“What Was, and What Will Be”
Isaiah 40:1-5
2 Peter 3:8-15a
Mark 1:1-8
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our redeemer. Amen.
So, about a week ago, I sat in on a Zoom meeting with Rev. Tussing, Amy LaDu, Gregg Dudash, and our current confirmation class. One of the things the confirmands had been asked to do was to submit a photo of something that reminded them of Advent or Christmas, and then Amy LaDu shared the photos with everyone on her computer screen.
Among other things, the photos included some lovely shots of our recent snowfall, nativity sets beautifully displayed, and several shots of fully decorated Christmas trees.
Even though it was still only the last day of November, most of the Christmas tree shots were current shots, not photos from earlier years. My point being, we were one day into the Advent season and much Christmas decorating had already been done by the families of our confirmation class.
I know with my own family, we hung up our outside lights the day after Thanksgiving – probably the earliest we’ve ever done so. And yesterday we put up our tree. Again, earlier than usual for us.
So, what does any of this mean? I believe that the desire to dive into Christmas a bit earlier than usual this year is a direct result of the unusual year that we have had, and a longing for the light and the comfort that Christmas can bring. We are anxious to put 2020 behind us and move towards that star.
So, on this second Sunday of Advent, we find ourselves poised between what was, and what will be – between the people and places and events that led us to this moment in history as we now prepare and anticipate what is to come.
In the opening verses from the Gospel of Mark that we just heard read, the writer of Mark quotes the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah.
The words quoted from Isaiah were written hundreds of years before the Gospel of Mark, at a much different time in the history of the ancient people, and yet the promise of God’s comfort was just as relevant for the people of Mark’s time as it was for the people of Isaiah’s time.
At the time of Isaiah, the people had suffered much. They had endured the invasion of their land, the destruction of their temple, and years of exile.
Isaiah’s words of comfort, then, came at a time of hopelessness and despair. Isaiah’s good news to the people assured them of God’s promise of redemption and restoration.
And so, in our Gospel lesson, the writer of Mark, several hundred years after Isaiah, also delivers good news to a people who are suffering.
Mark begins his Gospel by connecting his message back to the Old Testament and quoting these words from Isaiah. He writes:
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”
Just as Isaiah preached a message of restoration to an exiled people, John the Baptist, in Jesus’ time, preached a message of hope to a people who were suffering under Roman occupation, seeking their repentance, and assuring them of the coming Messiah.
And then, the audience for Mark’s Gospel, written several decades after Jesus walked the earth, were also struggling as the early followers of Jesus faced persecution.
So, within our Gospel passage today, there really are three different times in history represented. The time of Isaiah, the time of John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus, and those early Christians who would have been the audience for Mark’s Gospel.
My point is this. For us, in this day and time, we need only look to the people and places and events of the past, paving the way for us, in order to see the many, many examples of God’s comfort and hope given in the most dire of times. God’s promises always have been, and always will be there for us.
And so, we now find ourselves poised between what was – those events of our past – and what will be – the hope that awaits us.
We have experienced a year like no other. So, let us now wait with hopeful anticipation for that voice in the wilderness crying out, “Prepare the way of the Lord.”
On this second Sunday of Advent, as we decorate and sing the songs and ready ourselves for the coming of Christmas, may we also prepare our hearts and minds to once again welcome the one who brings light and hope into the world.
Wishing us all God’s comfort as it leads us once again to that star.
AMEN