one knows about that day or hour. Not even the angels in heaven
know. The Son does not know. Only the Father knows.
37 "Remember how it was in the days of Noah. It will be the same when
the Son of Man comes.
38 "In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking.
They were getting married. They were giving their daughters to be
married. They did all those things right up to the day Noah entered the
ark…. 42 "So keep watch. You do not know on what day your Lord will
come. 43 You must understand something. Suppose the owner of the house
knew what time of night the robber was coming. Then he would have kept
watch. He would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also
must be ready. The Son of Man will come at an hour when you don't
expect him.
Devotion:
This is the season. Although Christmas is still 29 days
away by my count, People are mobbing the stores looking for gifts to
give to loved ones and sometimes just folks they feel obligated to get
gifts for. There is much noise. The liturgy of the season in invoked
millions of times: Cashier—Will this be cash or credit? Shopper Credit
please. Cashier—would you like to sign up for our store credit card you
can get an added 10% off your purchases today? Shopper—no thanks you.
Cashier—your total comes to $107.07. The shopper then slides their
credit card through the machine and presses the appropriate buttons.
The receipt pops up and the Cashier hands it to the shopper with the
words; “Have a happy holiday.”
The transaction (liturgy) completes the happy shopper walks
away knowing that they have been able to complete their shopping for
the year for a few people. Then the hunt goes on for other bargains at
other stores. Until the final liturgy is complete and the by now
exhausted shopper can go home and wrap all the goodies found during
their day of shopping.
This is what we have let Christmas become. What began in
secrecy with Angel’s quiet announcement to Mary, and confirmation to
her betrothed Joseph, and ended in a stable witnessed only by farm
animals and eventually shepherds and angels. God in the form of a tiny
baby had slipped into the world virtually unnoticed by the crowds. The
rulers of Israel both Jewish and Romans had no idea that there was a
tiny boy. They did not have any idea this baby would one day turn their
world upside down.
Has Jesus really turned our world upside down? Are we not
in the condition that Matthew records Jesus predicting in today’s
scripture reading. We go on buying and selling. We continue eating and
drinking. We go along with the culture that has stolen from Jesus the
preeminence of his birthday. We have let Madison Avenue with all its
(fake) glitz and glamour steal our Christmas. Maybe we should take a
lesson from the Grinch who tried to steal Christmas, only to find that
the Christ child comes into every heart that is prepared to receive
him. Jesus comes quietly wherever he finds souls open to his presence.
May our hearts be so prepared.
Prayer:
Help us O God to return to the spirit of that first Christmas. Prepare
our hearts for this advent season. Quiet our souls. Let us prepare in
our homes a place for the Christ child to come to us and abide with us.
May the Christ child’s returning to his people this Christmas be one
full of warmth and love for all humankind. I pray it all in Jesus name.
Amen.
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