Advent 1– Year C
Sermon Notes from the Church’s Ministry Among Jewish People
RCL Readings – Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10 or Luke 1:46b-55; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
ACNA Readings – Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146; James 5:7-20; Matthew 11:2-19
Psalm 146:5-10.[1] [2] After declaring their intention to praise God as long as they live, the authors of Psalm 146 compared two powerful agents on earth. The first is the princes. They may be the wealthy or great people in our society. There is a tendency to have greater fear or respect for those with wealth and power.[3] Our presidents, kings, and governors are, in reality, men of flesh like ourselves. In the end they will all disappoint, and their endeavours—no matter how well intentioned—will come to a close. Our faith should be in something that endures beyond the lifespan of a monarch or a short-lived parliamentary term.[4] Our trust and hope should rest in the eternal Lord—it is to Him that we should profess our love and loyalty.
The psalmists then presented evidence of God’s goodness and creative power. God made the heavens and the earth. He is thus supremely powerful and able to exercise his dominion in ways mortals cannot. The Lord’s use of His power is for truth and justice.[5] God provides food and sustains all His creatures that He called into being. The Lord is able to do the things that our modern elites and intellectuals promise to do, but inevitably fail to deliver. God rescues the captives and heals the sick. It is the Lord, not a philosophy or government of man, who cares for the widows and orphans—the ones at the bottom of the socioeconomic levels. In contrast to the great and renowned of the earth, the Lord will live and reign forever. If there is anyone worthy of our allegiance with oaths of loyalty, then surely it is only the Lord.
In describing the reasons to trust the eternal God over frail human leadership, the psalmist incorporates much of the redemptive imagery of God, perhaps sourced from Deuteronomy 10:12-21. This redemptive imagery became messianic in nature, particularly in Isaiah. Certainly both Psalm 146:7-8 and Isaiah 61:1-2 seem to speak of a great time of God’s redemption, which comes to fruition in Luke 4:18-19 and Matthew 11:5.
Jesus continued the work that God had continuously done, giving justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry.[6] This was what Jesus was anointed to do and it should not come as a surprise. Jesus is God and, of course, would continue to do what God desires to do. But Deuteronomy made it clear that God’s people were also commanded to partake in these redemptive actions.
If we are praising the LORD with our whole being, then we too will be serving the widow, the orphan, and the stranger. Otherwise, we are simply singing words. While we may be simple human beings who are on earth for a finite time, it does not mean we shouldn’t be generous. To sing praises to God without following in His ways is not praising God—it is blasphemy.
James 5:7-10.[7]
Matthew 11:2-11.[8] Although John the Baptist was known as the baptizer, he was originally simply John, son of Zechariah. John’s father, Zechariah, was a priest in the Temple, and his mother, Elizabeth, was a near relative of Mary.[9] It was to Elizabeth that Mary ran when she learned she would bear a child, even though it should have been impossible, since she had not lain with a man. John leapt in Elizabeth’s womb, and she, filled with the Holy Spirit, exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”
How could Jesus, a young child still in His mother’s womb, be called “my Lord” by Elizabeth? In the same way that David had declared his descendant, “My Lord” in reference to the Messiah.[10] Zechariah, at the birth of John, prophesied “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways.” A clear reference to Malachi 3:1.[11]
John himself recognized Jesus’ authority, stating, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”[12] He heard God speak of Jesus as “My beloved Son,” after His baptism. John was a prophet to whom God said, “‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”[13] And so, in turn, John told his disciples, “Behold, the Lamb of God,” when he saw Jesus.
Despite all he had learned from the Hebrew Scriptures and the prophecy he had received from God and his parents, John still asked one last time, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Did John lose faith? Hebrews 11:37-38 speaks of those who were killed by the sword and wandered in the desert in skins of animals as those “of whom the world was not worthy.” But still, John asked.
Jesus responded with the prophecies that John would have known so well. The blind receive their sight.[14] The lame walk.[15] Lepers are cleansed.[16] The deaf hear.[17] The dead are raised to life.[18] And Jesus did not abandon the ministry for which God had anointed Him—to bring good news to the poor.[19] Notably missing, Jesus did not speak of bringing “out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness,” or proclaiming “liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”[20] With a deafening silence of omitted prophecy, Jesus did not speak of freeing His close relative, co-worker, and almost certainly His friend. But He did state that those who are not offended by Him are blessed—and John was highly blessed.
John was incredibly popular and widely regarded as a great prophet (something that very few prophets enjoyed in their mortal life). The inhabitants of Jerusalem, Judea, and even the Galilee and the people beyond the Jordan went out of their way into the wilderness, walking for days in a dangerous place, to see and hear a prophet of God.
Biblically, reeds were something that provided a false sense of security. Israel’s alliance with Egypt, a land connected so closely to the Nile and its environs, was called a broken reed that would not be able to protect Israel.[21] Israel was also like a reed when they turned to idols rather than God.[22] The same was true of false prophets. They provided a false sense of security, declaring: “‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.”[23] But they will be wiped out when stormy winds break upon them.[24] John, a true prophet and one “of whom the world was not worthy,”[25] preached repentance to the same crowd that now gathered around Jesus.
