2017 Sunday before
Christmas – Sunday of the Holy Fathers
During this time
of year, we find the days to be the shortest and the nights to be the longest.
Meaning that there is much more darkness right now then there is light. Also in
many places, it is much colder and wetter right now then other times of the
year. It always seems in some way or the other that the weather is not very
nice in late December. What then has brought us to church today? What do we
seek for? What do we hope to find?
I think that we
have all come here in some way or the other, to find light in this great darkness.
We have come here to begin our short journey to the cave where we shall in a
few hours find the light of the world. We draw near to the Christ child laying
in a manger, knowing that the world is a different place because he has been
born. We come here today because we have faith, the faith that God is and has
acted in his world to turn darkness into light, to turn death into life, to
give hope where there seems to be only despair.
The Church calls
today, “The Sunday of the Holy Fathers” – meaning the Fathers that we find in
the Old Testament, people like David and Abraham and some of the other names
that we find in today’s Gospel reading. (Matt 1:1-25) They are all tied
together because they all share in one thing, faith. They all believed that God
was at work in the world, in their very lives, not really sure at times how,
but they knew God was doing something through them. They saw themselves in some
type of difficulty and they had faith that God was going to deliver them from
it. They had no guarantee for this view of God, but they had a sure belief that
he would be faithful to them, not matter what the situation.
The Book of
Hebrews tells us that, “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the
conviction of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1) One of the greatest examples of this
type of faith, is the story of the life of Abraham. He is doing pretty well for
himself, he had property, livestock, a loving wife. We would all say that
Abraham had a profitable and comfortable life before God called him. But God
has a different plan for Abraham, he tells him, “Go from your country and your
kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will
make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so
that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who
curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall be
blessed.” (Gen 12:1-3) I would have said, “now look God, I am 75 years old and
am doing pretty well right for myself, why don’t you go and find a younger guy
to help you out with this plan.” But that is not what Abraham did at all, he
believed God, he had faith in unseen promises and trusted God. As we heard in
today’s reading from Hebrews, “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up
Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer up his
only-begotten son.” (Heb 11:17) Just as St. Paul reminds us in Romans “Abraham
did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as
dead because he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the
barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise
of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully
convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” (Romans 4:19-21) The
Church is telling us today that we, as the family of God, share in this same
faith that Abraham showed forth.
Today’s troparion
goes own to make the same point as well. The hymn uses the example of the three
young youths who Nebuchadnezzar throws into the fiery furnace because they will
not worship the golden idol that he has made. They too have faith that God will
act on their behalf, telling the King, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to
answer you in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to
deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your
hand, O king.” (Daniel 3:16-17) God does rescue them by sending the “fourth man”
into the fiery furnace and he keeps them from harm. God’s visitation brings
them from certain death, into new life. They do not despair, but trusted fully in
the faithful God of Israel, believing he would act on their behalf, the same
faithful God who sent his Son into the world.
This must lead us
into a second meaning or theme, that this Sunday before Christmas has. God’s
own faithfulness to his covenant plan. Look at the list of people we find in
the genealogy from Matthew we read today. It is full of both sinners and
saints. People faithful like Ruth and Abraham on the one side, then wicked ones
like Rehoboam and Joram on the other side. Of those who were strong in their faith
and those who were week in theirs. But through it all God did not waver from
his intention to redeem and save the world though his Son. The Father and
Creator worked through those people and brought his plan to its climax with
Jesus. We all must share in this same faith. The great genealogy of Jesus
Christ does not stop with Jesus’ name, but continues to this present day. With
your name and mine upon it. We are called to look at ourselves and see where we
stand upon this list, are we faithful to God or not? Do we realize that the
faithfulness of God and the faithfulness of man, go hand and hand, that is what
the word covenant or family is all about? God and his people in communion with him
and one another all directed towards the same path and goal.
This is the kind
of faith that is required as we meet Jesus anew this year. The faith that says,
yes God, I know that you sent your Son into the world in order to save the
world and myself included. You have brought a brilliant light into where there
was once only darkness. We must look at our own lives and see where dankness
still lies, where we lack faith and ask Jesus to come into our hearts and
minds, to give us the fullness of faith and the radiance of light that only
Jesus can give. We need to ask God every day, Lord what do you want me to do
today? How can I live my life according to your plan for me? We are all
challenged to reflect the great love of God and the gift of his Son that he
sent into the world.
There is a common
road block that stops us from doing this. That stops us from spending the time
that we need to with God. We all claim to be too “busy”. Most people today when
you ask how are they doing, one normally gets the answer, “I am busy”. What if
God would have said this when the time came to send Jesus into the world. What
if God the Father had said, “Well Son and Spirit, I think we are just fine here
in heaven, we just do not have the time to act in the creation that we made, we
are just too busy.” Thankfully God did not act this way and neither should we.
Make time daily for God, talk to him in prayer, approach him with faith and confidence,
knowing that he has the power to act in your life.
As we knock on the
door of Christmas, and seek the great light that God has sent to us, let us all
faithfully recommit ourselves and make room for Jesus in our hearts and minds.
Give him the time that he deserves as creator and life giver. Let none of us be
like the busy Inn Keeper, who had no room for Jesus, who had no time for the
Savoir of the world. Do not tell God, well I am all booked up today, but rather
say the ancient Church prayer, “Come Lord Jesus, come quickly!” (Rev 22:20)
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