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December 18, 2005
Fourth Sunday of Advent — B

Book of Common Prayer Lectionary
2 Samuel 7:4, 8-16
Psalm 132
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38

Revised Common Lectionary
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Luke 1:47-55
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38

Reflection and Response
Prayer Starter

Today’s readings invite us to respond to the wonder and mystery of God with a clear and joyful "yes." In 2 Samuel, God overwhelms David with the promise of an eternal kingdom to David’s heir. Paul proclaims that in Jesus Christ the mystery of the ages is revealed. Mary opens her spirit, soul and body to the mystery and word of God.

First Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-16
The books of 1 and 2 Samuel tell of David’s reign. They are court histories probably written during Solomon’s reign. Chapter 7 explains why David, whose reign was considered the high point of Jewish history, did not build the temple, although he desired to do so. The chapter is divided into Nathan’s prophecy (vv. 1-17) and David’s prayer (vv. 18-29).

The Hebrew word sometimes translated "house" is alternately played on in several ways in the passage. It means "palace" (v. 1), "temple" (v. 5), "dynasty" (v. 11) and "family status" (v. 18). This chapter became the basis for the establishment of the Davidic covenant, in which God swore that David’s line on the throne would never cease.

After the fall of Jerusalem and the overthrow of the monarchy (587 B.C.), the Davidic covenant came to be understood as God’s assurance of a future ideal king from David’s line, and this hope became an essential part of the Jewish expectation of the Messiah.

2 Samuel 7:1-16
Now when the king was settled in his house,
and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him,
the king said to the prophet Nathan,
"See now, I am living in a house of cedar,
but the ark of God stays in a tent."
Nathan said to the king,
"Go, do all that you have in mind; for the LORD is with you."

But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan:
Go and tell my servant David:
Thus says the LORD:
Are you the one to build me a house to live in?
I have not lived in a house since the day
I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day,
but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle.
Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel,
did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel,
whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel,
saying, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"

Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David:
Thus says the LORD of hosts:
I took you from the pasture,
from following the sheep
to be prince over my people Israel;
and I have been with you wherever you went,
and have cut off all your enemies from before you;
and I will make for you a great name,
like the name of the great ones of the earth.
And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them,
so that they may live in their own place,
and be disturbed no more;
and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly,
from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel;
and I will give you rest from all your enemies.

Moreover the LORD declares to you
that the LORD will make you a house.
When your days are fulfilled
and you lie down with your ancestors,
I will raise up your offspring after you,
who shall come forth from your body,
and I will establish his kingdom.
He shall build a house for my name,
and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me.
When he commits iniquity,
I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use,
with blows inflicted by human beings.
But I will not take my steadfast love from him,
as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.
Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me;
your throne shall be established forever.

Psalm: Psalm 132 (BCP)
This psalm is a processional hymn, probably used in the temple as part of the celebration of the king’s enthronement. The Davidic covenant, as here recalled (vv. 11-12), incorporates the obligations of the Sinai covenant (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; 1 Kings 2:1-4). The basis for the psalmist’s confidence is God’s choice of Zion as God’s "habitation" and "resting place for ever."

Psalm 132
O LORD, remember in David’s favor
all the hardships he endured;
how he swore to the LORD
and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,

"I will not enter my house or get into my bed;
I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids,
until I find a place for the LORD,
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob."

We heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.

"Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us worship at his footstool."
Rise up, O LORD, and go to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.

Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and let your faithful shout for joy.
For your servant David’s sake
do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

The LORD swore to David a sure oath
from which he will not turn back:
One of the sons of your body
I will set on your throne.

If your sons keep my covenant
and my decrees that I shall teach them,
their sons also, forevermore,
shall sit on your throne."

For the LORD has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his habitation:
"This is my resting place forever;
here I will reside, for I have desired it.

I will abundantly bless its provisions;
I will satisfy its poor with bread.
Its priests I will clothe with salvation,
and its faithful will shout for joy.

There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David;
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one.
His enemies I will clothe with disgrace,
but on him, his crown will gleam."

Psalmody: Luke 1:47-55 (RCL)
Mary’s joyous song of praise, the Magnificat, echoes many of Luke’s gospel themes: the joy of salvation, the reversal of this world’s values, God’s option for the poor and lowly, and the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises. This song of God’s lowly handmaid is a foreshadowing of the way in which the Kingdom of God will transform our world.