God’s power is great—nothing can stand before His might. Matthew 11:12 and ‘violence’ (βιαζεται, biazetai) has been interpreted two very different ways. First, it has been translated as being passive, “The kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” This fits well with the Hebrew Scriptures, Second Temple writings, and the writings of both Jesus and Paul. Evil men fight against the kingdom of God and violently battle both God and all those who fear Him. Throughout Scripture and Second Temple history—from Psalm 2:1-3 to Isaiah 53, from the persecution of Jeremiah to the martyrs under the Seleucid empire, and from the opening chapters of the Book of Wisdom to Paul’s warnings to the Corinthians and Thessalonians—violent opposition to God and the righteous was and will be common. John’s imprisonment and death due to his righteous actions is not unusual.
But Matthew 11:12 and ‘violence’ (βιαζεται, biazetai) can also be interpreted in the present indicative middle voice, “The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” Jesus tells Peter that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Gates are defensive measures to hold an enemy outside the city walls, but the gospel—the victory already won and now proclaimed—forcefully advances straight through the gates of hell. “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.“[26] Although John was imprisoned, his message was powerful and drew the people of Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond far more effectively than the corrupt priests could in all their comfort and political machinations.[27] From a Hebraic perspective, the best interpretation is that both are true: violent men will fight against God and His saints, but God’s kingdom will forcefully advance.[28]
Jesus then took a very Hebrew concept and combined it with a very Greek concept. The crowd had heard John preach repentance, but the question is: Did they have ears to hear? Moses turned to the Israelites, those who had “seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders. But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.”[29] This message became a motif throughout Scripture.[30] Jeremiah proclaimed, “You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the LORD persistently sent to you all His servants the prophets.”[31]
Occasionally, the people would listen attentively to God’s word. For example, during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, “And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.”[32] Likewise, God occasionally closes His ears, “Therefore I will act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”[33] But most often, God not only hears the cry of His people but also opens the ears of the deaf to hear.[34]
The people not only have to hear God, they have to hear Him when He calls to them. Jesus gives an unusual quotation, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.” Eating, drinking, dancing, and playing the flute seems to have been a common practice in certain cultures, as Strabo writes, “Their meals they take sitting, on seats put up round the walls, and they take place on these according to their age and rank. The supper is carried round, and whilst drinking they dance to the sound of the flute and trumpet, springing up and sinking upon the knees.”[35]
Herodotus tells a story of the Persian conquest. In it, some of the people only acquiesced to the Persians after they saw that the Persians were victorious rather than listening when Cyrus had first sent them his messengers:
“As soon as the Lydians had been subjugated by the Persians, the Ionians and Aeolians sent messengers to Cyrus, offering to be his subjects on the same terms as those which they had under Croesus. After hearing what they proposed, Cyrus told them a story. Once, he said, there was a flute-player who saw fish in the sea and played upon his flute, thinking that they would come out on to the land. Disappointed of his hope, he cast a net and gathered it in and took out a great multitude of fish; and seeing them leaping, “You had best,” he said, “stop your dancing now; you would not come out and dance before, when I played to you.” The reason why Cyrus told the story to the Ionians and Aeolians was that the Ionians, who were ready to obey him when the victory was won, had before refused when he sent a message asking them to revolt from Croesus. So he answered them in anger…”[36]
John and Jesus came to speak of repentance, for the kingdom of heaven is near. Many did turn and repent, but others refused to listen. John and Jesus acted in different ways, one with a meagre diet, wandering in the wilderness and the other attending feasts with great scholars. There was always an excuse to not hear. Jesus not only sat with scholars but also with great villains. Tax collectors and sinners. But what they used as a criticism has become one of the greatest comforts we have today. Jesus is a friend of sinners.
But whether it was John, Jesus, those who repented, or those who refused to repent, the proof of their wisdom is in their deeds. How do they act? Both Jesus and John lived where all could see their deeds. As for those who repent, do they “bear fruit in keeping with repentance?” If not, they may have ears to hear, but do not hear. And for those who refuse to repent, as Herodotus writes, “You had best stop your dancing now; you would not come out and dance before, when I played to you.” Jesus’ very next words, according to Matthew, speak of woe and judgment.
Hebraic Perspective.
Advent Canticle
Luke 1:46b-55.
RCL Readings – Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:5-10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
ACNA Readings – Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146; James 5:7-20; Matthew 11:2-19
Common Theme. Traditionally, the Third Sunday in Advent promotes joy or rejoicing and has often been devoted to the Virgin Mary. That said, the RCL’s use of Matthew 4 seems disconnected from anything except the general Advent theme of fasting and preparation. The ACNA’s Gospel text is more appropriate to the rejoicing theme and also links neatly with the collect and captures joy in the results of the Messiah’s arrival. The Isaiah text and Psalm 146 are filled with the rejoicing of the redeemed. The text from James can perhaps capture the hope of the faithful, patient disciple who awaits the return of the Lord but is homiletically more awkward. So, to this preacher, a multi-text, thematic sermon would be a fruitful challenge. The theme of rejoicing using Isaiah 35, Psalm 146, and Matthew 11 is the possible combination. James 5, taken alone, is appropriate for a general Advent theme providing lessons in behavior for hard times and is therefore full of material for reflection and repentance in anticipation of the Lord’s coming.
