Advent 4, 2019

 Advent 4, 2019                 Matthew 1:18-25             Isaiah 7:10-16                     Romans 1:1-7

                The birth of Jesus took place in a human way.  A human woman became pregnant, an embryo growing in her womb.  She was tired.  She was hungry.  And like so many before her and since, she was pondering.  Some artists and theologians have speculated that Jesus avoided all the humanity of childbirth, but that seems ridiculous to me.  He was fully human, and so I am sure he emerged with a cone head, looking like a little old man, messy, red and wailing.  It’s not a very dignified entrance, but then his death wasn’t either, and neither was much of his life.  He didn’t avoid being human and he didn’t ask us to either.

The birth of Jesus took place in human history.  His father Joseph had dreams like the Joseph with the coat of many colors.  Like that Joseph, too, his father would take him to Egypt.  And like Moses, Jesus would set his people free.  Isaiah once gave this same message about a young woman conceiving and bearing a son to King Ahaz, and also telling him not to fear, and the child that was born was king Hezekiah who was one of the few good Israelite kings.  This story is full of refences to God’s actions in times long past, and the way God is faithful in fulfilling God’s promises.

The birth of Jesus took place in a merciful way.  Joseph was a righteous man.  He wanted to do the right thing.  It seemed that Mary had not done the right thing, but that was no reason to cause her more pain than she would already be facing as a single mother.  Joseph was hurt by her apparent actions.  He was disappointed that his plans had fallen through.  He was disappointed that Mary was not who he thought she was.  Yet, Joseph was self-assured enough not to make a huge fuss.  He knew that people would say that the baby was his, or say that he was a fool that his betrothed had relations with someone else.  Still, he was preparing himself to do the right thing and be compassionate and merciful, quietly dismiss her.

God had tried so many ways to lead the people of Israel.  He had made Abraham the father of many nations.  He had led the people out of slavery in Egypt, through the Red Sea, through the wilderness, and into the promised land.  Even though they broke the covenant over and over, God was merciful, and gathered them to himself, with mercy.  It was God’s mercy that caused God to send us Jesus, God’s son, as a baby, to look into our eyes with compassion, to touch our wounds and heal us with mercy, to listen to our complaining, and to forgive us again when we forgot, or ran away, or were selfish. 

The birth of Jesus took place in a brave way.  The angel of the Lord commanded Joseph in a dream not to be afraid.  Joseph was not to be afraid of the gossip that would go on about the child’s parents.  He was not to be afraid about whether Mary was faithful.  He was not to be afraid of the power of God in this new little person.  He was not be afraid of what he might have to do to protect the child.  He was not to be afraid to be father to the Son of God.  So he was not afraid, or at least, if he was, he didn’t act out of his fear.  The Gospel says, “He named him Jesus.”  Naming a child is what a father does to claim his child.  Whether he was afraid or not, Joseph was brave.

The birth of Jesus took place in a quiet way.  Jesus started out very small, the way we all do, not noticeable for several months, living quietly within his mother’s body.  Joseph was going to dismiss Mary quietly—there was no need to make a loud fuss.  Joseph had a quiet dream in the quiet of the night that told his quiet mind what his next step would be.  Joseph quietly married Mary and brought her safely to his home.  Jesus came quietly into the world, perhaps there was a little fuss, but there was no grand party thrown, or huge birth announcement throughout the empire, there weren’t piles of gifts, or dignitaries to come and pay homage.  It was a quiet birth.

That Jesus’ birth took place in a human way, affirms the human in all of us.  We all feel small and vulnerable sometimes.  We all make mistakes.  We all experience discomforts and react to them.  Yet God can work through humans to bring salvation and new life.

And God can work through human history.  Human history means that forces beyond ourselves dictate large parts of our lives.  Sometimes it means that our family flees danger.  Sometimes it means that we have more to be generous with than others.  It means that there are other powers in our world, kings and presidents and governors whose policies affect us for good or ill.  And it means our stories are tied up in our family history, and the history of our nation and the condition of our world.  And it means that our stories are part of the story of God’s faithfulness to God’s people throughout history.  Just as God was faithful then, so God is to us.

That the story of Jesus took place in a merciful way, makes it all the more important that we also act with mercy.  It is one thing to be righteous.  When I hear that, I hear “self-righteous,” making myself better than another person.  But for Joseph to be righteous meant that he didn’t judge other people even when their wrong seemed very apparent.  God has been merciful with us, even when we didn’t deserve it.  Every day we have a choice whether to live the way Jesus does, and be merciful to others, showing kindness, shielding people from the cruelty of others, even facing embarrassment and shame ourselves to give someone a break.

The birth of Jesus took place in a brave way.  So many times we hear in the Scriptures, “Do not be afraid.”  This is a command, a commandment, we might say.  It seems that so many of the commandments can be summed up in “Do not be afraid.”  Have no other gods=Do not be afraid that God isn’t enough.  Do not steal=Do not be afraid that you don’t have enough.  Honor your father and mother=Do not be afraid to listen to those with more experience who have your welfare in mind.  Do not commit adultery=Do not be afraid your spouse is not enough or that you are not enough for your spouse.  Do not covet=Do not be afraid that you don’t have enough cattle, spouses, houses, etc.  We are invited to act out of love rather than fear.

There is a lot we could be afraid of if we let ourselves go there, and certainly Joseph had his fair share of things to be afraid of.  But not acting out of fear is to trust God, to know we aren’t alone.  It is knowing that there are others in the community to step in and surround us with the care we need.  It is believing the best about the other person.  It is wanting the best for the other person.  It is willingness to suffer for the sake of another.  It is knowing that sometimes our quiet righteousness is offensive to others and we will face consequences for doing what we know is right. When I hear the story of Jesus’ birth, I want to put fear in its proper place and not let it rule my life.

The birth of Jesus took place in a quiet way.  Can we keep quiet when we feel insulted and keep from shaming other people and making them feel bad?  How can we listen more deeply to our dreams for the voice of God?  How can we quiet ourselves more often in our loud, busy world, and listen for God’s guidance?  How can we quiet the competing messages about what is powerful and worth our time and energy and listen for what really matters?  Can we quietly do good works for others, not taking any praise or attention or recognition, but giving all the glory to God?  Can we humble ourselves before our king and be content with what we have?

This Advent season ends the way it began, “Keep awake!” “Awake from sleep!”  Something is happening that is worth waking up to, God with us.  The last couple of weeks of pregnancy can feel very long.  The mother is feeling uncomfortable.  She can hardly get any sleep.  Everyone is waiting for the phone call.  The baby is doing calisthenics and karate chops.  The suitcase is packed by the door for when the moment comes that this baby will be born.

You are on baby watch!  Look for the signs that he is about to be born.  Someone who is poor bringing food to donate to the FoodBank.  Someone who is alone is invited to join in a Christmas celebration.  Someone who has been locked up behind prison doors is set free.  Someone who had been living on the streets gets the keys to an apartment.  Someone who has been sick, feels good enough to get up and eat a little.  Someone who has been longing to be with God takes her last breath.  Life is stirring beneath the earth.  A fetus is kicking.  A child is nursing.  An old man and a little child walk hand in hand.  Advent is a beginning, the beginning of God’s reign breaking in.  Wake up and live God’s dream as Jesus is born in our world.