He Showed Up!

I love Advent! I love the season of Advent in part because it is filled with images and signs and wonders and possibilities and poetry and music and candles and so much more.

Yet another reason I love Advent is to watch and listen and see how children engage during this magical season. You can see in the children how something special is up. Something is going on. Something is worth waiting for. I remember when raising our two boys, we always made them wait on Christmas morning at the top of the stairs until we (or Santa) were ready with everything in place around the tree. They’d sit there and sit there in agony until the moment came when they would race down the stairs to see what awaited them around the tree.

Something is breaking during this season. Something is happening this season. Someone is arriving this season, and this morning he comes in the form of poetry. Yes, poetry! Are you up for hearing some poetry-this morning. Our poet this morning is the prophet Isaiah, and the first seven verses from our first lesson, are breath-taking – breath-taking!

¹The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus ²it shall blossom abundantly,
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
the majesty of our God.

³Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
⁴Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.”

⁵Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
⁶then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
⁷the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

Now this may get a little wonky – a little technical – but I ask you to bear with me, stay with me as we look at the structure – the structure of this poetry. These seven verses begin and end with a focus on creation. A book-end, if you will, of incredible change. The desert and the wilderness are being transformed: the desert blossoms becoming fertile and lush; the arid sands become a luscious garden. How can this be? Look! A dry wasteland is becoming a green paradise! There’s some sort of miracle going on here. There’s some sort of transformation happening during this short season of Advent

But now let’s look inside those bookends of this beautiful poem that focus on creation. In the next layer of the passage, human beings are being transformed: hands and knees and hearts are made strong; eyes and ears, limbs and tongues are healed. Again there is some sort of miracle happening going on here during this short season of Advent. There’s some sort of transformation happening during this short season of Advent. Revel in these amazing possibilities like the removal of pain, the healing of all that stands in the way of song and dance.

So what is going on here? Who or what is at the heart of these miracles, these breath-taking transformations? In the case of the poem of seven verses, the key comes in the middle – verse 4. At the center of the concentric circles that describe the restoration of creation and humanity is God. “Here is your God,” announces the prophet. “He has come to save you.” He has come to overpower everything that stands in the way of God’s breath-taking new way of being. The power of the poetry is unmistakable: first creation as the book-ends, then humanity, then God in the center, then again humanity, then creation.

God, says the poem, God says, the prophet is the one with the power to transform creation and humanity – and, look, here he comes! And now we move from poetry to real life. God is making an announcement this morning. “Look, here I come! I am showing up! Watch and see what happens! Jesus is coming! The Holy Spirit is descending upon you!”

OK, but how does this happen – really? Let’s get away from the poetry. Let’s get away from the brilliant poetic structure. Let’s get away from the artistry – and get real – but how?

Did you know that Jesus showed up last Wednesday at our Advent Supper Church gathering, and he ate with us? Yep! Jesus showed up in the form of a stranger, a young man named Mark. Earlier in the week he rang the doorbell of the church and asked if he could stay in his trailer with his two dogs in the parking lot as part of our Harvest Host program, and I said sure, and I invited him to join us for a warm meal at Wednesday’s Advent Supper Church. He said he was staying warm at night with plenty of blankets and he was going out during the day looking for work. The trailer is his home right now.

But how do we really know that it was Jesus who visited us last Wednesday? How do we know Jesus was among us? Because Jesus says so. He explains himself. Remember these words from the 25^th chapter of Matthew? “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” Do you hear how Jesus promised he would reveal himself to us? Whenever we feed someone who is hungry, we are feeding Jesus. Whenever we are giving water to one who thirsty, we are quenching the thirst of Jesus. Whenever we welcome a stranger, whenever we practice the art of hospitality, we are welcoming Jesus. Whenever we take care of one who is sick, we are taking care of Jesus. Whenever we comfort someone who is grieving we a comforting Jesus. Whenever we visit someone in prison, we are visiting Jesus.

I must confess, I was watching those of you who were there on Wednesday. I was watching to see what happened when Jesus showed up, and boy, did Jesus show up! In fact, Jesus was all over the place, all around the table. How do we know? Because of you embodied hospitality. Each of you made a place for Mark at the table. Your words to Mark were Jesus’ words. Your kindness to Mark was the kindness of Jesus. Your welcome of Mark was Jesus’ welcome. You served as Jesus taught us to serve. Remember these words from the 13^th chapter of John – the words for Maundy Thursday – the night before Jesus was crucified?

¹²After Jesus had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³You call me Teacher and Lord — and you are right, for that is what I am. ¹⁴So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. So if I have washed your feet you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

I love Advent. I love Advent because during this season we don’t just talk about Jesus showing up. I love Advent because during this season we don’t just hope that Jesus shows up. I love Advent because during this season we don’t just wait for Jesus to show up. No, rather I love Advent because Jesus actually shows up, and the desert rejoices and blossoms. The weak are made strong. Those with feeble knees are made firm. The hungry are fed.

Yes. Jesus shows up. Jesus shows up in you. Wow! Thanks be to God, for Jesus is here – in you. Amen.