The Coming Light: A Devotional Guide for Advent—Week Four, Love

Sunday, December 22: Practicing Together

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Practicing Together

Monday, December 23: Devotion

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name 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 father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be borne will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:26-38 ESV

1. HOPE
We come now to our final week of Advent reflections. Looking back, we can see how, in the first week, the word “hope” introduced us to a season of expectation and anticipation of deliverance from not only the darkness that too often invades our lives, but deliverance from all the darkness that pervades this fallen world. As the prophet Isaiah put it, “The people living in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:2). Now, because we know who that true light is (John 1:9), we can rest with assurance of God’s great outcome even as the world, as it so often does, seems to fall apart. 

2. PEACE
In week two, we were invited into “peace” by recognizing that our stories, with all of their fearful struggles and fleeting joys, are part of The Story. We can return again and again to that all-encompassing Story because the author and finisher of that story and our stories has promised an unimaginably good ending—peace for our souls, not as the world gives, but the true Shalom of God. 

3. JOY
In week three, we admitted that “joy” can sometimes be a struggle. Dismay over difficulties in our own lives, the wayward culture, or even the divisions surrounding a national election can rob us of joy. Our souls long for light and love in this world. Our somber reflection on that absence is an essential step in the Advent journey. In her book, Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ, theologian Fleming Rutledge reminds us that “Advent begins in the dark.” When it is dark, really dark, our souls shy away from rejoicing. But there is a way out of the darkness. Brandon Lake makes a persuasive case for the need to exercise the gift of exhortation—upon ourselves—as he sings, 

“Come on my soul. 
Don’t you get shy on me. 
Lift up your song.
Cause you’ve got a lion inside of those lungs.
Get up and praise the Lord!” 

The apostle Paul could not have said it better, but his words may be more familiar to many, “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). Try it. You will discover that joy really is a choice.

4. LOVE
In the very first season of Advent, Israel was in an extremely dark place. It had been 400 years since anyone could have honestly said, “The word of the Lord came to me …” During that time, they were a people in exile, living in Babylon. Then the Persians conquered the Babylonians and let Israel return home only to be overrun by Alexander the Great, followed by a period of imperial domination by Egypt, and another by the Seleucids (Syria). The Seleucids were overthrown in a revolt led by Judah Maccabee, and Israel had almost a century of independence—until the Romans showed up, 63 years before Jesus was born, and brought with them the “Pax Romana,” the peace of Rome. (See Week 2 and John 14:27 for a reminder of what Jesus thinks of “the peace the world gives.”)

Yes, it was dark. You could say the first Advent came at the darkest moment in Israel’s history—perhaps even the darkest moment in human history. Although the Lord always hears the cries of his people, and he is never late, he seldom does what we expect. Instead of a powerful Messiah and conquering hero who would overturn the Roman occupation and restore the greatness of the nation of Israel once and for all, he enters this world as ... a baby. The creator of the universe comes to humanity as the most helpless of human beings. He is born to the least powerful of human beings ... a young girl in a world that treated all women like property and would show very little grace, if any, toward a girl who, by all appearances, must have violated every kind of cultural and legal boundary. Worse than being pregnant out of matrimony, she was betrothed to an honorable man named Joseph. Mary was contractually obligated to become his wife and to live accordingly. 

Contrary to the vicious rumors that followed Mary from that point, Scripture reveals her character, her courage, and her love of God. Against the pressures of law, culture, and religious tradition, with the full knowledge that she would be risking her own life and the life of her baby, she responded to the angel Gabriel, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Jesus was not yet conceived and Mary was already living into the truth of John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Like the child she would bear, motivated by the purest love, she moved willingly into her God-given destiny. 

Whatever darkness we may experience in this life, Advent reminds us that the true light has come—and is coming—into the world. And the darkness has not now, nor will it ever, overcome it.

Prayer
Loving Father, we are thankful for your servant Mary who surrendered to your plan for her life. In her obedience, your eternal Word took on flesh and came as the Light of the world. You did not leave your people in darkness. Instead you sent a Light that could never be diminished. Open our minds to your Spirit as we prepare to celebrate Jesus coming as a baby to light up our world and as we look forward to his second coming. Amen.

Tuesday, December 24: Listening

Lectio Divina on John 3:16-21

John’s Gospel is different from the other Gospels. He records Jesus having two very profound conversations, one with a Samaritan woman and one with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. With the Samaritan woman, Jesus tells her directly and simply that he is the Messiah and with his coming she will be able to worship wherever she is. With Nicodemus, Jesus tries to convey to him the gift of God and his Father’s motivation. This is the passage to read for today.

• Prepare: Find your quiet place, perhaps near the Christmas tree or your Advent candles, and take a few relaxed breaths. You are here to sit with Jesus. Offer a few words of gratitude for this time, and his word for you. Ask for his help in hearing what he would share with you in this passage.
• Read: Read John 3:16-21. Read the passage softly aloud. “Listen” for a thought or phrase, or “see” a word that catches your attention. Take your time with this. 
• Reflect: Read the passage again, noting that phrase or word that caught your attention. What about it attracts you? What thoughts are brought up? Is there a situation in your life this might address? Consider, why this phrase or word? Is there a reminder of something to be addressed in your life? Perhaps a sense of urgency of a spiritual nature, or a ray of hope?
• Rest: Read the passage a final time. Relax in the presence of the One who loves you most. Listen to his response to you.
• Respond: Read through the passage again. Have a conversation with the Lord about what you’re pondering. Let it be as if you are sharing a cup of coffee or tea with him at the beginning or end of the day. Tell him what is in your mind or on your heart. Let this be a conversational kind of prayer. 
• Resolve: Decide to live in the light of your conversation with the Lord. The light of his Word is a gift to us. Receive this gift of love in the spirit it has been given and be on the lookout for its effects in you and even in those around you. 

Wednesday, December 25: Advent Wreath