Why do we celebrate the season of Advent? It’s a good question, and one that we as liturgical Christians should definitely ask. We live in an instant-gratification culture that just cannot wait. Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier, often times not even waiting for Halloween to be over, much less Thanksgiving. Why should we as Christians wait when the world around cannot seem to?
The answer lies in our command to be countercultural. When the world throws out the fruit of the Spirit that we call patience, we are called to reclaim it, and to show it forth in our daily lives, even if the culture around us looks at us like we are the weirdest birds on earth.
I am always struck by the two-fold nature of the season of Advent. In Advent, we remember and reflect on those who waited on the birth of Jesus Christ. But we don’t stop there. We ourselves are waiting on Jesus Christ – waiting for Him to come again in great power and glory, and to redeem His Creation once and for all. Let’s reflect on each of these periods of waiting in a little more depth.
Whenever I think of Advent, I am always reminded of the Annunciation. It is that great passage of the Bible when the angel Gabriel comes to the Virgin Mary to announce to her that she will bear a son (Luke 1:26-38). Gabriel tells Mary that the Lord is with her, she will bear an extraordinary child, and this child will be conceived in an extraordinary fashion.
What is so exceptional about Mary? She shows great faith and reliance on God in a period of uncertainty. We see a broad emotional response in her to the news that this angel is bringing. Her first reaction is one in which she is greatly troubled. When Gabriel announced to her that “the Lord is with you,” she does not know what to make of it, and that carries with it the connotation that it could be either good or bad. Mary then moves from being troubled to being puzzled. Mary knows that she is a virgin and that there is no way that she could conceive a child. After all, she is only betrothed to Joseph. She is not married to him. The Lord tells her that this will be the work of the Holy Spirit. “And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’” Her response is indicative of her great faith for two reasons. First, getting pregnant as a virgin was seemingly impossible, and second, because getting pregnant out of wedlock in those days brought with it a possible sentence of death. Mary was surely on dangerous ground. In spite of this, though, she responded faithfully to the call of her God, and we as Christian disciples are called to go and do likewise.
In some senses, although we are not called to physically bear the Son of God, our story can be strikingly similar to the story of Mary – just in a different context. We, like Mary, are waiting with anxious anticipation. Mary waited on the birth of her child Jesus. We wait on the coming of the triumphant Lord Jesus Christ in glorious majesty. Mary was called to do something that was quite extraordinary, and so are we as well. Mary was called to live a sacrificial life, and so are we. Mary was called to put her complete faith and trust in the Lord, and so are we.
As we go through this Advent season, let us always be mindful of the importance of Mary’s witness as a saint of God. God called her, and when he did, she responded “behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” God calls us to do great things for His kingdom on earth while we wait for His coming again in glory. While we wait and do the work of the Lord, may the Lord give us the courage to put our faith and our trust in Him, because we are also servants of the Lord, called according to God’s Word. May God bless you richly during this Advent season.
No comments:
Post a Comment