Isaiah 35:1-20. Isaiah’s magnificent, poetic prophecy intermingles threat and hope. Today’s portion is a hopeful one that will long await fulfillment because the threats were not heeded. Following a long soliloquy chastising Israel and revealing the trauma that lies ahead for turning to Egypt rather than trusting the Lord, the prophet records the Lord’s judgment on the Gentile nations in chapter 34. The preacher will do well to review all these texts to build the context of the promises in chapter 35.
A signal phrase for the portion is the conclusion in verse 10: “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return….” This text begs the preacher to show the congregation how scripture exists in a historical context while simultaneously foretelling a future event. The fulfilled prophecy of Israel’s return from Babylon is a pale picture of all the ransomed saints, Jewish and Gentile, who will be redeemed when the Messiah arrives. The prophecy was clearly fulfilled when Israel returned from Babylon but also foretells the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation.
A worship song – “Therefore the Redeemed of the Lord” – was written from these concluding verses in the 1970s that would be appropriate for use in corporate worship.
Isaiah 35:4-7a. Isaiah was called to prophesy to a nation whose hearts were fearful from their present-day trials.[37] The Assyrian invasion under Sennacherib had not yet been turned back.[38] In Isaiah 34, Isaiah had prophesied judgment on the Gentile nations but would the wrath of God also remain on Israel? “Behold, your God will come with vengeance.”
“He will come and save you.” In Isaiah 37, there would be a military victory against the Assyrians (purely through the vengeance and recompense of God).[39] But the prophetic salvation is more than a military victory, for when God’s salvation comes miraculous power comes with it. With the coming redemption the Lord will heal and perform miracles among the sick. And all creation, including the earth itself, will be affected. Everything that seems wrong will become right.
The language lends itself to various messianic interpretations, beginning with Israel’s changed and emboldened hearts. The Lord’s vengeance is accompanied by recompense for both His enemies and His people. Dry sands become streams of water; deaf ears can hear and blind eyes can see. The coming redemption is indeed something to be extremely hopeful for. These images were used by Jesus in Matthew 11 to describe to the disciples of John the Baptist that the messianic age had indeed arrived. Redemption is tangible, touching the physical world and is something that can be seen. Messianic salvation is not an esoteric spiritual thought or emotive feeling–it’s a God in action among His creation.
James 5:7-10 or 7-20. Extracting verses 7-10 from the larger paragraph that ends with verse 12 works because it ends with the faithful patience of the prophets who awaited the fulfilling of their declarations. That said, the preacher can emphasize prophetic hope in verse 10 by finishing verse 11. The age is fickle and the example of the “steadfastness of Job” is almost novel and worthy of emphasis. Verse 9 gives equally unpopular guidance, that the knowledge of God’s observing judgment accompanies every moment of our lives and therefore gives an alternative good reason for steadfast hope. The truth that human nature requires accountability, as well as hope and promise, is becoming essential in a world where temporal comfort, safety, and admiration are increasingly the limit of human aspiration.
Verse 12 remains marvelous advice that echoes Jesus’ teaching, but it eludes this writer as it does many commentators as to how it fits in the text. Find a humorous way to skip it.
Verses 13-20 comprise the practical expression of faith that produces hope. And hope is one source of rejoicing. The advice about praying, singing praises, calling the elders in time of need, confession, intercession for one another, and the work of bringing the fallen away back to the Lord provide the most practical of applications for how we live out faith and hope. Turning away from our concerns for self and turning to the needs of others is the Lord’s counter-intuitive way of increasing our own hope and faith.
James 4:7-5:6. One of the common themes throughout the epistle of James is his urge for practical action and attitudes from the community of faith. We consistently are focused on ourselves, “You desire… you covet” but God urges a completely different focus. Satan isn’t a far-off concept, he is nearby and to resist him we must submit to God. As we draw close to God, He too will come close to us.[40] But what are the practical ways we can humble ourselves?
There is something very personal between ourselves and God. James seems to return to the Sermon on the Mount, the Psalms, and the Prophets. Jesus said, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted”. Joel 2:12-23 states that mourning, with fasting and weeping, can lead to comfort and joy as we fall before God in repentance–for He is gracious and merciful. Psalm 30:11 (along with Psalm 126:5-6) states that it is God who brings joy out of mourning. It is not something we bring to ourselves.
But humility doesn’t only exist between ourselves and God. It also extends into our community as Jamed urged the community to maintain an attitude of humility with each other. We are not to gossip or slander our brothers and sisters in Jesus. These actions fight against the law, namely to love our neighbour.[41]
The tension between the rich and the poor can also allow the devil a foothold to sow discord within the community. James particularly singles out the wealthy who are so arrogant as to place their security more in their own supposed wealth than they do in God. Money, in and of itself, is not evil. However, the inappropriate use of money–to harm others or to rely on it as our idol above God–certainly is. James highlights how the desire of wealth had caused the retention of honest wages through fraud. This is also a clear violation of Leviticus 19:13 “You shall not oppress your neighbour or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning.”
