Today in the Spirit: Advent 4C (Annunciation)
The Fourth Sunday in Advent, explicitly titled “Annunciation” Sunday in the BCP (but not to be confused with the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25), focuses our attention in worship on God’s work preparing for the coming of Messiah in the hearts of those who would become Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph. In Advent 4C, we hear the Gospel account in Luke 1:39-56 of the visit of Mary to her elder cousin Elizabeth, who is well along in her pregnancy carrying John the Baptist. The reading includes the “Magnificat” (Latin for “magnifies”), a canticle attributed by tradition to Mary and placed in Luke such that she speaks the words during the visit. With what appears in the flow of the narrative to be renewed confidence, she says, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant” (46-47).
The assigned OT reading from Micah 5:2-5a brings us a step closer to the birth of the Messiah with a prophecy concerning the place of our Lord’s birth in Bethlehem of Judea: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel” (2). Not to be missed in this reading is the reiteration of the theme from earlier Advent OT selections of universal salvation by the coming of the Messiah: “And [Israel] shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace” (4-5a). The appointed Psalm for this Sunday is a portion of Psalm 80 (other portions being assigned at Advent 1B and Pentecost, Proper 22A). In saying or singing Psalm 80:1-7, we join our voices to those of the people of God from ancient times, and with every generation who wait for salvation by the hand of God, singing the refrain: “Restore us again, O God; show the light of your countenance, and we shall be whole” (3,7).
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The assigned NT reading from Hebrews 10:1-10 (the first half of a reading also appointed for Good Friday) teaches us that “when Christ came into the world” (5), he set aside the need for any further ritual sacrifice of animals by making his body a sacrifice “once for all” (10). The assigned Collect is another prayer offered in humility, expressing both the need for repentance from sins and the hope for grace with the coming of Jesus Christ.
The Collect
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and as we are sorely hindered by our sins from running the race that is set before us, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
But You O Bethlehem (Micah 5:2-5a)
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Micah 5:2-5
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.
5 And he shall be their peace.
Or, “As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, seemingly insignificant among the clans of Judah…(2, NET). English translators struggle to capture whether the Hebrew is intended to convey merely the small size of Bethlehem or the lack of influence. It is no doubt both. Who among the power brokers in Judah in Micah’s day (around 700 BC) would ever look to Bethlehem to find the coming of the Messiah to “be ruler in Israel” (2) and to make Israel “great to the ends of the earth” (5)?
Devotionally, this passage is a balm to those in Christian leadership at any level who might feel their ministry is small and of little consequence. Notice the call, “But you, O Bethlehem,” is in no way intended to promise that that “clan” itself will ever become great, but to declare the YHWH’s work from it will have consequences extending to the whole world. In the same way, we must, first, mark our Christian work, no matter how large in the world, as nothing compared to the larger kingdom of God. Second, we must humble ourselves in Christ, knowing nothing of our work itself is derived from us but from God, and whether the work survives us at all is the decision of the Lord.
Picking up on the word “ruler” in the reading, let me include here “The Song of the Redeemed” canticle from the BCP (marked “especially suitable for use in Advent and Easter” ):
O ruler of the universe, Lord God, great deeds are they that you have done, surpassing human understanding. Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth, O King of all the ages. Who can fail to do you homage, Lord, and sing the praises of your Name? For you only are the Holy One. All nations will draw near and fall down before you, because your just and holy works have been revealed.
BCP 2019, p. 79
Read this out loud with emphasis on the words “you” and “your,” and the point is made.
Today, Holy Spirit, hearing your address to Bethlehem and the grand vision cast in the canticle, let us find contentment and, yes, fulfillment in your rule over all things and your grace in giving us small parts to play in it.
Smile on Us (Psalm 80:1-7)
1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, you that lead Joseph like a sheep; *
Psalm 80:1-7, New Coverdale Psalter (BCP 2019)
show yourself also, you that sit upon the cherubim.
2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *
stir up your strength and come to help us.
3 Restore us again, O God; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be whole.
4 O Lord God of hosts, *
how long will you be angry with your people that pray?
5 You feed them with the bread of tears *
and give them plenteous tears to drink.
6 You have made us the derision of our neighbors, *
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Restore us again, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be whole.
This psalm “of Asaph” may have been composed by Asaph himself (a chief singer appointed by David) or, more likely, a descendant of his for use in the temple at the time northern Israel fell to the Assyrians. All hope for reunification of the twelve tribes appears to be lost; hence the refrain: “Restore us again, O God; show the light of your countenance, and we shall be whole” (3, 7, 19). The phrase “show the light of your countenance” (or, “smile on us” (NET)) suggests that, as the people of the time experience it, God has turned his face away; yet they will persevere in asking him to bring joy to them, and abundance to the land (see vv. 8ff), again.
