Word to the Wise
Sunday, December 18, 2011 - 4th Sunday of Advent - B
[2 Sam 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Rom 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38,129]The Lord also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you. And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.. [2 Samuel] Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. [Luke]
The story of the appearance of the angel Gabriel to Mary is so familiar that we can very easily jump from "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you!" to "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord..." without paying attention to the rest of the message! The evangelist has Gabriel saying some very important words that are quoted above. Gabriel's words are meant to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy made to King David in the Second Book of Samuel! Yesterday, the genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew had the same purpose. Luke continues to emphasize this when he speaks of Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem because Joseph was of the house of David! So, the connection with King David is an important one in Jesus' "credentials!"
The figure of David is somewhat ambiguous, as are several other persons in that genealogy. The old expression, "God writes straight with crooked lines!" , comes true! David's behavior could be dramatically immoral! Yet God chose him from among the many sons of Jesse and had Samuel anoint him as king! Then God had Nathan the prophet deliver the message quoted above! The point of all of this is that the story of the birth of Jesus, with all its charm and picturesque presentations, is part of a much bigger picture. St. Paul refers to that bigger picture in the second scripture for today when he speaks of "the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations...." God's plan included some very interesting people and events! All of this comes together in the person of Jesus Christ, whose birth we are preparing to celebrate! AMEN