Luke 1:68-79
December 5, 2021
“By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79, NRSV)
Last Sunday I observed that there were only 27 days until Christmas. I’m no mathematician, but I do know that that means that today, one week later, there are only 20 days until Christmas. Which means only 19 days to get ready for Christmas.
That calls for another deep breath!
So, today–the second Sunday of Advent. The Sunday whose theme is PEACE. As with last Sunday’s theme of HOPE, I found that as I thought about PEACE, and this morning’s sermon, I was, again, of a split mind.
Certainly–sadly–there are many places in our world today where peace seems distant, if not absent; too many places where fear and terror dominate, where violence seems to almost be an accepted way of life, where human rights are disputable and human life, disposable….
And these places are not all on the other side of the world somewhere, far away from us. There are also situations closer to home where peace is elusive–certainly within our country, also around New Mexico; and I suspect, even within our own lives, there are situations where anxiety reigns supreme, where conflict is all too common, where tension is the norm.
We all know of situations where peace seems distant, if not absent. It’s not a hypothetical question. We don’t have to use our imagination to create a scenario in which PEACE is just out of reach. Or worse, in which PEACE doesn’t even feel possible.
So, how to talk about PEACE?? Is it even worth it? Can we really hope for peace–in the world? In our country? In our lives? Or do we just give it lip service? And say, “yes, today is the second Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of PEACE. Yay!…Three cheers for PEACE!…” and then move on?
Which brings up the other part of my “split mind” about peace–there are so many places where peace is elusive that we can’t just pay it lip service and move on! We have a responsibility, I think, as people of faith, to engage in peacemaking. We have a responsibility, I think, as people who claim to be disciples of Jesus, who is called the Prince of Peace, to actively work for peace in the world and certainly in our own lives.
So no to lip service, and yes to actually working for peace. Ready?
We’re going to start by going back to our text from Luke. Listen to the first part again:
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them
He has raised up a mighty savior for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.” (Luke 1:68-75)
Do you know what I hear in all of that? I hear a lot about God. I hear God at work, I hear God being faithful across generations. I hear God keeping God’s promises to God’s people, so that God’s people might serve God without fear… I hear a lot about God and what God has done.
And, not only do I hear about God, but I hear about God’s people. I hear God’s people being patient, and I hear God’s people being faithful. I hear humility, and I hear trust. And I hear gratitude, and praise. I hear God’s people, across generations, keeping the faith.
Listen to the last few verses now, again:
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:76-79)
There it is: “to guide our feet into the way of peace.” How do we get there? What does Zechariah say about how we step into that path? Onto that path? The path of peace?
“By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
There is the faithfulness–by God’s tender mercy, light WILL break upon God’s people…When? When will it happen?
As much as we want things to happen right now, I can imagine that the people of Zechariah’s time did, too! After all, it had been thousands of years since God had made promises to Abraham…
So, when, Zechariah? When will the light break upon us?? But Zechariah doesn’t say when it will happen. He can’t say. He doesn’t know.
But that it WILL happen? That, he knows. “The dawn from on high WILL break upon us,” he says, “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
There is patience, there is trust, there is faithfulness. There is commitment to God, commitment to keeping the faith, commitment–in the midst of the darkness and even in the shadow of death. There is a clinging, with both deep humility and profound strength, to the promises made to God’s people by the God of their ancestors, the Lord God of Israel, the Most High God–promises that God would rescue them from their enemies, promises that God would show them mercy, promises that God would forgive their sins. Promises that God would be at work in the world and in their lives, to shine light into their lives…
And it is by their patience and their trust and their faithfulness and their clinging to God’s promises, Zechariah proclaims, that they will be lead into the way of peace.
I don’t know about you, but that speaks to me. It makes sense to me. It gives me comfort.
When I think about the situations in the world and in my life where peace is not currently present, I can very easily become overwhelmed. And anxious. And stressed. And doubtful about any of it ever getting any better.
But when I step back, and take a breath, and remember God’s promises of healing for God’s people and ultimately for all of God’s creation–of which I and the rest of the world are a part–I am helped.
When I can step back, and take a breath, and remind myself that ultimately God’s Light has shined in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it–no matter how it seems right now, in this moment, or in the next moment, or in the moment that comes after that…or in the previous five or even fifty years’ worth of moments, for that matter–I am helped.
When I can step back, and take a breath, and recall that the promises that God has made to God’s people–however many thousands of years ago those promises were made–were made to me, too. And to you. To all of us. And to our children and our grandchildren, and to our great-great-great-great-grandchildren. When I can recall that those promises Zechariah was talking about, were made to us, too! That we are also God’s people, and that God will keep God’s promises to us, too, just like God did for Abraham and Sarah and Moses and Daniel and Ruth and Zechariah and Elizabeth and Mary and Paul and Timothy and on and on and on!!
When I can step back, and take a breath, and recall that I and we are among the people to whom God has made promises and for whom God will keep those promises, I am helped.
And I have to admit that, wow, most of the time, I really, really need that help. I need help being patient, and trusting, and remaining steadfast, and yes, sometimes, I need help keeping the faith.
But when I can step back and take a breath and remember, I am, in fact, helped.
Does all of this mean that, in the meantime, as I wait for God to fulfill God’s promises, I do nothing else to move further into the way of peace? I do nothing to engage in peacemaking? I do nothing to actively work for peace in the many un-peaceful situations in the world and in my own life?
Of course not. In the meantime, as I wait for God to do God’s work in fulfilling God’s promises, I do what I can.
I listen.
I try to speak honestly.
I show up.
I try to understand.
And more.
AND I accept that world peace is not all up to me. That even establishing peace between myself and one other person is not all up to me. I can only do my part. I can’t do anyone else’s part. Nor can any of us.
We can all only do what is ours to do. And we should absolutely do that to the best of our abilities. And we should work for peace. In the world and certainly in our own lives and spheres of influence.
And when peace is elusive, in spite of our best efforts, perhaps we can step back, and take a breath, and cling to our faith, and trust in the ultimate victory of Light over darkness and Love over fear, and let that bring peace to our souls.
Amen.
Rev. Deborah Beloved Church (aka "Pastor Deb") 