Sermon text and video of Vespers for the Third Wednesday in Advent
Video of Vespers, St. Luke, Rensselaer
Third Wednesday in Advent
Matthew 1:1-17
O Lord, Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.
In the season of Advent, we look for the Christ who is to come. Israel looked in hope for the coming Savior. The Church waits with hope for her Lord’s second coming. As we wait, we ask, who is Jesus, really? The genealogy in Matthew explains that Jesus is the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham is the patriarch of the faith with whom God established His covenant. The LORD promised Abraham descendants and land. David is King David, son of Jesse of Bethlehem, who as a young man killed the giant Philistine Goliath with a stone in a sling. His career advanced swiftly after that. He became a friend of the king’s son Jonathan, then a warrior renowned for his skill, cunning, and leadership. He was anointed to be king. When King Saul died, he became the king. His leadership in diplomacy and war brought peace to the region.
The remembrance of King David invites praise and adulation for his many talents and accomplishments. But, he was not perfect. His heir on the throne was by a woman who is included in the genealogy but is not named. “And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah.” Now talk about a creative way to get our attention as we are listening to the story about Jesus. The rhythm, the cadence, is thrown off a bit when the women are included. But, gosh, when we get to the highlight of Israel’s history in King David, the way that the mother of his son is presented, you just know that there’s a story behind that clever collection of words. “And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah.”
The wife of Uriah is Bathsheba. If there is ever a textbook example of how one sin leads to another, David’s lust for Bathsheba is it. David is full of pride and the power of his kingship. What else could it be that would make him feel entitled to a woman who is married to one of his soldiers? So, in short order, lust leads to seduction which leads to adultery which leads to pregnancy which leads to Uriah’s murder because he is a man of loyalty and honor toward his king. At no time in this whole months long charade is there a hint of concern that he has sinned against God and men and he ought to admit it to himself and confess before God and seek absolution.
Confession comes only after the prophet Nathan enters the picture and tells a story that arouses David’s sense of justice and Nathan declares “You are the man!” Then and only then, do all the illusions of grandeur and entitlement and trickery come falling down.
Yes, he is the man. The sinner. He abused the office of king for his own pleasure. The LORD holds him accountable.
Jesus is the God man who is Emmanuel. He is God with us. He has no sin. But his human ancestry does. As do all subsequent generations of people. Jesus is born for, and dies on the cross for, all sinners, small and great. The Son of God becomes Incarnate in Jesus, born of Mary, so that we all may be redeemed by his love, his sacrifice on the cross, and the blessed gift of forgiveness and life he won for us through his death. Jesus comes for the downtrodden who suffer injustice such as Tamar. He comes for Jew and Gentile. Through faith and through his cross, Jesus redeems Gentiles such as Ruth the Moabite and brings them into his fold. Jesus remembers the scandalized and those whose names are written out of history such as Bathsheba. She who has no name in the genealogy of Jesus is remembered by Him.
The coming Christ, the one who comes to us in the manger in Bethlehem, and the same one that we await in these last days, comes to save us from the everlasting effect of our sins. As we wait, we join the church is praying. “Come Lord Jesus. Come quickly.”
The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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