The First Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Colette Hammesfahr

 

Matthew 24:36-44, Advent 1

Today we begin a new church year. It’s the first week of Advent, and the colors in the church have changed from green to blue. Our Advent wreath is up, and our first candle is lit. Christmas is coming. Have you started shopping? Have you started decorating your house? Have you started baking your favorite cookies? Have you written your Christmas cards? Are the lights up outside? Who’s coming over on Christmas Day? Have you planned the menu? Are you ready for Christmas? Are you prepared?

With it being the first week of Advent, we would expect to hear readings about a woman named Mary and a man named Joseph; two people expecting, waiting, and preparing for their first child to be born. As we set up our manger scenes at home, we relive the Nativity. It’s these scenes we expect to hear about on this first Sunday in Advent.

Instead, we get a text about the return of the Son of Man, something in our future. This is because Advent is a time for us to look forward. The birth of Christ is in the past, and we save that celebration for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Advent is about what is waiting for us. It’s about hope, anticipation, readiness, longing, and repentance. This week, the theme in our Gospel is about watchfulness, urgency, and being ready for the Son of Man to come in glory.

In early August of 2005, a tropical wave developed off the west coast of Africa. On August 23^rd, that tropical wave became Tropical Depression Twelve. The next day, on August 24^th, the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Katrina. On August 25^th, the storm strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane. After crossing South Florida, the storm weakened, and three days later, it strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane. Two days later, as the storm approached, a voluntary evacuation was ordered for the City of New Orleans. On August 28^th, the mandatory evacuation was issued. Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29^th as a Category 3 hurricane. The people of New Orleans and the surrounding area had nearly a week to prepare and to heed the warnings. 

The flooding and destruction were devastating. Over 1,800 people died. Thousands of homes were destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced. There was tens of billions of dollars of damage in New Orleans. Small businesses were destroyed, hospitals were flooded, and first responders were overwhelmed.

The story of Hurricane Katrina is our living parable of what Jesus is teaching us in Matthew's Gospel. It shows us what happens when we think we can wait until another day to live in hope for God's peace and promises. It teaches us about being personally prepared - being ready -- for the second coming of the Son of Man. It teaches about stewardship and the protection of what we are responsible for – including our neighbor.

When the people of New Orleans heard the warnings, many left and evacuated as they were ordered to. Others stayed, but not because they were being reckless. They stayed because of familiarity and delay. The people thought, “We’ve been through storms before.” “The levees have always held.” “If it gets worse, we’ll leave tomorrow.” Then, others, the vulnerable, did not have the means to leave and were forced to stay.

It wasn’t the wind that destroyed, as in most hurricanes. It was the flooding. The once reliable levees failed. The roads flooded, emergency services collapsed, and leaving the area became impossible. By the time people realized how serious the situation was, their opportunity to leave was gone. What they thought would be available to them tomorrow was only available to them today. People were trapped in attics and on rooftops, waiting to be rescued. Shelters became overcrowded.

People hadn’t denied that a storm was coming. Instead, they made the wrong decisions, despite the warnings. They thought they could trust what they had right now. They thought they could trust their own judgment based on past experiences, their leadership to make the right decisions, and the levees to work as expected.

 “If the owner of the house had known what time of night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake.” Jesus wants us to be responsible and ready. The owner of the house has been given something to care for and to protect. He assumes he has plenty of time to care for what he’s been given. Then a thief comes. Had the owner known when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake to protect what he had been given.

For many of us sitting here, our problem is not that we don’t believe. It’s not our faith. Our problem is that we say, “Not today.” We find excuses. We say things like, “I’ll ask for forgiveness tomorrow.” “I’ll forgive him later. I can’t do it right now.” “When life slows down, I’ll have time for God.” What Jesus wants us to know is that being ready is not about knowing the date of his return so that you can prepare the day before. It’s about living every single day as if today matters eternally.

The people in New Orleans didn’t deny that there was some sort of danger coming. They assumed they had more time. They thought they were safe. The owner of the house lost what mattered most. It wasn’t because he didn’t care. It was because he didn’t stay alert.

Jesus is not trying to scare us into loving God or to be anxious about tomorrow. Disasters or tragedies in our lives are not God’s judgment or punishment on us. What Jesus is telling us is to practice awareness and readiness every day in our lives. Live your life with God’s presence in your heart. Do not live in fear of what tomorrow brings, but live your life with joy in the promises God has made to you. Don’t delay forgiveness. Say and do what you usually postpone. Being ready is not about being afraid of the end; it’s about living faithfully in the present.  

This first week in Advent is about watchfulness, urgency, and being ready for the Son of Man to come in glory. May the God of hope keep you watchful this Advent, and as you prepare for Christmas, may you live ready, trusting today in the Christ who came and will come again in glory. Amen.