Matthew 24:36-37, 42-44 “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man… Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
It happens every year, the first Sunday of Advent gospel lesson is not one of the warm, welcome, familiar birth stories we so love… it’s Apocalyptic! Years A, B, and C, Matthew, Mark, and Luke all present a topic we may not want to hear as we prepare our homes and sing along with Bing! Jesus has not yet made his appearance in the manger and we’re talking about his coming again! At first glance, the passage seems dark, frightening, even threatening, much like the world around us. Pandemic, increasing prevalence of extreme weather, wars, violent words, and actions abound… then scripture implores us to keep awake, be ready, for we do not know when Jesus is coming again!
Our Communion liturgy declares, “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again! …So whenever we eat this bread or drink this cup, we proclaim the saving death of our risen Lord until he comes again!”
Jesus comforts his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places… if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” – John 14:1-3
While it feels good to sentimentalize the nativity, so does recognizing the wonder and mystery that Jesus will come Again! Our ancient ancestors waited, lamented, and longed for the messiah to come and lift them out of their darkness. We too cry out, “How long, God? When… how might our world be reborn?” It is into our lament and the ever-increasing darkness that Advent days bring us. A single candle lit in the light of day may go unnoticed, but one single candle in the dark has the lux to illumine our path, lift our spirits, make us feel secure, and yes, even hopeful!
Years ago, my husband and I were in Fairbanks, Alaska. Our hotel offered a wake-up call during the night if there was a good viewing of the Northern Lights. The call came and we scrambled into the clothes we had laid out just in case, so that we would be ready. We hurried outside to join others huddled in the semi-darkness. Standing in the frigid air, we gazed at the sky in awe. If we had missed the call, if we hadn’t prepared our clothing ahead of time, if we hadn’t taken seriously the invitation, what a wondrous sight we would have missed!
So, dear friends, let’s hold on to hope as we get ready, cleaning house, and setting the table for Christmas guests. Let’s stay awake, readying our homes of heart, mind, and life to receive God in the manger. As we light the candle of Hope, may we take joy that our true hope is in the Good News that Jesus, our light, is with us in our darkness, and in his time, He Will Come Again!
