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O come, o come Emmanuel
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 7:13-14
Then Isaiah said, “Listen, o house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”
“God with us,” such a beautiful name for a Hebrew baby, and so encouraging to Ahaz when this baby was born, as a sign to him that God was with him in the war with Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel.
When he wrote his gospel, Matthew was convinced this passage from Isaiah also referred to the coming of Jesus. God with us. I think of Matthew’s patience and prayer, as he sat with his pen listening for words to share the good news that had changed his own life completely.
Jesus must have had a penetrating stare.
He looked right through Matthew, and told this alienated tax collector he was coming to his house for dinner that night. Matthew “stood up and followed him.” He loved Jesus, and wept when Jesus was killed, and leaped in joy when Jesus’ returned in resurrection, and now … he tells his story.
For just a little longer, we wait in our own alienation for the birth of Jesus.
Jesus comes along and says to me, “Follow me, David. Tonight I’ll be eating at your house.” Like Matthew, I’m not sure of my worthiness. Psalm 24 says it well, “Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires NOT what is vain.”
Matthew knew he didn’t measure up, and I know I don’t measure up. Jesus doesn’t seem to know Psalm 24 (?). He invites us anyway. Something he sees in Matthew, deeper than his sinful hands, breaks in. The psalm continues, “Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.”
I know I want to be part of that race, to seek the face of the God of Jacob, now and always. As these last days of darkness before the solstice lengthen into Christmas, our season of waiting nears its end. We prepare for our celebrations and rejoicing. But always we will seek God’s face. There is never never never enough touching his cheek, running our fingers alongside his nose, and feeling what it’s like to be held tight by our Father.
This earth, Lord, and all its fullness belong to you. You founded this home of ours upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. All our blessings come from you, all our rewards from you, our savior.
http://www.davesandel.net/category/lent-easter-devotions-2016/
http://www.christiancounselingservice.com/archived_devotions.php?article_id=1535
