Sermon Advent 4

Bewilderment, simplicity and faith are the words for today.

In comparison with Luke, Matthew brings us a brief Gospel of Our Lord’s infancy. God fulfils his promise and he does it in a bewildering way. It comes through a young Jewish girl who accepts the work of the spirit in her. Her partner, Joseph is an absolute treasure, he does not understand what exactly is happening, but nevertheless he protects his family, and he sits back and waits for God to reveal to him his purpose.

Eventually, God reveals himself to Joseph in a way that is undramatic, no flashing lights and choirs of angels, but God is providing him with the news that he requires. His patience has produced answers, his shame and heartache have turned to understanding. And now he is prepared for God’s actions.

I believe that within the Holy Family, Joseph should be considered to be more important. His clear, plain righteousness gives us an important lesson in this life. Even though his life changed beyond recognition, he waited for God to speak. JUST TO SEE if GOD was with his family. We sometimes plan our mission, our witness to God, and our plans come to naught. We decide in advance exactly what we will do for God, and we sometimes lose our way in the worldly, by not trusting enough. We need to be bewildered more as a church community, as Joseph was 2000 years ago.

Bewilderment is an important part of our faith. That might sound strange – but it is true. As soon as we think we can understand the world – the moment we stop waiting for answers – we lose our way.

Unless we are bewildered by the appalling weight of third-world debt, the wealth of the developed nations and the death and violence through war and terrorism - we will be unable to hear God speak – because we won’t be needing answers.

Joseph is bewildered and upset, but he waits for God to speak – and GOD does.

When we think that everything is occurring ‘normally’ we are not capable of perceiving what is ‘new’. The unexpected interrupts our plans.

We hear in the Gospel that the child about to be born will be named Jesus, “God saves”, “because he will save his people from their sins”. The translation of HIS PEOPLE goes beyond the Hebrew world; it encompasses ALL humankind becoming the people of God. The one who re-establishes our friendship with God is coming – discreetly – to a young girl in Bethlehem.

The sign that God gives is to abide forever with those he loves. This sign is not going to be a THING but a SOMEONE, who will be EMMANUEL, God with us! This name above all names is mentioned in this mornings Gospel – reflecting Matthew’s link with the prophet ISAIAH. It is a beautiful text that sets the tone for the final stages of ADVENT. GOD IS APPEARING IN OUR HISTORY – (repeat) as it says in John’s Gospel – “GOD PITCHED HIS TENT IN THE MIDST OF OUR HISTORY”. And it is in our HISTORY that we will encounter the God of our faith and of our hope.

But what about simplicity?

Now that is not a complicated message – but the real simplicity is found in the way in which God chose to reveal himself to us. God interrupted OUR history to be born to a girl who was a homeless refugee – he will be born in a stable - in a land occupied by the Roman empire - the Son of God is to be born into lowliness that few of us will EVER experience in our lives. The humility of Mary, chosen to bear God needs to resonate within us, producing our own submission to the will of God.

The simplicity of God interrupting our history is so important that we can miss the point. There is absolutely NOTHING that warrants complex theological investigation. You don’t need a degree to understand the message or the practicalities. God is coming to show his solidarity with us, to be born of a young woman in lowly surroundings. He is coming to save us from our sins.

That is the simple bit – but how can we make that mean something to the SINGLE-PARENTS living in poverty, or the HOMELESS surviving in the bitterly cold weather, or those REFUGEES fleeing from oppression in their own land.

God made it mean something to them 2000 years ago – how do we do the same, HE HAS ENTRUSTED THE TASK TO US !

Finally - what about faith?

The letter to the ROMANS starts as a hymn outlining the testimony of that child, Jesus, Emmanuel who is to be born. Paul makes some things clear about Our Lord – he tells us firstly that;

He comes from God and enters into history,

His power will be life, victory over death,

He is the source of our own mission, as his witnesses,

In this mission, we continue the presence of God in history…

As we approach the birth of Our Lord once again – remember that reading from ISAIAH – and that God, in his own time will make all things right – we need to have FAITH that God is with us – we need only look to him – and act for him

Mary’s humility, Joseph’s bewilderment, Paul’s faith, their simplicity are the attitudes of the followers of Jesus.

On the forth Sunday of Advent we hear of Mary being the bearer of our Lord, and that wonderful act of selflessness brought God to be with us. We hear of the strength of Joseph, and his justification from God, we hear of our mission and what our faith should be.

Again and again in the Christmas story God's messengers tell people, 'Don't be afraid'. The story tells us of a God who humbles himself and a peace that comes from God's loving acceptance of our humanity. We may be bewildered, we may struggle and lack faith, but the answer is in the simplicity of God’s love.

We need to prepare ourselves to bear that love to others – to bear the love of God once again to everyone we meet, in our words and actions.

AMEN