Word to the Wise
Monday, December 24, 2018 -
[2 Sam 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16 and Luke 1: 67-79]Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David. Through his prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant...... [Luke]
The Advent theme of promise and fulfillment come through loud and clear in these lines in the gospel scripture for today from the Gospel According to Luke. They are the opening lines of the Canticle of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist as he celebrates the birth of his son, John. We repeat those lines each day at Morning Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. Two promises are mentioned in this canticle: the one to Abraham and the one to King David. The latter promise is the subject of the first scripture for today from the Second Book of Samuel. There God promises a future "heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm." This is why both the evangelists, Luke and Matthew, are so careful to mention David in their "infancy narratives." Both the Canticle of Mary and the Canticle of Zechariah call our attention to what should be the reaction of people of faith to the fulfillment of God's promise: JOY!
This evening, all over our country and possibly all over the world, there will be Christmas pageants telling and re-telling the story of Jesus' birth. Never before has our world been so in need of JOY! The actors, usually children, will capture the attention of anxious parents and friends, but the message is the same one announced by the angels to the shepherds, Glad tidings of great joy. The scriptures this morning simply give us a good warning to get ready. AMEN