Advent Sermon #2
On the Rising of the Son
on the Third Day
One of my favorite movie series is Lord of the Rings. I like it because it is fantasy. I like it because it pits good against evil and good wins. I like it because there are subtle Christian concepts. I think the reason I it most however is because the book is all about heroes
Anyway, I remember one section of the movie especially that almost always runs chills down my back. It was part of the second movie, “The Two Towers.” Things are bad. The entire Kingdom of Rohan is on the run because a massive army of the biggest badest monsters you have ever seen are hot on their tail. They run to a place called Helms Deep. It is a fortress built into the side of a mountain with enormous walls on one side and the heights of the mountain to their back. They close up the doors to the fortress and wait…wait…and off in the distance they begin to hear a sound like thunder. But it is more consistent. Like footfalls of a marching army. The sound gets closer and closer and suddenly the terrified people within can see the fires of the marching army; a terrible army full of ugly, gruesome warriors who seem to extend off into the horizon. There are thousands of them. What is this small band of soldiers going to do?
Well, they do what they can. They put a sword in the hand and armor on the back of every man or boy who is strong enough to hold one. They take their positions along the wall and wait for the inevitable attack. They stand in fear because they feel that defeat might be inevitable. These walls of stone may not be strong enough to hold back this evil tide. And they wait. Long horrible hours of waiting. For an attack that will most likely mean their end.
In the midst of this one of our characters says that he is going to leave to go get help. Gandelf is going to ride out of the fortress at night and find the Riders of Rohan a mighty army mounted on horses who will come to defend Helms Deep. He tells the leaders of Helms Deep, “Look for me on the third day at first light.” And off he rides to look for help.
Meanwhile, the evil army poised outside the walls attacks and sends wave after wave of soldiers to destroy the people in this fortress who oppose them. At first, Helms Deep seems to be holding its own but suddenly this Evil army breeches those mighty walls and floods inside the fortress. The soldiers retreat to the inner keep of the Castle but this is only a short-term solution eventually they will break through those walls as well.
Later, we find our leaders in the last room that is left. The Evil Army is breaking down the door. It is only a matter of moments before they are totally defeated. There is nothing else left but to ride out and meet their fates head on and die courageously when suddenly they look to the rising of the sun and see a solitary warrior standing on the hill. But for a moment lets pause our story and talk of other things.
Our reading today in Isaiah is beautiful but I wonder if we know out of what circumstances it is coming. The king Hezekiah has just showed Babylonian envoy all the treasures and wonders of Israel. Isaiah informs Hezekiah that God has told him the Babylonians are coming. Eventually they will come to take these treasures and kill anyone who stands in their way. The Babylonians won’t stop there though. They will take all the people off to bondage in Babylon. We will no longer be near our God because we won’t be near his temple.
This is the worst news that anyone could have given Hezekiah but in the midst of all this tragedy and pain Isaiah preaches a word of promise to his people saying, “Comfort, Comfort my people, says your God! Your warfare is over. Your iniquities have been pardoned. The Lord is coming. Your Lord. He is going to set things straight so prepare a road for him. Make straight desert paths. No nation, not even Babylon can stand to his fury and might. Your lord will be of the line of David and yet he will be your all-powerful God. Comfort, Comfort my people, says your God!” And the people as they are dragged away in chains, as they look back at the ruins of their Holy City, the smoldering fields of their promised land, they can hear the words still ring in their heads, “Comfort, Comfort my people!”
But that comfort is a long time in coming. They wait in exile for eighty years. They return to the Promised Land under their new masters the Persians and still no Lord. They rebuild the temple and the old men weep because they remember the temple of Solomon and still no promised lord. The whole next generation of Hebrews…they don’t know how to worship. They don’t know Yahweh and still no Lord. The Greeks come and conquer the land and bring with them the sick tendencies of Greek Culture and still no lord. The Greeks and the Romans violate the temple with idols and still no Lord. The priesthood splinters into several groups of Pharisees, Sadducees, Revolutionaries and Essenes and Still no Lord. Under Roman Rule, Herod is placed as a puppet king, the Sanhedrins are established, thousands are crucified and still no king. And just when you think that it is all over. Just when they had given up hope that a new king would ever come to free them from this mess…Look. Someone is standing on the Horizon. He is saying something…what is he saying. “Comfort, Comfort my people.” There is someone coming. One whose sandal straps I am unworthy to untie. He will be your inheritance. He will be the New Jerusalem. He will be your King. He will be your Lord. He is our mighty God Yahweh come down to be with us. Comfort, Comfort my people.”
Maybe that is the point. The point to all the waiting. Are you trying to do it yourself? If you get it will you remember from whom it is from? Are you tired of this world and how long it seems that Jesus is taking to come back? Come Lord Jesus. Come because I want this to end now. Come because I am tired of how evil this world has become. Come because it is unfair. The people who have much are given more and I, I have nothing. Come Lord Jesus because I want to actually see your face and not have to settle for your word. Not have to settle for your Holy Spirit. Not have to settle for your sacraments. Come Lord Jesus because I think it is the right time. Come Lord Jesus because we have done all we can in this world. Come Lord Jesus because no one will listen to our cries to repent and believe anymore and we are tired of asking.
It seems that if you look at history God always seems to come when things are at their worst. God seems to come when every last support is washed away and we have only him to trust in. It seems he wants to strip away everything you can put your faith in and then he comes and reminds us whom we should put our faith in.
There are instances of the same all throughout the bible. Israel thought had begun to think the messiah would never come and behold…John the Baptist appears to show the people that the lord had come. Comfort, Comfort my people. Three days in the tomb and just when it seemed that all hope was lost. Just when it seems that this Jesus guy isn’t who we thought he was he explodes from the tomb in glorious light. Comfort, Comfort my people. God has a flair for the dramatic. He performs on his own time and according to his own plan and once we give up our plans. Once we give up our timelines and listen to him we will hear that old Familiar tune, Comfort, Comfort my people. I have come to forgive you your sin. I have come to set you free from the shackles of death and the devil. I have come to be your God.
I suppose I should finish my story from before. It is like all the rest. All hope was lost. Evil was going to win and on the hilltop a single rider charged down a hill followed by the Mighty Army of Rohan. It was Gandelf, who I think symbolizes Jesus. He charges down the hill with his army of warriors and defeats evil and saves the people. When all hope was lost…we looked for him at first light…and he was there. When the people of Israel had given up on the hope of a Savior there was John off in the horizon preaching that our savior was coming. God fulfills all his promises according to his time, according to his way.
Amen