Vespers - Advent 1

 Vespers on the Wednesday of Ad Te Levavi – December 4, 2024

Psalm 24; James 5:7-10

St. Matthew 3:1-6

In the Name of the Father, and of the T Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

When placed side-by-side, the preaching of St. John the Baptist and St. James might seem in conflict. St. John preaches with urgency, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”[1] The voice crying in the wilderness is desperately calling for the repentance of man. Now is the time to repent. Do not tarry, do not wait. Now is the time for repentance, not later.

But St. James calls for patience. “Be patient until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.”[2] This seeming conflict can be resolved in three ways: historically, theologically, and practically.

Historically, St. John and St. James are addressing two different audiences at two very different times. St. John is calling Jerusalem, all Judea, and the region around the Jordan to repentance.[3] He is preparing the way of the Lord in a very present and historic sense. He has been called by God as the final prophet of the Old Testament to prepare the hearts of the faithful to receive the Christ. Our Lord is walking among these people, and it is urgent that they be prepared to receive them.

Those who hear the preaching of St. John the Baptist are in a dangerous position. They have the testimony of the Scriptures, the Old Testament. They also have the preaching of the Pharisees, who have turned the Messiah of God’s Word into a warrior of the state. They are looking for someone to arise and lead them to a new political state, one they can call their own. The hope of salvation is the hope for an independent country, without foreign influence. The faithful who hear the preaching of John, hear of the Messiah who will save them from their sins. They hear that the promise of the holy city is the promise of eternal life with God. The overthrow of their invaders is the overthrowing of their sin and all those who would persecute them for their faith.

They are in a precarious position because not only do they have these opposing preachers calling out to them, but they are soon to see One who claims to be the promised Messiah. They will have to determine if He is in fact the One who is to come or if they should look for another.[4] They must witness not only the teachings of the Christ, but His suffering, death, and burial. And, of course, His resurrection. But for the moment, they have the words of John and the words of the Pharisees and they must discern which aligns with the Word of God.

For those who have ears to hear, who recognize the voice of John as the voice crying in the wilderness, they must be prepared. They must be prepared through repentance and the forgiveness of sins. Their hearts are jagged with sin and must be planed smooth to receive the Christ.

St. James is preaching to those who have seen and heard the teachings of Christ, His sufferings, death, burial, and resurrection. They have the sure and certain Word of God that has transformed their hearts from jagged stones to hearts of flesh. These faithful are now anxious for the final coming of the Lord. They look for the Last Day and anticipate its coming at any moment. For many of them, this causes distress. ‘The Lord is coming very soon and yet there is so much to do!” Especially at this time of year, when many of us are entertaining friends and family, we understand this anxiety. There is always one more thing that needs cleaned, one more dish to prepare, one more load of laundry to put away.

For those of St. James’s day, this anxiety could even lead to abandoning the faith. ‘Christ said He would return but He hasn’t yet. Maybe He isn’t the Christ.” It comes a bit later in history, but there were even Christians who sought martyrdom. They would purposely turn themselves into the Roman or Jewish persecutors, believing that by sacrificing themselves they would become more holy. While it is true that those who are martyred for the name of Christ are especially blessed, nowhere does Christ call us to foolishly throw ourselves onto the fire. That is, in fact, against the commandments of God, especially those commandments concerning vocation. It is against both the errors of pride and despair that St. James is calling for patience among the faithful of Christ.

Historically, we see that St. John and St. James are preaching in two different situations on either side of the death and resurrection of Christ. Theologically, their preaching is also harmonious. Repentance is a matter of urgency. Now is the time to repent of your sins. Now is the time to throw yourself onto the mercy of God that He would forgive your sins for the sake of His Son. The Lord admonished Cain, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”[5] Sin is always waiting at the door, seeking to devour your soul. The more it is ignored, the larger and more ravenous it becomes. And, the more you ignore your sin, the more oblivious you become to it. Repentance is a matter of urgency.

The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and the Lord may reveal Himself at any moment. Watch yourselves, that when He returns, you are not caught in the midst of sin. “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light… But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”[6]

At the same time, “do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?... Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”[7]

Anxiety is contrary to faith. Whether about the needs of daily life or the final coming of Christ, do not worry. Do not be anxious. The Lord will give you meat in due season and when the harvest is ripe, He will return to gather His faithful wheat into the heavenly barns.[8] That doesn’t mean we sit idly by and await the coming of the Lord. St. James compares our waiting to the farmer awaiting the harvest. If the farmer doesn’t tend the field, the seeds will be devoured by birds and the young plants will be choked out by thorns and thistles.[9] Although we are to be patient regarding the coming of the Lord, we are to tend the field of our faith through repentance and prayer.

