FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT Year C November 28, 2021
Today we
celebrate the first Sunday in Advent. It
is the time that we begin preparing for Christmas. We are looking forward. At Christmas we celebrate God coming to us in
human flesh and so we are also remembering and looking back. Today we have readings that most certainly
look forward and we are reminded that Christ will come again. Contained in the readings today are
prophecies, from both Jeremiah and Christ.
Today, I
want to speak a little about Jeremiah.
To tell his story in today’s context we might call him Jerry. Jerry was only about 19 when God called him
to the roll of prophet and Jerry felt very inadequate. There were plenty of other prophets around
and they were much older so how could he possibly have any influence?
In our
readings today we reflect on Jeremiah’s words; (Jer 33:14) “The
days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made
to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.”
Jeremiah
proclaimed the message of God to the nation and most of the time he was
rejected. He warned the people that they
were in danger of being carried off into exile and they were, but even then
they refused to listen to him. You see,
there were many prophets and most were proclaiming that good would come to the
people. Well…. Who would you listen
to? The one who prophesise good or
danger? Most people just listened to
what they wanted to hear.
Last week
we read that Jesus came to testify to the truth. What is truth? There are popular beliefs that truth is
subjective, but does that mean there is no such things as truth? If that is the case then what did Jesus come
to testify to and how is he possibly the Life, the Truth and the way?
We need to
be a people of courage if we are to be the people of God and we need to be a
people who are willing to seek the truth – the absolute truth - at all costs.
Now, the truth does not mean passing on an idea that someone else has
proclaimed as truth without doing some soul searching, research and
prayer.
The
prophets of Jeremiah’s time would say what the people wanted to hear and the
news would spread and the people rejoiced in the affirmation that all was
well. Are there voices today that
proclaim messages that people want to hear without searching to find the
truth? We don’t need to look too far to
know that the media only want to magnify a message that will get your attention
and aren’t too worried about the truth.
In media and especially social media there are a minefield of voices and
the average person needs to know that these are not always the truth.
But let’s
get back to the story of Jerry…. Did you know that Jeremiah prophesied quite a
lot that is significant for us as Christians?
He prophesied about the fulfillment of God’s promise of the coming of
Christ and yet it was another 600 years before this prophecy would see its
fulfillment. Prophecy is often fulfilled
in more than one way. Often in the
prophets time there will be a kind of fulfillment and then in the time of
Christ and then again for the second coming of Christ.
For us
today, we look at the prophecy of Jeremiah and God’s promise and we are
encouraged to have the attitude of hope.
It may be a while before Christ comes again, or it could be tomorrow,
but we are reminded, for the purpose of being ever ready.
As far as
prophecy goes, it in itself is something that people get very excited
about. Unfortunately, mostly we get the
bull by the horns and forget that the purpose is to encourage us that God is
still in control and has a plan and purpose for our lives, and instead we get
caught up in things that are incorrect.
Let me explain; If Christ were to come hmmm.. next week, what would you
do this week? Some might say, spend all my
money on fun times, tell that boss to stick his job etc….
We have
always had voices with us that proclaim some form of prophecy…. They are the
ones that are stock piling food and preparing for doomsday. They are also the ones that say the
environment doesn’t matter because God is coming back soon and it wont matter.
Wrong and
wrong.
The
purpose of prophecy is to encourage us.
But prophecy, true prophecy is a word from God. He might admonish, and certainly will if we
are going the wrong way, but his purpose is always for our good.
For
Jeremiah, the people were not being faithful to God. However, they were still going to church – so
to speak… they were giving their gifts and involved in worship at the
temple. To give an extreme example,
think of the Maffia…. They would go to church and give generously, but then go
out and kill.
God’s
admonishment in Jeremiah’s time was to a people who thought they were doing
everything right and so it is worth us taking time to reflect on our own lives,
seeking God’s truth and seeking his purpose for us. Remembering that even his admonishment is for
our good.
When we
look into the heart of God we find that he is concerned for the same things
with which St. Paul prays for the Thessalonians; “And
may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all,
just as we abound in love for you.”
Christ
made it clear that there are two great commandments; that we love God and love
others.
Jesus
tells his followers of signs and wonders that will happen before the day of his
coming and we get a sense of excitement as we read them and wonder if this
thing that is happening today is part of these signs and wonders.
Jesus
tells a parable and explains that just as we know the seasons by the budding of
leaves on a fig tree so too we should be able to know the season we are in
spiritually. Are the fig trees budding?
Jesus goes
on to explain the attitude we need. At
the end of our reading we see this warning: (21:36) “Be alert at all times, praying that you may
have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand
before the Son of Man."
The times are tough. Right now the times are tough. As we enter the season of Advent this year we
enter with so much uncertainty. Will the
boarders actually open and what is that going to mean for us all?
Not only is there
uncertainty but there are a number of voices stating what they think is going
to happen… there are as many opinions as there are people. In the midst of this, Advent calls us to
remember that God promises to send a righteous branch. Christ came and he was that righteous
branch. Advent also calls us to look to
the second coming of Christ and prepare – to be ever ready. But do we realize that we are the body of
Christ called to also be a righteous branch and a message of hope for the
nation?
Is the fig tree
budding?
There are partial
fulfilments of the promises of God in every generation. Things happen that make us wonder, is this
the time? Is The fig tree budding? Jesus tells us this is just the beginning,
we are not to be found sitting back waiting for his return, burying our talent
in the ground – so to speak.
Rise up church! Prepare to encounter Christ. He calls us to unite with him to be a
righteous branch to the nations because we are his hands and his feet – his
people- children of the King – the kingdom of God IS near.
He tells us that this
generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. In each generation the fig tree IS budding
and the church is called to bring Christ to the people. Those early Christians saw the move of God
and the prophecy fulfilled in kind… not fully.
Who knows maybe that will be in our day, or maybe not, but one thing is
for certain; the world needs a saviour.
Our children are being
confused with ideology that, rather than affirms that God knitted them
purposely together in their mothers womb, suggests that they can change their
biology, and our vulnerable are given instruments of death, instead of the love
and affirmation of God.
We have a part to play in
history…. One heart at a time… it isn’t hard…
simply connecting in love and hope to those we meet, reassuring them
that God loves them and showing them that it is true by showing them our love.
Many people at this time are
afraid for the future. Perhaps you are
too, but in all that we do and in all that we are, God has promised to never
leave nor forsake us. He calls us now,
more than ever, to be his righteous branch… to show his love to the nations and
to bring them his hope… his hope is sure and beyond this mortal realm. Jesus tells us; "Be on guard so that your hearts
are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this
life, and that day catch you unexpectedly”. As we begin Advent this year, know that you
have a call. You are called to be part
of the body of Christ, a righteous branch to bring hope to a nation in turmoil.
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