If we humble ourselves before God then He will sustain us, He will defend us, and Satan will flee from us. But if we don’t humble ourselves, then we too may weep and howl. God does allow the consequences of our actions to come about. It is better to mourn now, to be humble now, and to fall before God’s mercy today, even as our brothers and sisters must do the same.
James 5:13-20. Having just finished speaking about misused wealth and power and that the afflicted must look to God in patience (for He will be the Judge), James concluded his letter to the twelve tribes in the diaspora with an urge to pray. Specifically, James spoke of the appropriateness of prayer in suffering, in praise, and in sickness.
When times are difficult, we must turn to God. Gold and silver corrode while luxury and self-indulgence are fleeting. Hopefully we aren’t the ones misusing our wealth and power (if God has been gracious enough to give that particular gift to us) but rather the church has, historically, been persecuted for their righteousness–even as Jesus, Paul, Peter, and John declared and Luke showed.[42] Prayer–turning fully to God in love, hope, and faith–helps us remain steadfast in living according to the calling of the Gospels for we must be fully dependent on Him.
Getting into a pattern of prayer is something we should do before we encounter difficult times. It can be true that our prayer life increases in fervour during times of trouble but James also urged us to pray when times are good. We should depend no less on God when life is going well. Forgetting God during times of blessing well neither help us be steadfast when trouble comes nor recognize the grace of God when it comes. If we are happy, let us sing psalms of praise. It is in prayer, including praise, worship, and thanksgiving, that we are grounded in our relationship with the living God–for we live in His mercy and grace.
Finally, James urged us to pray for the sick, together with the anointing of oil, and confession of sins. “The prayer of faith will save the one who is sick.” Does that mean that we only need to pray and our loved ones will be healed? To save, in the Greek σωσει (sōsei), is both future and active (or continuous) but it is also used in all five other uses in the New Testament to speak of salvation of the soul from sin (including James 5:20). This might be why James connects our prayer for the sick so strongly with confession–particularly as being sick was closely related to death until modern medicine.[43] It is also hard to pray in faith and righteousness if we do not confess. Many of our liturgies include a public confession which is followed by a public pronouncement of the assurance of forgiveness. Confession is very powerful, and we do well not to ignore it.
In the end, we are called to pray but it is the Lord who raises the sick up.[44] But that doesn’t mean we do nothing. Oil was considered in the ancient world to have healing properties and was used for all sorts of anointing, ceremonial as well as medicinal.[45] Caring for the sick in times of plagues, resulting in the death of many Christians but salvation (both physically and spiritually) of many families was something the church was well-known for in history.[46] It was also the church that often established hospitals all over the world and sought cures for many diseases. These characteristics of care for the sick should not simply be part of our past but also our present and future.
Canticle 15. Luke places the Magnificat within the account of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. Unprovable from external accounts, it seems a safe assumption that the Magnificat was given to Luke in an interview with Mary. Luke seems to have access to Mary that the other Gospel writers do not.[47] [48] Did she compose it as a guest in Elizabeth and Zechariah’s home, or was it poetry that captured the thoughts of her soul whilst she was there? We know nothing of Mary’s upbringing or spiritual training.[49] However, she appears to be familiar with the sacred history of Israel and the prophetic promises to Israel through the coming redeemer. From the literal reading of the text we can ascertain that somehow Mary knows that through her obedience the promises to Israel will be fulfilled (verse 55). This may explain the line in verse 48 that, “all generations will call me blessed”–A prophetic statement that has surely come true. Her words are worship born out of faith that has come through extreme obedience.
Mary had heard from the angel Gabriel that her cousin Elizabeth was pregnant (Luke 1:36). As the ladies meet, so too do the unborn children. The Holy Spirit touches John in the womb who ‘leaps with excitement’ in the presence of the Messiah. Mary responds to Elizabeth’s blessing with what we now call the Magnificat; the Song of Mary. In many ways, her song resembles that of the song of Hannah,[50] who had stood before the Tabernacle in Shiloh praying for a child (1 Sam 2:1-10). Songs are not uncommon in the Biblical text. The first time that Miriam, the sister of Moses, is attributed to speaking in the Bible is when she breaks into song at the Red Sea.[51] The songs of Hannah, Miriam, and Mary reflect on God’s salvation, that He exalts the lowly and the poor, and that those who were once hungry and empty are now full and satisfied. All of these are fantastic themes we should be contemplating over Christmas. Instead of focusing on presents we should cast our minds to the real presence! Mary could have said no to the angel and to God’s request for her to be the God-bearer. Mary knew the life long ridicule she would have to endure. No one except Joseph would ever believe her that she had become pregnant via the Holy Spirit, or that the man who visited her was really an angel.[52] Mary exhibits her humility and willingness to suffer much more for the Lord than is immediate in the text. Unlike Eve, who heard the voice of God in the Garden and disobeyed, Mary will hear the voice of Heaven and choose to obey. Because of her obedience we are all blessed, and it is only fitting and right that in response all generations should call her blessed.
