Liberated By God's Grace (First Week of Advent)

Welcome to Advent.

This warning from Jesus comes after Jesus’ words about the end of
the world. The apocalypse is upon us, there will be tribulation and
the world will see the day of God’s vengeance on human sin. This
doesn’t seem to quite fit with the Christmas decorations, lovely carols,
and relentless merriness that has been in stores, in advertisement,
and in the media since Labor/Labour Day. It is jarring to hear about
judgement and the Second Coming whilst shopping for that perfect
Christmas sweater or sampling figgy pudding. And what about our
Lord’s admonition to be awake, be aware, be ever-vigilant? We
won’t know the hour. We might be left behind. At the very least
it is exhausting to be on watch all day every day.

How is this passage from Matthew good news, and how is it good
news at this time of the year? Where is the grace and how do these
verses help us to know that we are liberated by God’s grace? It sounds
like the law to me. It seems to be about what we need to do to be
ready on that great and terrible day, what action we must take so
that we will be taken and not left behind. Blessed Advent? Bah
humbug!

There is a secular counterpart to this apocalypse. Young children are
taught that Santa Claus is keeping track of who is “naughty or nice,”
meting out consequences and rewards accordingly. Popular Christmas
song lyrics, while upbeat in cadence, deliver messages that instill
dread. The message is clear: Be awake, be aware, be ever vigilant. The
day is drawing nigh.

It is interesting that pop culture can give voice to the prevailing
theology of many in our churches. We don’t trust that God’s promised
grace is real and for us and so we come to believe and act that the
word of God is not gracious, but vengeful and punishing. Through
that lens there is no way that we can see the gospel for the first
Sunday in Advent as the announcement that we are liberated by
God’s grace.

But hear the Good News. Jesus was announcing the end of the
world. It is the day of God’s vengeance on human sin. And this is
what God’s vengeance looks like: a helpless baby in a stable in Beth-
lehem, a helpless man on a cross outside of Jerusalem. The end of
the old world of sin and death has come exclusively through God’s
reconciling mercy.

Matthew 24: 36–44 is God’s word of promise, a gift to us that we
might open ourselves, our eyes, our lives to the incredible, surprising,
immeasurable and intimate love of God. It’s right there in front of
us—two men working in a field, two women grinding meal—in the
ordinary, in the everyday. God doesn’t want us to miss it. God wants
us to watch.

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Andrewofthetribe said:

What's wrong with people who do Christmas shopping ?

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Andrewofthetribe said:

I'm very sorry

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