Read Isaiah 52.7-10
We gather tonight as a broken people, a city laid bare and left in ruin. Our Advent preparations began with just a glimmer of hope. A candle, a small flicker of light perched on a far away hill in the darkness of a moonless night, was all the hope we had. But we held fast to our hope. We kept our eyes on the light. The candle-light got brighter and nearer. Our hope drew closer. The darkness of night began to fade as the sun began its ascent in the eastern skies. The black of night yielded way to the vivid purples and blues of the early pre-dawn hours. The purples and blues made way for dawn’s brilliant shades of pink smeared across the sky.
Now as the sun rises, we see the candle. A messenger carries it. He is close, very close. We can see his face. We can see his feet. O how we have waited for news. But look… look at his feet! They are not stumbling clumsily. No! They are swiftly and gently striding ever closer. The news. It must be good! And look his face it is not filled with pain and exhaustion as we expect. No! It is filled with awe and with joy. In fact, look closer, that is not a messenger – it is the Lord! Toll the bells! Sound the alarms! Break into joyful song! The Lord is here! The king for whom we so anxiously waited is here! Pass on the news. The city will be rebuilt! We will be restored! Life can now return! The Lord has come – the Lord has won our peace, our redemption, and our victory!
No more watching. No more waiting. No more preparing. Today is the day of celebration! With this image, we bring to a close our Advent with Isaiah. After four long weeks of hope, our hope is now fulfilled. After four weeks of longing for peace, peace is now ours. After four weeks of loving and joyous preparation, it is now time to celebrate!
Often, when we think of things like redemption and salvation, we jump straight to Easter. It’s almost like a game of theological monopoly. Go straight to Easter. Do not pass Christmas. Do not give much attention to Christ’s coming at Christmas. This idea, however, is quite foreign to Old Testament prophets, New Testament evangelists, and Early Church fathers alike.
Consider Isaiah. It is at the Lord’s coming that he brings good news of peace and salvation. Consider the Christmas story according to St. John. “The word became flesh and dwelt among us… From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace. The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Consider St. Athanasius, who told us, “he became what we are, that we might become what he is,” or St. John of Damascus who vehemently fought to make sure it is clear that Christ, in his coming, made our transformation possible. Salvation, Sanctification, Holiness, real life transformation has everything to do with the coming of Christ at Christmas.
Christmas is not warm fuzzies, hot chocolate, gifts, and family. None of those really has anything to do with Christmas. Christmas, or Christ’s mass, has everything to do with our worship of the one who made possible the transformation of the ordinary into the holy. Christmas has every to do with worshipping the one who made possible our sanctification. Christ came. The divine became flesh. The night became day. The lame walked, the deaf heard, the blind saw, the speechless shouted “Glory to God,” and the dead were brought to life. The sinner became saint, as the flesh became divine.
How beautiful indeed, are the feet of him who brings peace, proclaims good news, and provides salvation. Did you catch the transformation? How beautiful are the feet. If Christ’s coming can transform those dirty, sweaty, dusty, stinky feet into things of sheer beauty, imagine what his coming can do in our world and in your life. And that, my friends, is the reason for the season... And that my friends is reason to celebrate! To the glory of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
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