Canticle 15. The early church incorporated the Jewish practice of singing Scripture. This was extremely helpful for a community that did not have personal copies of the Scriptures to memorize large sections of the Bible. The word Canticle in Latin simply means ‘little song’. In the Vulgate, the latin translation of the Scriptures, the Song of Songs is called Canticum Canticorum. A canticle is thus a song or chant that is used in many traditional Christian liturgies. The words of the canticle come directly from the Biblical text (other than the Psalms) and may include what we call the apocrypha. Canticles are thus, by definition, very Biblical. Canticle 15 is called the song of Mary or the Magnificat and the words are quoted directly from the Gospel of Luke. In this song Mary, who is really the first disciple of Jesus as she is the first person to say yes to God in relation to Jesus, expresses her pure joy at the privilege to serve God in this way. The Canticle gets its name the Magnificat from the first line of the song in latin; “Magnificat anima mea Dominum,” or “My soul magnifies the Lord”. Chanting and singing Scripture was, and still is, an excellent way to memorize Scripture.
Luke 1:39-56.[53] Mary travelled from Nazareth to Judea not once, but twice while she was pregnant. The first journey followed the angel Gabriel’s visit, where she learned she would miraculously conceive the Messiah, despite being a virgin. Understandably, Mary was “greatly troubled” by this news, but Gabriel reassured her of God’s faithfulness, pointing to her relative Elizabeth’s unexpected pregnancy in her old age as evidence of God’s miraculous power. In response, Mary embarked on a journey from Galilee to Judea to witness this miracle for herself.[54] Our faith is based on the faithfulness of God.
Scripture provides no background on Mary. The gospels make no mention of her parents and she has no written interaction with extended family outside of her cousin Elizabeth.[55] Orthodox Christianity holds to a tradition that Mary’s parents were also Levites and her father served in the Temple along with Zechariah and perhaps even Anna and Simeon.[56] Biblically, we can note that Mary’s familiarity with Scripture is evident in the Magnificat, which draws heavily from the Psalms and the prophetic writings. Her song reflects themes of God’s salvation and justice for the humble, and God’s continued faithfulness, mirroring the song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1–10). Both songs celebrate God’s care for the humble and oppressed, showing how He exalts the lowly and fulfills His promises.
After travelling to visit her family and be reassured of God’s faithfulness, Mary and Elizabeth shared a moment of joy. But as the ladies met, so too did the unborn children. The Holy Spirit touched John in the womb who “leaped in her womb” in the presence of the Messiah. This caused Elizabeth to pronounce a blessing on the younger woman, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
Not only was Mary blessed, but so are we because of her obedience to God. Mary’s role in the birth of God incarnate—Immanuel—is not just extraordinary but deeply sacrificial. When Gabriel presented God’s request for her to bear the Messiah, Mary could have said no. She understood the ridicule and disbelief she would endure—few would believe her account of the Holy Spirit's role in her pregnancy, and her reputation would be permanently tarnished. Yet Mary responded with profound humility and obedience, declaring, “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Unlike Eve, who disobeyed God’s voice in the Garden, Mary heard the voice of Heaven and obeyed. Her willingness to endure suffering for God’s purposes set her apart, and it is fitting that all generations call her blessed.[57]
Mary responded with what we now call the Magnificat, her song of praise. Mary not only knew the sacred history of God’s faithfulness, but she also understood its importance to her, those around her, and all of Israel. God exalts the humble, fills the hungry, and fulfills His promises to Israel. These themes, deeply rooted in Israel’s sacred history, provide rich material for contemplation during Advent.
Her song, like her life, is an act of worship born out of faith and obedience. As we contemplate the Magnificat during Advent, we are reminded to shift our focus from material concerns to the true Presence of God. Mary’s life and song challenge us to embrace humility, faith, and the joy of participating in God’s redemptive plan.
Hebraic Context. For the ancient Biblical writers, doing something defines both the action done and the doer of the action. Another way to put this is that people are known and defined through what they do. This holds true for both God and His creation. We say that God is good, but how do we actually know that to be true? God is good because He does good and what is good is known to be good by its being done by God.[58]
In Jewish hermeneutics, when this is applied to humans, you do the truth, not simply believe in the truth. If you believe something to be the truth and you act the opposite, then not only is this hypocritical but it also reveals that, deep down, you likely don’t really believe it to be true.[59] The prophets are clear when they say; “Act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). To do the opposite is to walk toward a very dark path indeed.
In the sacred history of Israel God demonstrated that He is impartial in His behaviour. During the exodus from Egypt, the Lord did not only rescue Hebrew slaves but a mixed multitude accompanied the Israelites and they too were rescued out of darkness. Redemption at passover included both Jews and Gentiles, slaves and their slave owners, the rich and the poor. Everyone equally passed through the Red Sea on the way to Mount Sinai, thus both Jews and Gentiles heard the voice of God. While the Scriptures often call the Lord the God of Israel, we all know He is much more than that. Jewish prayer always begins with the omnipresent proclamation that He is “King of the universe”.
