Prepare the Way of the Lord
Scripture:
Psalm 84 sung as Psalter #207 and Isaiah 40:1-11
Preached by Linda Jo Peters - December 4, 2011
Celebration of Our Lord’s Supper – Second Sunday of
Advent
Unity Presbyterian Church - Terre Haute, Indiana
Introduction to Scripture:
Isaiah 40:1-11In the context of the Book of Isaiah, Jerusalem is hardly a sympathetic character. The first 39 chapters rail against the people of Jerusalem as they have prospered through wickedness, oppression, lies and injustice, refusing to heed the prophets' calls to repent, reform and be reconciled to God. So it is not a surprise that in 587 BCE Jerusalem was conquered and destroyed by the Babylonian Empire and a significant part of the population was marched off to exile in Babylon. The Jerusalem prophets made it unmistakably clear that the calamity that befell them was not due to Babylonian strength; it was a well-deserved punishment from God.
Then in chapter 40 there is
this new message of comfort and promise for the future. The people of Jerusalem are not
"deserving" of comfort according to the norms of justice, but God
insists -- no, commands -- that they be comforted. The end of a prison term does not ensure a
new life for the one released. So too the
end of the Babylonian exile does not ensure that what lies ahead will be any
different except that for their sake, God chooses to be involved in that
future. God chooses to dwell with
people, Emmanuel, God with us. This is what
we are called to cry out from the mountain top.[1]
Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God.2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she
has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the
Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
3A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way
of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.4Every
valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven
ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.5Then the
glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for
the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”6A voice says, “Cry out!” And I
said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the
flower of the field.7The grass withers, the flower fades, when the
breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass.8The
grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.
9Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good
tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”10See,
the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with
him, and his recompense before him.11He will feed his flock like a
shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep.
Sermon:
“Comfort, O comfort my people!”What brings you comfort: food, a tall cold one, warm blanket, money in a safe place, loving arms wrapped around you? Are you comforted by experiences or assurances? Are you comforted by feelings of love and safety? What brings you comfort? To understand the command of God to bring comfort, I believe we have to be honest about our needs and desires for comfort. Is your comfort found in the uneven ground becoming a level playing field? What would comfort a whole people that had felt abandoned by their God and torn away from their home? The Hebrew word nacham is what we translate as “comfort.” Isaiah uses this word that also means to be sorry, be moved to pity, to have compassion.[2] God’s unearned forgiveness, release from captivity and restoration of their homeland is what the people of Israel are given. But we know that even these gifts are not enough to fully restore their relationship with God. What is missing?
Let’s focus a little closer
to home. How would your being comforted
open you to God’s will for your life? What
would prepare the way to receive God?
Luke writes about John the
Baptist as the one who prepares the way:
This
is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee. (7:27)
John was certainly a dynamic
figure, but a comforter I have a hard time wrapping my brain around that image.
The one who called the Pharisees a” brood of vipers” does not seem to be one
who will speak tenderly to Jerusalem.[3] Yet he was preparing the way for the people to be open to God's presence in the Christ, in the one who would come and live among them. Sometimes we need a jolt to notice our surroundings. We need a wake up call. Someone needs to stand at the mountain top and cry out:
"Here is your God!"
When we are lost and afraid
we need someone to point out that there is hope and joy. It can be a real comfort to hear that we are
worthy not because of what we have done but because we are loved.
Since we just finished our Thanksgiving
feasting and Christmas is coming and today we celebrate the great banquet with
our Lord’s Supper, I began to think perhaps the comfort is found at the feast
but first we need to prepare for the feasting.
We need to shop for the food, read recipes, set the table, cook the food
and finally serve it. The feast provides an environment where we partake of
compassion that heals our souls. We
taste the bread of forgiveness and drink the cup of blessing. In the feasting we know we are precious and
well loved. I want to celebrate with our
Lord who is like no other ruler, he will be like a shepherd who gathers the
lambs in his arms, and carries them and gently leads the mother sheep. The one who will heal our relationship with
God by his death is the one who stands in the breach between creation and God
and makes us whole. It is worth the
effort to prepare our tables for the coming of the king, the Messiah, the One
who was, is and will be. May you taste
and see how good he is! Amen.
