3rd Sunday of Advent
December 12, 2010
Peter sings,
“Dry deserts turn from sand to bloom
The earth a sudden fragrant room”
The children of Israel needed some re-orientation and it all happens in Isaiah 35.
The day was coming when there was going to be a homecoming. After having lost everything, their land, their homes, their culture and their temple they were now going to get to come back home.
The word which was spoken to them was full of grace and hope,
“3Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
4Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
"Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you."
One of the blessings of being a child of God is that people let you into their lives. You know this from your personal experiences. When people are aware that you go to church, that you read the Bible, that you are spiritual and that you pray while attempting to do good things the end result is they see you in a certain way. And when they find themselves in a situation or in a predicament they issue you an invitation to listen to what’s going on in their life. God’s Spirit hovers over these caring conversations and all we need to do is be present.
We all know folks who have “weak hands” or “feeble knees” or a “fearful heart.” And the prophet Isaiah reminds us that all we need to say or do is simply, “Be strong, do not fear!” It’s poetic prophecy or prophetic poetry.
For the time is coming when
5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
Eyes are opened
Ears now hear
People in wheelchairs and those who have prosthetics will dance with the Stars
Those who haven’t been able to talk aren’t going be able to stop talking about what God has done for them.
Not only will people be changed, but all of creation- there is a grand reversal of fortunes:
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
7the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
What was just mile and mile of sand has now become beachfront property
There will be water skiing and alls sorts of Water World activities
The places and spaces were there was nothing but dust and cactus will now
look like the botanical gardens.
Peter sings,
“Dry deserts turn from sand to bloom
The earth a sudden fragrant room”
8A highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,
but it shall be for God's people;
no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.
9No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
10And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
The One who called himself, the Way, the Truth and the Life will join us on the journey.
We remember the promise of the psalmist, “thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” There won’t be any sorrow, but joy and happiness 24X7.
Now that’s something that’s worth singing about!
It’s all part of the story of Christmas.
Joyfully,
rtg
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