Following the example set by His Father, Jesus also served rich and poor, male and female, Jew and Gentile. While His primary ministry was to Israel, the promised redeemer was also to be a light to the Gentiles. The Gospels recorded several encounters with Gentiles and Samaritans and His behaviour towards them taught His disciples that God does not discriminate.[60] Jesus met with and taught the rich, healing their children and slaves. He also met with the poor, giving sight to the blind and making the lame leap. Finally when the apostle John was shown a vision of heaven he recorded in Revelation that he witnessed people from every tribe and tongue standing before the throne of God.[61]
Endnotes
[1] ACNA includes Psalm 146:1-4
[2] The word ‘Hallelujah’ הַלְלוּיָה is the imperative to ‘Praise the Lord’ and it stands at the beginning of eleven psalms: 106, 111-113, 117, 135, 146-150. Hallelujah is also the final word of twelve psalms: 104-106, 113, 115-116, 135, 146-150. Psalm 146-150 do not have an ascribed author, although it’s possible that they were written or used by Levitical worship leaders in the Temple. The Septuagint believed that Haggai and Zechariah were the authors of Psalm 146-148.
[3] Sometimes we do not trust people in leadership, but we can actually fall into the same trap of looking at them in fear, disgust, or occasional hope. They are still mere men and women. We should still look to worship God as long as we live—even as our fight is not against “flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
[4] Many of the great biblical characters were men and women of wealth. Wealth is not inherently an evil thing and can be a blessing from God. These people of faith were also often generous. Having someone generous with financial means to help us can offer a sense of security. But history shows that a king who followed God may be succeeded by an evil king, and all the good they intended would be undone or used for evil. We are dust and to dust we will return. Psalm 146:3 poetically uses the term בן אדם (ben adam) for human beings, and then immediately states that we will return to our own אדמה (adama, earth) when we die.
[5] Psalm 146:6 is sometimes translated as “who keeps faith forever.” Faith, אמונה (emuna), and truth, אמת (emet) are similar and often translated interchangeably in many translations. For instance, Proverbs 12:17, 22 both use the term אמונה (emuna) but in the first instance it is translated as “truth” while in the second instance it is translated as “faithfully.” This is likely due to the common English misunderstanding of the term “faith” as it is used in the Hebrew: “Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit.” If אמונה (emuna) were translated as “faith” rather than truth, faithful, or faithfulness the current English definition of faith would be utterly insufficient to explain how “faith” could be used in such a statement.
The use of both faith[fulness] and truth to translate אמונה (emuna) and אמת (emet) is not bad translation work in modern English. But it may limit our understanding of the two Hebrew words and the theological arguments regarding “faith.”
Faith translated as truth: Deuteronomy 32:4; I Chronicles 9:22, 26, 31; Psalm 119:30; Proverbs 12:17; Jeremiah 5:1-3, Jeremiah 7:28; etc. (This translation is most common in the KJV)
Truth translated as faith: Genesis 32:10; Joshua 2:14; II Chronicles 32:1; Nehemiah 7:2; Nehemiah 9:33; Psalm 54:5; Psalm 146:6; Isaiah 38:18-19; Jeremiah 32:41; etc
[6] Jesus, when responding to John, did not state that He would set free the prisoner. This is a blatant omission as it is found in Isaiah 42:7, Isaiah 49:9-10, Isaiah 61:1, Psalm 107:10-22, and Psalm 146 in close proximity to the other activities that Jesus tells His cousin that He is doing. Luke 4:18-19 also omits “and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”
[7] ACNA includes James 5:11-20
[8] ACNA includes Matthew 11:12-19
[9] According to the Protoevangelium of James (a popular and accepted apocryphal, yet orthodox text) Mary grew up in and near the Temple mount. She was commonly found on the temple mount and was beloved of all the righteous who stayed at and near the temple—people like Zechariah as well as possibly Simeon and Anna.
[10] Matthew 22:43; Psalm 110:1
[11] Luke 1:76; Luke 7:27; Matthew 11:10. See also: Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23
[12] Matthew 3:14
[13] John 1:33
[14] Isaiah 29:18; Isaiah 35:5; Isaiah 42:7; Isaiah 61:1; Psalm 146:8
[15] Isaiah 35:6
[16] When Naaman was sent to be healed of his leprosy, the king of Israel tore his clothes and said, “Am I god, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy?” II Kings 5:7
[17] Isaiah 29:18; Isaiah 35:5
[18] By the time of John and Jesus, it was commonly accepted that God not only could raise people from the dead, but would raise people from the dead. Daniel 12:2; I Samuel 2:6; Isaiah 26:19; II Maccabees 7.
[19] Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18
[20] Isaiah 42:7; Isaiah 61:1
[21] II Kings 18:21; Isaiah 36:6. See also: Isaiah 19:1-10
[22] I Kings 14:15
[23] Jeremiah 6:13-14. See also: Isaiah 30:9-11; Jeremiah 8:10-12; Jeremiah 14:13-16; Jeremiah 23:16-32; Jeremiah 27-29;Ezekiel 22:28; Micah 2:6-11
[24] Ezekiel 13:10-16
[25] Hebrews 11:38
[26] Daniel 2:44.
