The First Sunday of Advent, 30 November 2014
Isaiah 64:1-9
Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18
I Corinthians 1:3-9
St. Mark 13:24-37
Background: Apocalyptic
This literature emerged, quite understandably,
during the period of forced Hellenization in the first two centuries prior to
the Common Era. It’s stress on dualism and the battle between good and evil is
found in both Jewish and in Christian sources. Some notable examples are chapters 7 through 12 of
Daniel, the books that come out of the Essene community,
and the “Little Apocalypse” found in St. Matthew, chapters
24-25. What bind these expressions together are a
pessimistic view of the present time, and the foretelling of imminent
disaster. Unlike the prophets, who
described similar conditions, these circumstances, described in apocalyptic
literature, are followed by a coming period of judgment and resolution. The
Book of Revelation offers a fine example of these qualities. The complex of
ideas is always described in a narrative form, unlike the prophetic oracle.
These descriptions are always eschatological in nature, as well, where the
prophets declaimed the here and now.
Such literature developed in later Christian times, but the emphasis
moved from a consideration of the salvation of the entire community to that of
the individual.
Isaiah 64:1-9
O that you would tear
open the heavens and come down,
so that the mountains
would quake at your presence--
as when fire kindles
brushwood
and the fire causes
water to boil--
to make your name known
to your adversaries,
so that the nations
might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome
deeds that we did not expect,
you came down, the
mountains quaked at your presence.
From ages past no one
has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God
besides you,
who works for those who
wait for him.
You meet those who
gladly do right,
those who remember you
in your ways.
But you were angry, and
we sinned;
because you hid
yourself we transgressed.
We have all become like
one who is unclean,
and all our righteous
deeds are like a filthy cloth.
We all fade like a
leaf,
and our iniquities,
like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who
calls on your name,
or attempts to take
hold of you;
for you have hidden
your face from us,
and have delivered us
into the hand of our iniquity.
Yet, O LORD, you are
our Father;
we are the clay, and
you are our potter;
we are all the work of
your hand.
Do not be exceedingly
angry, O LORD,
and do not remember
iniquity forever.
Now consider, we are
all your people.
This psalm, “O that you would rend the heavens” (Isaiah 63:15-64:11), is the pericope from which the first lesson is
taken. The structure of the psalm is:
Introductory prayer
(63:15-16)
Lament in three parts
with an annexed prayer (63:17-19a)
Prayer that God be
present in an Epiphany (63:19b-64:5a)
Confession of sin and challenge to God (64:4b-7)
Confession of confidence (64:8)
Prayer that God should repent, and a Lament for Zion
(64:8ff)
Concluding question.
(64:11)
You may wish to make comparisons with Psalm 18:10, where there is a similar emphasis on the
“coming down” of God, and the quaking of the mountains. Here God is seen as a
literal deus ex machine, who, being
present, challenges those who are adversaries, and defends the chosen people of
Israel. The cry for the appearance of God is the quintessential Advent theme,
and the verses from Isaiah undergird that theology. There is a considerable
meditation on the situation of humankind, the falling away and sinfulness, and
the frailty of human life, “We all fade
like a leaf, and or iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” In spite of
the flawed relationship, the prophet recognizes the on-going relationship of
God and people, where God is honored as “Father”, and given the role of the
potter who forms individual lives. “We
are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
The confession is closely woven with the idea of confidence in God’s not remembering
the people’s sin, but acting with us in consideration that, “we are all your people.”
Breaking open Isaiah:
- Into which situations of life do you wish God were present?
- How is God indeed present in them already?
- What might your prayer be like?
Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18 Qui regis Israel
Hear, O Shepherd of
Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; *
shine forth, you that
are enthroned upon the cherubim.
In the presence of
Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *
stir up your strength
and come to help us.
Restore us, O God of
hosts; *
show the light of your
countenance, and we shall be saved.
O LORD God of hosts, *
how long will you be
angered
despite the prayers of
your people?
You have fed them with
the bread of tears; *
you have given them
bowls of tears to drink.
You have made us the
derision of our neighbors, *
and our enemies laugh
us to scorn.
Restore us, O God of
hosts; *
show the light of your
countenance, and we shall be saved.
Let your hand be upon
the man of your right hand, *
the son of man you have
made so strong for yourself.