And this is where the texts are united practically. If you think of your soul as the field, then we are to urgently tend the field. It is what lies before us. Tend to the field by repentance and faith. Tear out sin by the root and work tirelessly to increase the quality of the soil. This work is attending to the Word of God and prayer but also attending to your vocations. Serve your neighbor as a faithful wife, father, son, or daughter. Children, be diligent in your studies so that you can grow into serving your neighbor in other ways. Parents, be diligent in teaching your children, both the faith and the virtues necessary for life in this world. Care for the things you’ve been given and those beloved souls placed into your care.

Do these things with patience. Your reward is guaranteed. The Lord has given you the Kingdom in Holy Baptism and He will not take it away from those who wait on Him. Do we urgently and fervently pray for the final coming of Christ? Absolutely. Every time we pray, “Thy Kingdom come,” we pray that Christ would return to gather us home. But we need not pray with anxiety. We may pray urgently and with patience, resting in the promises that have already been fulfilled, even if our fleshly eyes and ears can’t see or hear it.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Matthew 3:2.

[2] James 5:7-8.

[3] St. Matthew 3:5.

[4] St. Matthew 11:3.

[5] Genesis 4:7.

[6] Romans 13:12, 14.

[7] St. Matthew 6:25, 31-34.

[8] Psalm 145:15-16; St. Matthew 24:27, 36-37.

[9] St. Matthew 13:3-9.

Populus Zion (Advent 2)

Populus Zion (Advent 2) – December 4, 2022

Psalm 80; Song of Solomon 2:8b-14; Romans 15:4-13

St. Luke 21:25-36

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our Lord is coming, and he is coming soon. Today we heard of the cosmos groaning in anticipation of His return. The sun, moon, and stars will be darkened. The sea and the waves will roar. The powers of the heavens will be shaken. St. Paul likens the groaning of the earth to a woman in labor.[1] Her contractions are increasing in intensity and frequency. The pain is reaching its peak just before the child comes into the world. So too creation itself is groaning louder and louder. Pain and suffering are increasing until the day when the child of the Virgin returns.

When a person grows old, his feet shake. As the world grows old, the foundation pillars of the earth shake, and we experience earthquakes, upheavals of the earth. Everything will eventually come crashing down like poorly constructed buildings. Sometimes fluid builds up in our joints and we experience painful inflammation. So too do the seas and their waves roar and roll when the earth is nearing its end.^[2]

When God finished creating the entire cosmos, crowned by His beloved man, He declared everything to be “very good.”[3] God created the cosmos and everything in the world to love and serve Him by serving the rest of creation. The trees praise God by providing shade, beauty, and fruit. The soil praises God by being fertile and aromatic, giving nutrients to the plants which feed the rest of God’s creation.

In the fall of Adam, creation itself was rent from perfect service to the creator. Trees are now forced to shade the wicked as well as the righteous. Their fruit rots. Their branches fall in storms. The soil dries hard and must be forced into submission before it is willing to give up food. Because of the Fall, all of creation longs to serve the purpose for which it was made – to love and serve God by serving the rest of creation.

Creation grows weary in awaiting the return of Christ. So too, do the hearts of man grow weary. “Men’s hearts fail them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth.”[4] We grow weary of hearing about wars and rumors of wars. We grow weary from earthquakes and roaring seas. We grow weary of plagues, pandemics, vaccines, and death. We grow weary and are tempted to focus our fear, love, and trust on the passing things of this world, on the creation which is dying.

Repent. Repent of idolatry. Repent of your misplaced fear, believing the wrath of God against creation is meant for you, His beloved. Fear causes us to shrink away from action. ‘Things are bad and might get worse if I do something, so it is best to do nothing.’ ‘If I keep quiet, maybe the persecution will pass me by.’ Repent and lift up your heads.[5]

When Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father, the Apostles stood, staring into the heavens after him. Then two angels said to them, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”^[6] The Apostles were focused on counting the signs so they wouldn’t miss the return of Christ. Yet the Angels admonished them. The return of Christ will be sudden and a surprise, but no one will miss it. Every eye shall see, and every knee will bow at the return of Christ.

