FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT Year B
November 30, 2014
Well, you've heard the saying "better late than never,"
right? It could be applied to the Parousia (i.e. the Second Coming of
Christ) just as easily as to this blog entry. "Sacrilegious,"
you say? Perhaps a little, but in the Spirit of Christ, please
forgive me! My telos (that's Greek for "goal") was
to have this blog posted by Monday, immediately after the Sunday
celebration of the Eucharist while the body and blood of the Lord
Jesus were as fresh on my mind as in my mouth (albeit
communion wafers aren't all that fresh, but I digress). All things
considered however, I guess Tuesday is as good a day as Monday to
reflect theologically and if I may say eucharistically on the
assigned readings for the First Sunday of Advent.
I can't help but laugh a little as I draw the parallel between my
blog being a day late (and a dollar short, sorry but I couldn't
resist the pun) and the apparent lateness of the Lord's return. Of
course, the season of Advent is primarily celebrated by many if not
most congregations as a time of preparation for the Christ child, the "Word
made flesh" who dwelt among us through the mystery of the
Incarnation (John 1:14). In all honesty however, I fear catering to a
consumerist culture has far more to do with this emphasis than
theological conviction. Isn't it true and don't the lectionary
readings teach us that the season of Advent is just as much about
looking back to the Incarnation as looking forward to the Second
Coming?
Many grand doctrines are celebrated during the season of Advent
including the human condition and its need for vast improvement
(theological anthropology), the great hope that vast improvement is
indeed on the way and in fact has already begun (eschatology), and
best of all the eschatological agent of change we hope for is none
other than Jesus our Lord and Savior (Christology). But what good is
talk of a Savior without a grasp of salvation (soteriology)? Just
what does it mean to be saved? This is the great
soteriological question and we find its answer in the readings from
the First Sunday of Advent.
Personally, I like to begin with the psalm because it sets the tone
of prayer conducive to a Spirit-filled interpretation (biblical
hermeneutics) and drawing out of the text (exegesis). Psalm 80 has a
clear soteriological theme held together by the following litany:
“Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be
saved” (v. 3).
“Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we
may be saved” (v. 7).
“Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; let your face shine, that
we may be saved” (v. 19).
I added emphasis to draw the reader's attention toward both the
rising urgency and intimacy invoked with each successive petition,
“LORD” being the common transliteration of God's covenant name.
Notice that to “restore” is inextricably linked with if not
synonymous to “be saved.” Secondly, notice use of the corporate "us" and “we” as opposed to the individual “I” or “me.” The
psalmist begins by commemorating the national crisis during the time
of Joseph when famine (i.e. the loss of sufficient food supply)
literally threatened the children of Israel with death.
Juxtaposed to the recalling of a very real famine, the psalmist
metaphorically describes the people struggling under the weight of
God 's purported wrath:
“You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to
drink in full measure. You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our
enemies laugh among themselves” (vv. 5-6).
The English Standard Version (ESV) of verse 6 is even more poignant
in its description:
“You make us an object of contention for our neighbors, and
our enemies laugh among themselves.”
The psalmist here describes what we today know all too well: the
shame of objectification. Though we are fearfully and wonderfully
made in the image of God our Creator, neighbors and enemies alike
often treat us as mere objects to either amuse or abandon as they see
fit. We often lose the experienced reality of having been formed in the image of God. This lost reality is in dire need of restoration not just for us as individuals but for the human race in its entirety.
To make matters worse, adding insult to injury, the prophet Isaiah
reminds us that we ourselves are not completely innocent in relationship to God
and neighbor. Even our very best efforts “and all our righteous
deeds are like a filthy cloth” (Isaiah 64:6). However in the verse
directly preceding this infamous (proof)text, we learn an interesting
fact concerning the doctrine of sin:
“But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we
transgressed” (Isaiah 64:5b).
Popular theology tells us that our sin drives God to hide from us.
Here, the prophet Isaiah teaches us the opposite is true. Because God
hid, sin was the result. The psalmist understood this also and
therefore implored God to “let your face shine, that we may be
saved” (Psalm 80:3). If the hiding of God's face is an invitation
for sin and our damnation (consider the things we do when we think no
one is watching us), then the revealing of God's face is an
invitation for righteousness and our salvation:
“For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in
our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in
the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV).
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus”
(Romans 8:1 ESV).
Let's face it. In our Gospel reading, Jesus paints a scary picture of
the end (i.e. the Eschaton) complete with a somber warning to remain
vigilant at all times (Mark 13:24-37). As God's soon coming agent of
eschatological hope, Jesus' warning must not be taken lightly.
However, as one who received revelation from the risen Christ in a
way that none of us have ever experienced, the apostle Paul assures
us “He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be
blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by
him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:8-9). In fact, despite the recurring sense
of shame, guilt, and God's supposed wrath, not only the apostle, but
also the prophet, and the psalmist all conclude with notes of
salvific hope and notions of God's ultimate acceptance (e.g. Isaiah
64:8; Psalm 80:18).
Prior to the Christ event, which begins with the Incarnation, we too
may sometimes cry out to God with the psalmist, “You have fed us
with the bread of tears, and given us tears to drink in full
measure.” But our gracious Host the Lord Jesus Christ calls us to a
very different meal and a different confession altogether:
“[A]nd when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, 'This
is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' In
the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, 'This
cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink
it, in remembrance of me'
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes"
(1 Corinthians 11:24-26 ESV).
Starting from the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms down through the
apostolic witness of the New Testament, the eschatological hope of
Advent is held high as an open-ended invitation to a never-ending
celebration of humanity's final redemption. All are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb! The
supper may seem to be off to a late start but the Second Coming of
Christ is as sure as the Incarnation. The “time of universal
restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets”
is at hand (Acts 3:21). Remember, better late than never!
Readings were selected according to the
Revised Common Lectionary. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture
quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). Other
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version, copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing
ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights
reserved.
