Homily for Advent One
We are four short weeks from Christmas - the great celebration of God’s love for humanity by becoming man. Historically, this season has been a time of preparation, anticipation but our broader culture wants to celebrate now. The commercial impulse of our culture wants to expand Christmas from Halloween until Christmas Day. Celebrating, rushing in as it were into the festivities. Advent is a reminder that we should never rush into mystery, into the glory of God’s work, rather we should be deliberate, mindful, prayerful as we consider these great gifts. Everything that we will contemplate during Advent will be counter-cultural. It will take focus and no small amount of effort to truly keep Christ in Christmas by valuing the lessons of Advent.
As we begin, carve out time, sanctify God in your hearts and make a concerted effort to delay the celebration of Christmas during Advent so that we might more fully celebrate the 12 days of Christmas alongside God’s people. This is incredibly difficult. Keeping a holy Lent is easier because our culture hasn’t found a way to convert Easter into the commercial extravaganza that Christmas has become. How do we mark Advent? Carve out a few more minutes in the morning and evening. Make use of the devotional that has been recommended for the season. Maybe come to morning prayer for the first time or more often than your common practice.
So, with that introduction, let us meditate on the second coming of our Lord. I find it quite interesting that the Church prepares us for the celebration of the Incarnation, the advent of our Lord in humility and human weakness by considering his Ascended might from which he will come in glory to judge the living and the dead. Jesus, by returning in his royal glory, will show plainly to all creation their true King.
In our Epistle, St Paul in his letter to the Romans, gives us instruction on how to live in anticipation of our Lord’s second coming. In the later part of that Epistle, Paul says, “OWE no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” As we await the Lord’s return, don’t be in debt to anyone. Don’t have a long account with any of the brethren. Instead, love one another for in love one has fulfilled the Law.
St. Paul at this point expounds on the second table of the Law - those things related to our duties to neighbor, our responsibilities to others made in God’s image. When we love as God calls us to love, we most certainly avoid adultery, murder, theft, slander, covetousness. Indeed any other duty we owe another human, is satisfied by love.
For if we love another person as God commands us, then we will most certainly seek those things which lead to their flourishing and avoid those things which cause harm. Love is a fulfillment of the law - St. Paul says it seeks no ill. Love is more comprehensive, for it not only considers what we should avoid, but is eager to seek that which positively benefits another.
Love is the language of the kingdom of God. The one that Jesus will use to usher in the final days. Love is not simply a sentiment of liking, approval. Love, in its fullest sense, in its godly application, is a commitment to doing what is in the best interests of another. Not just in this life, but also the life that is to come. Love is the ultimate, and most appropriate preparation for the final judgment. For in love Jesus Christ came in the flesh, as we celebrate in a few weeks, and gave himself, bodily, completely, not just thoughts and prayers for our redemption in love.
The love of God, before all the worlds, moved him to come and this love of God, born in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, is meet and proper preparation for the ultimate reality of Christ’s second coming.
Now, St Paul beckons us to awake from the slumber of the present, the distractions of this age, awake from the sleep of our earth-bound tendencies and realize that our salvation is near. He is coming; the salvation, the reconciliation that all mankind has longed for is near. Therefore, St. Paul tells us, since we believe he is coming back; we confess often that he is coming to judge the living and the dead. We should live as though our lives are intertwined with His. We cast away all those things which are repulsive to the holiness of God; all those actions, thoughts that are contrary to God’s nature and we instead choose to be clothed in the armour of light.
We put on this metaphorical armor by taking Christ’s righteousness to be our own and then it produces holiness in the hearts of those who love and obey Jesus.
Because we have put on Christ, the armor of light, we will act in his world as he was in his earthly ministry. He performed perfect righteousness because He is God Incarnate. We put on the obedience of Christ, not to earn approval, not to earn salvation, for these are unattainable for sinful man. Instead, we seek to be obedient as an outworking in our lives of what Christ offered to God in his life and perfect sacrifice. We are clothed in his perfect righteousness and the natural consequence of this is a desire to not abide in the sins so common to our culture, our former way of living. St. Paul lists this as being people of integrity; characters of honesty without dissimilitude, clearly seen as the light of day. Putting away the soul numbing distractions of rioting, which means in older English being given over to sensuality.
St. Paul adds to this the need to put away drunkenness, chambering - that is sexual immorality and wantonness, meaning a lack of concern for the evil consequences of one’s actions. Moreover, as we put on Christ we separate ourselves from strife and envy. Avoiding all bitter disagreements and discontentment with the successes of others. All these together are the negative consequences of not loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Instead, St. Paul says by summarizing our duty - put on Christ; which is the NT summary, distillation, fulfillment of the second table of the law, loving one’s neighbor as oneself. Christ in us is our hope in judgment; our internal peace in the present. Clothing ourselves in Christ presents to the world the love of God for them; the love of God through a human to another.
When we love God as we should, responding to Christ in faith, then we will make no provision for the flesh - that is the sinful parts of our fallen nature - nor will we follow the sinful desires that emanate from our fallen natures. We are trading one identity for another - slavery to sin and to every type of evil desire - for putting on Christ, the fullness of the Godhead contented to dwell with us humans forever.
He is coming again. He is really coming. Not just spiritually; not just in sentiment. Indeed, the same Jesus Christ who suffered on the Cross, died for our sins, resurrected on the third day and ascended to the majesty of the Father’s right hand, he is bodily, truly, really returning. Those who identify with him in the present, who flee to him to be their righteousness before God. Those who, in response, embrace by faith his commandments and seek earnestly to live according to his will. They will be welcomed into the kingdom which he will establish on this earth.
Those who refuse to obey, those who scoff, those who take lightly his commands, those who prefer the good things of this world, will be judged and separated from Jesus and his faithful people. Now is the time for preparation, now is the time for belief, now is the appropriate time for repentance and faith, obedience to God’s commandments. We must put on Christ - put his will first. There is no better preparation for the celebration of Christ coming in the flesh in the manger than to receive him as King. To submit to him as the Lord of all the universe by giving heart and soul to obedience to his commands. Now is the time for preparation for the King who is coming again.
Let us pray. ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.