And so will we never
turn away from you; *
give us life, that we
may call upon your Name.
Restore us, O LORD God
of hosts; *
show the light of your
countenance, and we shall be saved.
The second verse of the psalm gives us clues as to the intents of the
work. The names “Ephraim, Benjamin, and
Manasseh” point us to the north and to the Kingdom of Israel. The scene is one
of trouble and distress, but not of the trouble that is soon to come, when the
Assyrians defeat and deport the people. Here all is troubled, but there is the
hope that God would intervene, “Restore
us, O God of hosts.” Prior to these prayers, however, are tacit admissions
as to the difficulties of the people that have given rise to the fervent
prayer, “How long will you be angered despite the prayers of your people.” The
attitude is similar, in some respects, to second Isaiah. The feeling of desperation is deepened in
verse 6; “you have fed them with the
bread of tears.” In our translation the second part of the verse is blunted
from its Hebrew intensity. It might be better translated as “and made them drink triple measure of
tears,” rather than our translation’s, “bowls of tears to drink.”
Regardless, the language is quite descriptive of the situation.
The elided verses trace the history of Israel from Egypt into the new
land of promise. The image is one of a transplanted vine, and the difficulties
that can come of such an agricultural pursuit.
The theme quickly changes from the vine to the idea that Israel, as a
people, are God’s son. Christian eyes
will see these final verses differently.
Breaking open Psalm 80:
- Are you aware of a “bowl of tears” for yourself?
- What is it made up of?
- How can God intervene to obviate your bowl of tears?
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Grace to you and peace
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God
always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ
Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of
every kind-- just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you--
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing
of our Lord Jesus Christ. 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.
We enter into the midst of an on-going and intense conversation between
Paul and the congregation at Corinth.
Paul greets them with the peace of God, and then gives thanks to God for
all the graces that have been shown to the people of Corinth. This was a people proud of what they had
accomplished by means of the grace of God, and thankful for all the gifts and
talents that were evident among them.
Paul’s concern, however, are their experiments concerning the freedom
Christ has won for them (indeed Corinth was a center for freed slaves in the
Roman Empire.) The question then is, “How do we live with such freedom?” and that
will be Paul’s theme as he continues in his letter to them. At the outset,
however the concern is that they remain “blameless” in the fellowship of “his
Son.”
Breaking open I
Corinthians:
- What spiritual gifts have you been given?
- Have the spiritual gifts of another helped you? How?
- How might you use your spiritual gifts?
St. Mark 13:24-37
Jesus said to his
disciples,
"In those days,
after that suffering,
the sun will be
darkened,
and the moon will not
give its light,
and the stars will be
falling from heaven,
and the powers in the
heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see `the
Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory. Then he will send out
the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the
earth to the ends of heaven.
"From the fig tree
learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its
leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking
place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this
generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven
and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
"But
about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son,
but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will
come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his
slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the
watch. Therefore, keep awake-- for you do not know when the master of the house
will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else
he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to
all: Keep awake."
In order to understand
these enigmatic texts, we need to be fully aware of the context of the
times. Probably written around 70 CE,
much had happened that made for a new context for Jesus’ words and concepts.
These Mark places into a time full of disappointment. In 40 CE, Caligula attempted to have a statue
of him erected in the Temple at Jerusalem, an act fully reminiscent of
Antiochus Epiphanes during the Seleucid period.
In 70 CE, Silvus, the Roman general under the Emperor Titus, destroyed
the Temple, and indeed Jerusalem itself. The anxiety and grief over these
events provide the context for Mark’s report of Jesus’ apocalyptic. The message is simple – the times give you
clues about what is to come, but do not think that you have the complete
knowledge. The take-home lesson is “keep
awake!” It’s good grist for the Advent mill. Behind the glitzy
commercialism of Christmas in our time stands the reality of war, poverty, and
intolerance. So, the message of wakefulness obtains even in our own time.
Breaking open the Gospel:
- What are your expectations of Jesus’ judgment of you?
- What are your expectations of other’s judgment of you?
- How do you judge yourself?
After breaking open the
Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put
on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son
Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he
shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Questions and comments copyright © 2014, Michael
T. Hiller
Comments
Post a Comment