Word to the Wise
Wednesday, December 2, 2009 - Wednesday in the First Week of Advent
[Isaiah 25:6-10A and Matthew 15:29-37]On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines..... [Isaiah] At that time: Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there........Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gve them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied. [Matthew]
People who are deprived of food often report that they dream of great meals! When this longing becomes part of a collective hope, it will find its way into the cultural and literary expressions of the group! Isaiah expresses the longing of the Jewish people for a restoration of their nation in terms of a great banquet on Mount Zion, the location of Jerusalem and the temple. The Gospel According to Matthew notes that the teaching of Jesus occurs on a "mountain" (The Sermon on the Mount) and now the feeding of the multitudes occurs in that way, too. Jesus is presented as the fulfillment of the old law given on Mount Sinai and the realization of God's promise in Jerusalem on Mt. Zion. Longing and fulfillment are two of the key themes of Advent. In a sense we celebrate both of these each time we gather to celebrate the Eucharist. The Word of God is proclaimed and preached, then the bread is broken and we are fed. Advent challenges us to go beyond the "daily," which can easily be taken for granted, and think of how God is realizing the plan of salvation in history. We tell the story of Israel's rise and fall and their longing for restoration and then we tell the story of Jesus' birth as the realization then and now of God's plan. This richness is easily available to us in all kinds of ways: misalets, websites, the Bible itself, the Advent decorations in the church and home. It would be strange to be at the mountain and refuse to eat what Jesus is providing freely. We certainly take advantage of the dietary delights of the holiday season. Why deprive ourselves of the Advent banquet? AMEN
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