Luke 1:47-55
My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor
on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on
all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud
in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful
from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

Second Reading: Romans 16:25-27
Today’s reading is an expression of praise or doxology closing Paul’s letter to the Romans. The good news that Paul makes known, the proclamation about Jesus Christ, is the "revelation of the mystery" (v. 25) of God’s plan of salvation hidden in the Old Testament and now made known in Christ.

Though the Old Testament did not explain this mystery in advance, now, in retrospect, it reveals the significance of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection as the fulfillment of God’s plan. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit enabled Christian believers to comprehend the prophecies of the Old Testament and through them to discover God’s astounding plan for the salvation not only of Jews but for Gentiles as well.

Romans 16:25-27
Now to God
who is able to strengthen you
according to my gospel
and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery
that was kept secret for long ages
but is now disclosed,
and through the prophetic writings
is made known to all the Gentiles,
according to the command of the eternal God,
to bring about the obedience of faith–
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ,
to whom be the glory forever! Amen.

Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
Luke’s infancy narratives show that the meaning of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection was already implicit in the circumstances of his conception and birth. He emphasizes the theological significance of these events and so presents the gospel message through them.

The annunciation to Mary is similar to the annunciation to Zechariah in 1:5-23. Gabriel, the angel who heralds the fulfillment of God’s salvation in Daniel (Daniel 9:20-25), now appears to Mary to herald the birth of Jesus.

The angel greets Mary as God’s wonderfully graced one. He then reveals that she is to bear a son who will be a powerful Davidic King and, in fact, God’s own Son. Mary questions how this can be, but Gabriel replies that God’s power, the Holy Spirit, will come upon Mary and create this new life in her. Thus, the divine origin of Jesus’ earthly history is affirmed.

As with Mary, so the life of God is conceived and nurtured in each of us. But it happens only through God’s power, not our own. We need only cooperate as God’s willing servants.

Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month
the angel Gabriel was sent by God
to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin engaged to a man
whose name was Joseph,
of the house of David.
The virgin’s name was Mary.
And he came to her and said,
"Greetings, favored one!
The Lord is with you."
But she was much perplexed by his words
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

The angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
And now, you will conceive in your womb
and bear a son,
and you will name him Jesus.
He will be great,
and will be called the Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give to him
the throne of his ancestor David.
He will reign over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end."
Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be, since I am a virgin?"

The angel said to her,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
therefore the child to be born will be holy;
he will be called Son of God.
And now, your relative Elizabeth
in her old age
has also conceived a son;
and this is the sixth month
for her who was said to be barren.
For nothing will be impossible with God."
Then Mary said,
"Here am I, the servant of the Lord;
let it be with me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.

Reflection and Response
Every year the malls start sooner to create mythical holiday worlds where dreams come true and bills don’t arrive for another month. Even the skeptics find themselves getting caught up in it, thinking maybe this year we can achieve harmony, satisfy all hungers and create a perfect peace. How odd it seems then to turn to Advent readings where the only touch of perfection comes with the brief brush of an angel wing, then disappears, leaving unanswered questions.

Many of us would enjoy the house of cedar without the prick of conscience that prompted David to make a costly comparison. How could he enjoy his comfort when God dwelt in a make-shift tent? Yet when David directs that question to Nathan, God answers through the prophet with the delight of a parent whose child has offered some homemade, lopsided but lovingly crafted gift. God responds with overwhelming generosity, promising ongoing support, fame, victory, peace, just government and rest. God tells David in short order: "Let’s get the dynamic straight. It is I who build the house for you."

This is a good reminder for those who become obsessive about housecleaning, decorating and family bonding at this time of year. Our efforts never make the home complete, for God is the ultimate builder.

The same spirit permeates the gospel reading from Luke. Mary lacks all the credentials that most humans think important for anyone making such a dramatic change in history. Almost everything is against her: her age, inexperience, gender, marital status and powerlessness. But what is for her outweighs all the apparent negatives: the favor of God and its inner reflection in her willingness. Her poverty is lifted up and turned into wealth by a God for whom nothing is impossible.

There seems to be little in our holiday feasting that celebrates this twist of events. If anything, we go to the opposite extreme, trying to create magic through our own frantic efforts. It never quite works, does it? The cookies burn, the relatives fight, the sweaters don’t fit, weariness and depression set in...and then we remember: Christ would come in circumstances like these.

Quietly consider:
What are my fantasies of perfection for this holiday?
How do today’s readings set me straight?

Prayer Starter
Lord, reveal the mystery of your will in my life...

 

©Copyright 2005 Living The Good News

 



The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee
The Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg, Bishop
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