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Wednesday, Dec 2: Exhortation to Watch

1. First Week of Advent 2020

Luke 21:34-38

 

                                    

34 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

 

37 Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called. 38 And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to him in the temple.

Written by Hale Schroer

Hale is a former pastor of Samuel and a life long member.

 

One of the most prominent themes of Advent is “waiting”.  The announcement of Advent is that Christ comes to those who wait.  In the words of the scripture assigned for today – “be alert at all times, be on guard.”  In other words, “watch and wait.”

 

Advent is essentially God’s activity.  The flow of Advent is God-to-us, and not us-to-God. Yet waiting is not inactivity.  It is not passivity.  It is an activity of faith. 

 

Waiting is standing on the promises of God.  It is to believe that God has a purpose for us and for this world, and to live accordingly.  God did not say of earth, “it’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”  Rather God chooses to tabernacle among us, Emmanuel.  Far from being passive, waiting is a poised, creative lifestyle.

 

More than anything else, waiting directs our attention to the future.  We live between the ends, between the first and second advent.  We who love Jesus Christ are to perform in the world and for the world the watchman function, alerting ourselves and all others that our hope draws near.  This is God’s world. God is in control. God is not yet through with it. For our fear – there is hope; for our frenzy – there is poise; for our slavery – freedom.


So we wait, but it is a waiting on tip-toe…expectant, confident.  So, Come, Lord Jesus.


Let us pray: 

God of Grace, the promise of Advent is that You are with us. You come to us in ways that surprise and challenge: an expectant mother, a frightened father, and a homeless child are the chosen vessels of your revelation.  Open us, we pray, to receive Your Advent.  Amen.

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