Devotionally, I wonder if, under the new covenant of Jesus Christ, we rightly express the sense of abandonment by God in the same way. As Christians, we certainly experience silence from God, like a refusal to hear us, but is that really the case? I have been reflecting on Jesus’ words to a nervous crowd in John’s Gospel: “Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (Jn. 8:12). Here he would seek to convince his followers, all of us, that, despite every appearance of darkness and silence, his “light” is always there, encouraging us internally and working at the seams of every life circumstance.
Most impressive in our psalm this week is the singer’s refusal to give up on the covenant love of God. In one of his personal letters, C. S. Lewis touches on the need for gritty perseverance with the “presence” of God: “No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep picking ourselves up each time. We shall, of course, be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But the bathrooms are all ready, the towels are put out, and the clean clothes are in the airing cupboard. The only fatal thing is to lose one’s temper and give it up. It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present in us; it is the very sign of His presence.”
Today, with the help of the Spirit, I persevere in prayer with the psalmist and rejoice that in Christ, the “light of life” is always turned on.
When Christ Came into the World (Hebrews 10:1-10)
For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3 But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Hebrews 10:1-10
5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”
8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
This is a stunning reading for Advent (as it is for different reasons on Good Friday). Remarkable enough for our contemplation in worship are the words of Psalm 40, which the author of Hebrews, inspired by the Holy Spirit, places in the mouth of the Savior (“when Christ came into the world,” 5). But the way the writer sets up that quote and interprets it afterward makes the passage like the best superhero story ever told. Even without a musical soundtrack and the screen presence of Bruce Willis, this takes us way beyond “Armageddon.”
Before the quote, he states the problem: “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (4). Please do not hear this as merely a casual statement of doctrine but a horrifying quandary with fatal consequences for all mankind. In language that his Jewish audience would understand, what he is saying is that there is no way out from under the judgment of sin! The ritual sacrifices, however dutifully performed, do nothing of any real value. What to do? After the quote, the writer reports a phenomenal change of fortune: “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (10). Humanity is saved!
Now, devotionally, we can look at the dialogue of Jesus the Son with the Father God and truly appreciate it. Before the creation of the world, in eternity outside time, the Son reveals his knowledge as God of the divine plan: “Sacrifices and offerings you (Father) have not desired, but a body have you (Father) prepared for me” (5). And then his willingness to participate: “Then I said, ‘Behold, I (Jesus) have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me (Jesus) in the scroll of the book’” (7).
Today, Holy Spirit, as you inspired the writer of Hebrews to relate the story of the Lord’s heroic Advent, so inspire me to say, “Behold I have come” (7), to take up my small part in the plan.
For Those Who Fear Him from Generation to Generation (Luke 1:39-56)
46 And Mary said,
Luke 1:46-56
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
Or, “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation” (50, NIV). It is in this verse of Mary’s Song that we find a noticeable shift from the individual to the universal. From “me” and “my” at the outset, the pronouns change by Spirit inspiration to give her the meaning of her personal circumstances for all God’s people. The pronouns “them” and “their” will remain for the remainder of the song. She has received a vision of the big picture surrounding the birth of the child within her.
Devotionally, in our worship, whether the words of the Magnificat are really Mary’s own or are composed during her time with Elizabeth is completely irrelevant. The Ministry of the Word in our liturgy is derived from the presentation of canonical Scripture as it has come down to us, never the facts of history about Scripture arising in the future. Luke’s narrative relates a spiritual awakening that has come to Mary as a result of the encouragement she has received from her visit with Elizabeth, and that is where we must look for application to our own walk with Jesus, individually and collectively.
How has your recognition of God’s working in your own life expanded your vision of the larger, much larger mission of God in the world? Both Mary here and Zechariah in his song (Lk. 1:67-79) give praise to God for his love of Israel. But see how the song of Simeon in Luke reveals a further extension of Jesus for the whole world: “…for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, for glory to your people Israel” (Lk. 2:30-32). And God’s mission to the whole world is a major theme in Luke we will contemplate in our worship all year long in the Sunday lectionary.
Today, Jesus, by your Spirit, lift my soul, as you did for Mary and Simeon, with a revelation of how my circumstances fit your grand plan; that I may endure them better and also magnify your mighty name.
Today in the Spirit
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