Pondering the Word
Reading the signs
Reflections on the Gospel readings from Advent to Epiphany
by Dorothy Jean Weaver
It’s a notorious hazard, the frequent pea-soup fog on Afton Mountain. No one crossing on Interstate 64 can overlook the prominent sign: “Fog on the Mountain: Use Caution.” Two flashing lights draw attention to the sign and ensure that the message will not go unnoticed: “Be on the alert! Driving conditions are hazardous. Pay attention to your surroundings!”
And so it is with the Gospel readings for Advent and Christmas. Individually these readings function as flashing lights, grabbing our attention and alerting us to the signs of the coming reign of God. Together they paint a vivid portrait of the advent of God’s reign on earth.
1. The advent of God’s reign is a cosmic event, with profound implications not only for humankind but for the entire created order as well. Luke 21:25-28 points to the cosmic signs that will precede the coming of the Son of Man, signs that will be visible “in the sun, the moon, and the stars”; audible in “the roaring of the sea and the waves”; and palpable as “the powers of the heavens” are “shaken.” These signs will lead to “distress among nations” and to “fear and foreboding” for many people. But for Jesus’ disciples they will be cause to “stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
2. The advent of God’s reign challenges all human powers. Luke 3:1-6 painstakingly situates John’s prophetic ministry visà- vis the rule of contemporary world leaders, from the Roman emperor Tiberius to the Jewish high priests Annas and Caiaphas. It is within this political context that “the word of God” came to John, announcing the Lord whose way must be prepared so that “all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” These preparations are revolutionary in character. Crooked paths must be made straight, low-lying valleys must be filled, and mountains and hills must be “made low.” The political implications are not hard to detect. Here is a world order turned upside down.
3. The advent of God’s reign is a call for radical repentance. In Luke 3:7-18 John’s warning about “the wrath to come” leads his listeners to ask, “What then should we do?” John’s answer is a pragmatic, ethical appeal to “bear fruits worthy of repentance”: Share clothes and food with the needy. Don’t cheat the taxpayers. Don’t extort money from the powerless. Be content with your wages. Within God’s reign repentance is the hallmark of daily living, and “good fruit” means radical integrity in human relationships.
4. The advent of God’s reign is marked by the powerful and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit in human lives. In Luke 3:7-18 John promises his listeners that the “one who is more powerful” will baptize them “with the Holy Spirit and fire.” In Luke 1:39-55 Elizabeth joyfully experiences the infilling of the Holy Spirit as the enthusiastic leaping of the infant in her womb and as her own ecstatic blessing of Mary and the fruit of Mary’s womb. The Holy Spirit is the power of God at work transforming human lives and human bodies.
Within God’s reign, “good fruit” means radical integrity in human relationships.
5. The advent of God’s reign reverses the fortunes of the powerful and reveals God’s care for the dispossessed. In Luke 1:39-55 Mary sings an exuberant hymn of praise to God—the Savior and the “Mighty One” who rights the wrongs in human society. On one hand God “has scattered the proud,” “has brought down the powerful from their thrones,” and has “sent the rich away empty.” On the other hand God has “looked with favor” on the powerless, “lifted up the lowly,” and “filled the hungry with good things.” God’s reign brings justice into a world of injustice.
6. The advent of God’s reign transforms identities and engages persons in God’s mission. Luke 2:41-52 tells the extraordinary story of Jesus the 12-year-old, who calmly revealed his identity and mission when his parents came frantically looking for him at the Jerusalem temple: “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” This incident foreshadows Jesus’ baptism and God’s confirmation and commissioning of Jesus as the Son who is beloved (3:21-23). Within God’s reign, God names children and puts them to work.
7. The advent of God’s reign is good news for the Jewish people and for the Gentiles as well. From Matthew’s perspective Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and the ruler of Jewish prophecy, whose mission is “to shepherd” God’s “people Israel.” But Matthew 2:1-12 also tells the story of Gentile “wise men from the East” who see a “star at its rising” and who travel long distances bearing expensive gifts in order to pay homage to the “child who has been born king of the Jews.”Dorothy Jean Weaver teaches New Testament at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Harrisonburg, Virginia.