Homily for 4th Sunday of Advent
King David said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent!” 2 Sam 7:1
Appearance. There are two definitions of this word. One is “an impression that is sometimes misleading.” Another is “an act of becoming visible, or an unexpected arrival.”
Here is the question: Which ‘appearance’ is guiding your activities in these days leading up to Christmas? Are you doing what you do for appearances – to make things look good – or are you doing what you do for the one appearance that will change your life – to make a place for the Lord?
The scriptures for today illustrates both definitions of the word ‘appearance’. In the first reading (see 2 Sam 7&8) David is concerned with his own appearance and not concerned about the things that matter to God. In the gospel reading (Lk 1:26-38), we see humble Mary, unconcerned about appearances, but deeply concerned about that which matters to God, the child to be born.
David wants to build a better dwelling place for the Lord. He says, “Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent!” On the surface it sounds like a noble idea, but a closer look reveals his true motivation. Even though he had captured Jerusalem, there were still simmering tensions among all of the competing tribes in Israel. He wanted build this great temple to solidify his power. He wanted it to appear to all of the other tribes that God was on his side. He wasn’t worried about the Lord’s dwelling place as much as he was worried about firming up his rule over the other tribes.
The Lord immediately saw through the façade, and offers a response through the prophet Nathan. With a hint of sarcasm, the Lord says: “You, build me, a house?” I who “took you from the pasture to be commander of my people Israel”, I who “destroyed all of your enemies before you”, I who “will make you famous like the great ones of the earth”. You are going to build me a house! Listen to me: It is I who “will establish a house for you,” and “your house and your kingdom shall endure forever.”
As our salvation narrative unfolded, we realize that the house that God is referring to began in the womb of Mary. The kingdom that shall endure began with appearance of Jesus, who ushered in none other than the Kingdom of God.
David was focused on the appearance that God has made his dwelling place with him. He was not focused on the reality of the appearance of Immanuel, God is truly with us.
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As we approach Christmas, it is easy spend a lot of time worrying about how things look. Many want their Christmas celebrations to be perfect.
Some dream of the perfect Christmas dinner. The perfect gift. The perfect tree. The perfect family. All of the guests will arrive on time. No one will say anything gauche. The dinner won’t get burnt. The gifts we give will miraculously heal all of the wounds of the past. Everyone will pitch in to clean-up. The expectations soar. This is going to be the year where our Christmas celebration will make Hallmark jealous!
Then reality hits. There is still a pandemic which limits travel. There is still the worry that a family gathering might contribute to the spread of the virus. For many, there is not enough money to go around. All of this is piled on top of the unfortunate truth that sometimes Christmas celebrations don’t make the pains of the past disappear, they actually make them more visible.
During this time of year, it is easy to get wrapped up in appearances, trying to make everything look good. By so doing, it is easy to overlook the true gift that can add order to the present chaos in our lives and healing to the wounds of the past.
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In contrast to the posturing of David, we hear in the gospel the humble attitude of Mary. On the surface, David was a handsome and successful young king. But in his heart, he was trying to manipulate God to consolidate his power. He was doing things for ‘appearances’.
On the surface, Mary was a poor, frightened teenage girl, soon to face the scandal of being pregnant and unmarried. But in her heart, God heard the voice that said, “May it be done according to your word.” God chose to dwell not in the house that David built, but in womb of Mary.
Mary said ‘yes’ not for appearances, but for THE APPEARANCE, the birth of Jesus..
It is the second definition of ‘appearance’ that really matters – the appearance of God into our world. The appearance of Jesus into our hearts. It is easy to focus on appearances and creating the right impression. The season demands that we move beyond ‘appearances’ and focus on what really matters to God.
Take a good look at your thoughts, words, actions and feelings this week and ask: For what Christmas am I preparing? One that is trying to get all of the externals looking good, or one that is preparing place where the Christ child can live? One that is concerned about ‘appearances’, or one that is focused intensely on the one appearance, the coming of Jesus into our world and into our hearts.