Advent One: Faithfulness

Sermon for SMHP, Year C, Advent I with Luke 1, Dec. 2, 2018

Luke 1:1-20

          Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, ²just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, ³I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed. 

               ⁵In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. ⁷But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

               ⁸Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, ⁹he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. ¹⁰Now at the time of the incense-offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. ¹¹Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. ¹³But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. ¹⁴You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, ¹⁵for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ ¹⁸Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.’ ¹⁹The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. ²⁰But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.’

          So as we have already discussed, Luke is a gospel with a purpose.  Luke describes the purpose in the dedication to Theophilus, but it also becomes clear as we read through Chapter One and further.  Because this book may be dedicated to “Theophilus,” but it is written for a wider audience, right?

          Anybody know who the purported audience is for Luke’s gospel?

          Gentiles.  Luke is the “Evangelist to the Gentiles,” just as Paul is the “Apostle to the Gentiles.”  This gospel, scholars will tell you, was written in order that people across the Empire might know the good news of Jesus Christ.  Luke writes in a Greek suited for areas far beyond Palestine.  His themes are more universal.  So he is the “Evangelist to the Gentiles…”

          …sort of.

          Luke may be writing for the benefit of Gentiles, but his story definitely takes place within a Jewish worldview.  This is important to understand, especially as we live through another era of heightened anti-semitism.  Our Christian religion is born whole cloth out of the relationship between God and God’s chosen people, the Jews.  The story around which we gather this month—this time of Advent and then Christmas—this story is set perfectly within the larger story of God’s relationship with humanity, a story told beautifully in Hebrew Scripture.

          And it is to Hebrew Scripture that Luke turns to begin his story about Jesus.  Perhaps you noticed some of the references to events or language from Hebrew Scripture as I was reading the lesson. Anybody hear any, or see any now?

Collect list of HS connections:

--priest  --temple (priest chosen to go in alone is Leviticus 16)  --Aaron  --Righteousness  --Commandments  --barren woman (Sarah, Rachel, Hannah—Hannah’s song // to Magnificat)  --"Do not be afraid”  --Elijah (Malachi 4:5-6—“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers.”)

          As we walk through the first chapter of Luke, which will provide our gospel texts for all of this Advent Season, look for the references to God’s relationship with God’s people, and the stories told in Hebrew Scripture.  You will see them everywhere.  For extra credit, we will also explore them in our midweek Advent worship.

          Jesus Christ was born in a particular place:  Bethlehem, suburb of Jerusalem, capital of the Jewish state, Empire of Rome.  He was born in a particular time.  Zero.

          The year Zero.  Actually, he was probably born sometime around the year 4 BCE.  But the year of his birth became the basis for the Gregorian calendar’s system of dating, and so we have always assumed that Jesus was born at the point in which we went from “Before the Common Era” to “The Common Era.”

          All of which is to say that there are particularities about the birth of Jesus, ways in which the world changed when God became incarnate.

          But it all happened in a world that knew God.  A world in which God was already active.  God was in a covenanted relationship with God’s people, and God was immensely faithful to the covenant.  God promised faithfulness to all those who were faithful.  Hebrew Scripture tells that story, over and over.

          Abraham and Sarah were faithful and became the parents of a nation.

          Moses was faithful and the people were rescued from Egypt.

          Hannah was faithful and her son Samuel became the first of the great prophets.

          Job, Esther, Ruth, Naomi, Solomon, Judah Maccabee. Yeah, I got in Judah Macabee!  Hanukah starts tonight, so if you don’t know who Judah Macabee is, go home and look him up. 

          So many stories of the faithful relationship between God and God’s people.  They are the setting, the backdrop, the very heart of the story of Jesus Christ.  This is a story of faithfulness. 

          I want to say a word about “faithfulness” before we go any further.  We will be speaking of it a lot this Advent.  The songs of Mary and Zechariah, which we will here in weeks three and four of Advent, are songs of faithfulness—songs of what God has done for us and how we are called to respond.

          Faithfulness is not the mere act of believing in stuff.  Believing in stuff is important.  But it is rather passive.  Faithfulness is active.  Faithfulness is the act of following God’s command to love and serve, because you know it is right and true, but also because you are grateful for the ways God has been faithful to you.

          Zechariah and Elizabeth are chosen to provide a prophet for their age—their child, John, because, as Luke tells us, they “were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.” 

          It’s not a random choice.  Mary has other cousins!

          When Gabriel comes to Zechariah, he declares to him that God has heard his prayers, and his wife will bear a child.  His faithfulness is to be rewarded.

          And then Zechariah, being human and all, has a moment of doubt.  “Wait a minute,” he says to Gabriel.  “My wife’s old.  I’m old.  We can’t have a kid.”

          So Gabriel has to put Zechariah in a verbal time out.  “Take the next nine months and think about what you’ve done.”  Because while faithfulness is not just believing, believing is required for faithfulness.

          Does everyone understand what it means to be faithful?  What does a faithful life look like?

          A faithful life begins with believing the promises of God.  And this Advent, I am going to encourage you to explore your belief and those promises, in order to become even more faithful.  It’s a sensory experience:   

          First, listen, this Advent, for what God is promising you.  What God has already promised you. 

          Second, watch for how God’s faithfulness is working in your life, AND for how God is calling you to respond with faithfulness to the world around you.

          Third, smell the Christmas cookies and candy canes and evergreen trees.  This has little to do with faithfulness, but I didn’t really have a “smell” thing, and I want to encourage you to find the joy of this season, in the midst of its busyness.

          Finally, act.  Find ways to mirror God’s faithfulness to us by being faithful to God’s commands and God’s promise.  Put your body in the place where God’s faithfulness is shining.  We know where those places are, right?  Shout out a few.

          Buy some gifts for a family in need.  Shovel your elderly neighbor’s driveway.  Write a letter to your representative on an issue you care about.

          This Advent, we are exploring what it means to be faithful.  What it means to answer God’s call with “Here am I.  Let it be with me according to your word.” 

          We are living into the promise that came down to us from God—came down in words, in deeds, and in a tiny baby, born in Bethlehem, in the middle of Palestine, in the heart of God’s covenant.