Place your fear, love, and trust in God alone. He bids you to lift up your heads on that last day, to see your King descending upon the clouds. The heavens and the earth, all of creation will be destroyed on that last day. They will be burned in fire and a new creation will arise.[7] God will bring forth a new creation, free from the corruption of sin and once again, declare it “very good.”

This idea of “new creation” has already come to you, beloved of the Lord.[8] In Holy Baptism, the Old Adam, the Old Creation, is drowned and dies. He is buried beneath the Red Sea with Pharaoh and his chariots. From this flood arises the New Man, the New Creation, a beloved child of God. This child has nothing to fear from falling stars, darkening suns or moons. This child of God sees the budding of the fig tree, that is, the signs of the end in creation, and lifts up her head toward Christ. Surely, heaven and earth will pass away, but the Word of God will by no means pass away.

The Word of God is the most precious gift given to man. The Holy Sacraments—Baptism, the Eucharist, and Absolution—are that precious gift wrapped in physical means. Why would you ever neglect this precious gift of God for a few extra minutes of sleep? For a few extra minutes of television? For an extra helping of jell-o salad?

And when you have conquered the Old Adam and brought yourself into the House of God, why would you ever spend that time distracted by other people; distracting others, especially children; or thinking of your tasks for later in the day? Rejoice that you have come into the House of God. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the House of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.[9] I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go unto the house of the Lord!’[10] Lord, I love the habitation of Your House, and the place where Your glory dwells![11]

Why is the Psalmist so glad to be in the House of the Lord? Because that is where he receives the Word of God. That is where he dwells with God. That is where he will be for eternity. Heaven and earth will surely pass away. Jell-o salad, sleepiness, coloring books, crackers, football, and housecleaning will pass away. The Word of the Lord endures forever. The Word of the Lord alone endures forever.[12] Only those who are sustained by that Word of the Lord will endure forever in bliss. All others will endure forever in hellish torment.

The enduring Word of God communicates with his people. He is not silent. This communication is driven by His mercy. The prophecies of Christ regarding the final judgment are a warning. They are a warning so that you might be prepared. They are a warning so that you would know to repent of your sins and seek the Lord where He may be found.

“Behold the days are coming” says the Lord. “[When] I will send you Elijah the prophet… [who] will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction”[13]. This Elijah, this prophet, is fulfilled in John the Baptist, who came to prepare the way of the Lord through the preaching of repentance.[14] This Office of Prophet is now filled by all men called into the Office of the Holy Ministry. Pastors are called:

To give knowledge of salvation to God’s people
By the remission of your sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high,

[Christ the Light of the World,] has visited us;
To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide your feet into the way of peace.^[15]

Because of the enduring Word of God and the proclamation of the Gospel, the return of Christ for the final judgment is no surprise. But the precise timing will be a surprise. The Father has reserved knowledge of the day and hour of Christ’s return for himself.[16] This is another mercy of God. If we knew when Christ planned to return, we would wait until the last moment to repent… and we would probably miss it. The nature of the heart of man is to find a loophole in the law and exploit it. This never works out well.

So, the Father keeps us from knowing the day and the hour. God desires that all men would be prepared through repentance and faith. He sends his messengers before to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins so that we would always be prepared. Advent is to prepare us for the year when there is no Christmas; for that day and hour when Christ returns.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Romans 8:22. Cf. St. John 16:20-22.

[2] This paragraph is based on Johann Gerhard, Postilla, Vol 1, trans by Elmer M. Hohle (Malone, TX: The Center for the Study of Lutheran Orthodoxy, 2003), 15-16.

[3] Genesis 1:31.

[4] St. Luke 21:26.

[5] Psalm 24:7; St. Luke 21:28.

[6] Acts 1:11.

[7] Isaiah 65:17.

[8] 2 Corinthians 5:17.

[9] Psalm 84:10.

[10] Psalm 122:1.

[11] Psalm 26:8.

[12] St. Luke 21:33.

[13] Malachi 4:1, 5-6.

[14] St. Matthew 11:14.

[15] The Benedictus, Luke 1:77-79

[16] St. Matthew 24:36.