[27] Despite their power, the priests and Sadducees were afraid to act in public against John and Jesus because of their popularity.
[28] Similar to βιαζεται, Hebrew can use the term פרץ (peretz) “breach” to speak of those who violently break out against God, “There is swearing, lying murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds (פרץ), and bloodshed follows bloodshed.” (Amos 4:2) But they will not be successful, “They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply (פרץ), because they have forsaken the LORD to cherish whoredom, wine, and new wine.” (Amos 4:10)
On the other hand, God and the King of Israel will successfully breach the gate: “He who opens the breach goes up before the; they break through and pass the gate, going out by it. Their king passes on before them, the LORD at their head.” (Micah 2:13) Breaching a gate or wall is a violent action in war, “and [Jehoash] came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits” (II Kings 14:!3) and the victory often relies on whether the attackers can successfully accomplish it or not. But the first use of peretz is in Genesis 28:14 where God promised Jacob, “Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad (פרץ) to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south.” There was a Jewish hope that the one who would breach the wall, the promised king, would conquer and expand the kingdom.
[29] Deuteronomy 29:2-4
[30] Psalm 115:6; Psalm 135:17; Isaiah 6:9-10; Isaiah 42:20; Isaiah 43:8; Jeremiah 5:21; Jeremiah 6:10; Ezekiel 12:2; Zechariah 7:11.
[31] Jeremiah 25:4
[32] Nehemiah 8:3
[33] Ezekiel 8:18
[34] Exodus 2:23-25; Exodus 3:7-9; Exodus 6:5; Psalm 18:6; Psalm 34:15; Psalm 138:3; Isaiah 30:19; Isaiah 58:9; Jonah 2:2. See also: Tobit 3:16; Sirach 35:16-21
[35] Strabo, Geography 3.3
[36] Herodotus, The Histories 1.141. See also: Herodotus, The Histories 2.60.1-2 which mentions the flute and dancing in relation to mockery.
[37] For anyone who has never been in an all out war, it is impossible to understand just how much it affects everything in life—food prices soar and work becomes unavailable; family members may never come home from fighting or leave home because of rampant disease; constant fear or even despair, along with bitter hatred (or hollow numbness) become constant companions.
[38] See Isaiah 37:21-38.
[39] Assyria would be defeated by the righteous judgment of God. But there is a constant theme of a highway running through Isaiah. Isaiah 11 specifically mentions a highway that will return the diaspora from Assyria and the Middle East to Egypt and North Africa. But Isaiah 19 includes the actual inhabitants of those lands who will also join Israel in turning to God. So while military defeat of Assyria would bring hope to Israel, there would also be hope for Assyrians should they come and worship the LORD. Isaiah 33 mentions that this highway has no travelers but Isaiah 35 says that one day the ransomed of the LORD shall return to Zion (including fools). Isaiah 40 and 62 tells the people of God to prepare the highway of God while Isaiah 49 speaks of God building the highway.
[40] Isaiah 55:6 says that we are to “Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.” Does this mean that God will not always be found? That God is not always near? Isaiah soon follows this statement by speaking of the shepherds who are supposed to care for Israel, shepherds who instead are eating all they can and going their own way for their own gain. James speaks on the same topics in the verses to come.
[41] Taken alone, or in conjunction with Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” James 4:11-12 is often used to state that we, as Christians, must never judge another person. We are to be humble and know who it is that judges, but Matthew 18:15-20 does explain how we are to judge. I Corinthians 5:9-12 also speaks of judgment within the church of those who sin against the law of God. And in many places throughout the epistles we are to discern who is false or in sin and we are to warn them in order that they might come back to the truth and be our brother.
[42] Persecution of the righteous wasn’t a new idea for the Church, II and IV Maccabees spoke at length about the persecution of the righteous along with the Book of Wisdom (The Wisdom of Solomon). Persecution comes against anyone that God chose out of the world, for the world hates God. This is why anti-semitism has never ceased over the past three millenia–there is no one event that should garner such animosity and hate except that God chose Israel and the world hates God.
[43] In Shabbat 153a.5 it states, “Rabbi Eliezer said, ‘Repent one day before your death.’ Rabbi Eliezer’s students asked him: ‘But does a person know the day on which he will die?’ He said to them: ‘All the more so… one should repent today lest he die tomorrow…’ By following this advice one will spend his entire life in a state of repentance.”
[44] To raise up, εγερει (egerei), is used both in the context of eternal salvation and physical help. For instance, in Matthew 12:11, Jesus (when commenting on Shabbat) spoke of saving a sheep from a pit by raising it up. On the other hand, Paul reminded the Corinthians (in II Corinthians 4:14) that the same one who raised Jesus from the dead would also raise them up into His presence.
[45] In the story of the Good Samaritan, both oil and wine were used with bandages to clean the wounds of the beaten man.
[46] Eusebius, in Ecclesiastical History VII.22.7-9 mentions one such occasion.
