In the name of Jesus. Amen.
The prophet Joel continues to prepare us by heralding the
coming of Christ way back in Old Testament times. Joel’s prophecy proclaims the
God who is both goodness and mercy, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast
love.
In this Advent season, as we prepare ourselves for
celebrating God-with-us, or Emmanuel, we are bombarded with busy-ness. We are
rushing, huffing and puffing through our days, barely taking the chance to slow
down, to savor the season of expectation and hopefulness.
We rush, we dash, we even sprint through our days, busily
preparing for the annual Christmas family get together, wrapping the presents
for under the tree, putting the Christmas lights on the house. With
breathtaking pace we ask our neighbors, “So, are you ready for Christmas yet?”
or, “How are your Christmas preparations coming along?”
And yet, as we remember the story of Christ’s birth, we
forget that this season in the church year, this season of Advent, is not about
being busy, but about slowing down. This season is about waiting, along with
Mary and Joseph, for the birth of Christ. Imagine if Advent were nine whole
months of waiting, of expecting, of hoping!
This waiting and expecting and hoping is not always
pleasant, however. Some of us do not look forward to this holiday season. Some
of us dread getting together with our family while others of us dread being
alone for the first time during the holidays. Christmas preparation can be very
hard for some of us.
And yet, there is hope. The words from the prophet Joel for
this morning point to something far beyond all of our rushing and our dread.
Joel proclaims to the people of God, who are dreading a tough time ahead.
Joel proclaims these words, “Yet even now, says the Lord,
return to me with all your heart.” God is after you, God is seeking you,
looking for you to return to him with all your heart. Even for those of us who
do not look forward to the Christmas-time homecoming can return to the Lord.
This is a different kind of homecoming, a homecoming to the Lord. Joel proclaims
that God desires our whole heart, not just the parts of our heart that are not
busy, not just the parts of our heart that our happy for the season; God wants
our busy and dreading hearts. God wants all of us this Advent season.
Returning to the Lord is like doing a 180 degree turn.
Turning to the Lord and facing him when we wander off and struggle to find our
way. Rend your hearts, tear your hearts, God says, not your clothing. When the
Israelites wanted to repent, when they wanted to return to the Lord, they would
tear their cloths to show their repentant hearts. But now God wants them to
tear not their cloths, but their hearts. God wants their hearts.
And it is because of God’s mercy and goodness, it is because
of God’s slow-to-anger nature, it is because of God’s steadfast love for his
people. God knows what you desperately need this Advent season: you need a
heart that has returned to the Lord.
But you will not do this on your own. That is the promise of
Jesus Christ. God will have to come to you, born a little babe, in a cold and
dirty stable, in a world that was in chaos. He was born for you, he died for
you, he was raised on the third day for you. Your hearts are torn in two.
And he does this because, as Joel says, “Then afterward I
will pour out my spirit on all flesh.” God will send his Holy Spirit to mend
your torn hearts. You will return to God with a clean heart. Your hearts will
be stitched together again and God will give you a clean heart; a heart that is
ready to love and serve the Lord and your neighbor. You will not look with
dread on this season of Christmas, you will not rush and huff and puff your way
through Advent. You will look forward with a holy expectation, a hopefulness
like you’ve never had before.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
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