[47] There is very little infancy or childhood stories of Jesus to be found in the Gospels. Much of what we do have is recorded in Luke’s opening chapters; where he relates the angelic announcements to Zachariah, Mary, and the shepherds of Bethlehem. Luke also uniquely describes the ‘swaddling clothes’ and the circumcision of Jesus in the Temple. The account of Jesus as a child remaining in the Temple while His parents returned to the Galilee is likewise a unique story in Luke. All of this indicates Luke’s personal access to an eyewitness of these events.
[48] Many commentators assume that Luke is a Gentile, based on an interpretation from Colossians 4:14. Syrian Orthodox Christianity holds to the tradition that Luke was a Jewish man from Antioch, which is in Syria, who went to Jerusalem to study, just like Paul did from Tarsus. There he encountered Jesus and became his disciple. Orthodox tradition says that Luke is one of the 72 unnamed disciples sent out by Jesus. Thus Luke is actually an eyewitness to Jesus and some of His ministry. This explains where he gets his unique material (particularly after Luke 10). And as a Hellenised Jew like Paul, he feels a close kinship and it’s easy for him to team up with Paul on his adventures in the Book of Acts.
[49] Orthodox Christianity has preserved the childhood stories of Mary in a 2nd century manuscript called the Protoevangelium of James. The document was attested to by Origen in the 3rd century and is the source of much of the Marian doctrines found in both the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, see Footnote 22 for more information.
[50] The Song of Hannah or Hannah’s prayer reads more like a Psalm and is often compared to Psalm 113 which contains many of the same themes, including motherhood for barren women. Many commentators consider it to have been composed after Samuel was born, handed down in oral tradition and inserted by a redactor of the book of Samuel here into the text. The reference to a king in I Samuel 2:10 is problematic as there was no king at the time and supports the later tradition.
[51] Moses’ sister, possibly Miriam, is recorded speaking in Exodus 2:7 but Exodus, the Book of Names (שמות), is careful to introduce names only when they will be most impactful. (The parents of Moses are unnamed during his childhood until his genealogy is required. And the Kings of Egypt are unnamed throughout the entirety of the Torah.)
[52] Matthew's gospel provides the details in which Joseph initially had been inclined to divorce Mary in a quiet fashion but changed his mind following a visitation in a dream by an angel of the Lord who informed him that the child in Mary was indeed conceived by the Holy Spirit, Matthew 1:18-20.
[53] The RCL may split this into a Canticle, Luke 1:46b-55 and the Gospel reading, Luke 1:39-45.
[54] Mary would later return to Bethlehem in Judea to give birth to Jesus.
[55] The exact relationship between Elizabeth and Mary is not stated in the Bible, rather it says they are συγγενης (suggenes, kinsmen).
[56] Many of the traditions about Mary’s childhood come from the Protoevangelium of James which, although it was not accepted as Scripture and its teaching being unnecessary for salvation, was accepted by both the Orthodox and Catholic church as consistent with Scripture.
Mary’s parents were named as Joachim and Anna, Levites serving in the Temple. The traditional site of their home was near the pools of Bethesda, north of the Temple Mount. They too had been quite old, as Zechariah and Elizabeth, and God blessed them in their old age and faithful prayers with a daughter. Unfortunately, they died while Mary was still quite young and so she was raised by the faithful women and few faithful priests who continued to worship God in the Temple—true worship of God being to take care of the orphan.
[57] Protestants tend to downplay Mary’s role in the message of salvation. However, we should recognize the great work God did through Mary. Hearing God and becoming obedient, she became, in many ways, the first disciple of the Messiah. Mary is one of the greatest examples of obedience to God and faithfulness in Scripture. She is blessed among women and we can declare that she is blessed. (Luke 1:48)
[58] This may seem like circular reasoning, and perhaps it is, but that makes it no less true.
[59] The opposite can also be true, as our actions can help in our spiritual maturity. Praising God in song can be worthless if we aren’t worshiping him with our entire being—both in our soul and our actions. But hearing, singing, or reading a Psalm, song, or spiritual hymn can still help us turn back to Him in a time of despair or pride. Kneeling before God in prayer, even when we don’t want to, can help us repent or give thanksgiving. And serving our neighbours in love is God’s commandment whether we feel like it or not. And in the doing we can be faithful to Him who was faithful to us and see all the reasons we should be worshiping, confessing, and giving thanksgiving to the almighty God.
[60] In Luke 9:51-56, the disciples asked Jesus if they could call down fire on the Samaritans that rejected them. Jesus rebuked them and they continued on their way. By Acts 8:14-17, following the example of Jesus’ positive interactions with the Samaritans (and Philip’s ministry in Samaria), the apostles were able to lay their hands on many Samaritans in order to receive the Holy Spirit rather than the destructive fire they had first thought to call on the Samaritans.
[61] This includes people from: Egypt, where God had to redeem His people from slavery; Moab, who so often fought against Israel; Philistia, who mocked the God of Israel; Assyria, who slaughtered the people of God indiscriminately; Babylon, where the children of Israel grieved; the Seleucid Empire, where soldiers and kings watched as whole families were martyred for their belief in God; and, indeed, wherever those in darkness repent. For God’s mercy is great and repentance is available to everyone in equal measure.