Salvation History is fulfilled! 4th Sunday of Advent
Sermon by Emmanuel Suntheni OSB – Fourth Sunday Of Advent – Year B
Sermon And Christian Act In The Word
Theme: Salvation History is fulfilled! The Promise has become the reality! Blessings-The saviour is to be born!
Point of Reflection: Christmas is at the corner! Are we physically and spiritually ready for the birth of the Saviour? The liturgy of this final Sunday of Advent makes God’s intentions and purposes very clear. Today’s readings constitute a short but powerful summary of the entire history of salvation that is God’s intentions and plans for the world and humanity. Offered at the conclusion of the Advent season, this panoramic view serves to enhance the celebration of Christmas itself.
First Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1–5, 8–12, 14, 16
Psalm: Psalm 89:2–5, 27, 29
Second Reading: Romans 16:25–27
Gospel: Luke 1:26–38
Sermon (Reflection): Today’s liturgy identifies key points in God’s salvation history. God desired a secure and prosperous life for his people, Israel. He selected David and his family to accomplish this purpose. This salvation comes through his own son, Jesus Christ, who is at once the fulfilment of God’s promise to David and Israel, and also the bringer of God’s salvation to the entire world. Jesus came into to the world through Mary, who, as the servant of the Lord, played an instrumental role in the execution of God’s plan for all humanity. In Jesus, whose birth we will be celebrating shortly, God’s purposes and promises became reality. There is no better response to this message, than praying with the Psalmist, “I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.”
The first reading of today looks to the very beginning of Israel’s history. After turbulent centuries of military and social upheavals, sometime in the 10th century BC, king David succeeded in establishing a secure and stable state. An era of peace and stability has dawned, “the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him”. The successful king then then began to think about honouring God, God whose blessing and guidance were behind his military and personal success. David felt guilty that, while he lived in a well-built palace, the Ark of the Covenant, thus, the symbol of God’s presence with his people starting with the time of the Exodus from Egypt was placed in a makeshift tent. David decided to build a proper temple for God, “a house” to honour the great God of Israel. We can ask ourselves today, what kind of houses have we built? which house will Christ be born for us? In our physical houses or in our hearts, are they well built?
In the first reading of today, the final part of God’s speech outlines God’s intentions and purposes for David’s future. It begins with the statement, “the Lord will make you a house”, which contains a clever wordplay. David planned to build a house (temple) for God, but God intends to build a house (family/dynasty) for David. The promise of the dynasty extends beyond one generation. By God’s decree, David’s will be a lasting dynasty, enjoying God’s steadfast love and protection forever. Let us build our hearts to be the dwelling house of Christ.
The purpose of this dynasty we hear in the first reading is to establish the kingdom “forever”, which means that the entire people will benefit from it, by living secure and lasting lives. These promises did not come true in antiquity, as David’s descendants failed to rule well. Yet God, faithful to his word, would stay true to the promise by sending his own son, the Messiah, who will establish God’s everlasting rule among his people.
The second reading of today contains the very last lines of Paul’s letter to Romans, the so-called “concluding doxology”. This passage is much discussed by scholars because Paul does not normally conclude his letters in this manner. Typically, the final lines of his letters contain personal greetings and blessing upon his faithful. Yet, Romans is a unique letter due to its character as a comprehensive outline of the entire salvation history. In its opening line, the apostle declared that he was sent on the mission to proclaim “the gospel concerning his [God’s] Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh, and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead” (Cf. Rom 1:3-4).
For Paul, the incarnation of Jesus and his subsequent resurrection are the very content of the Gospel. In fact, Jesus himself is the Gospel.
The rest of the letter presents and discusses what God had done through Jesus.
Not surprisingly, Paul wanted to conclude this presentation by praising God for what he had done in and through the person of Jesus Christ. Overwhelmed by the grandeur of God’s salvific design and acts, Paul glorifies the one who called the recipients of the letter to faith, and who “strengthens you [believers] according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ”. In Paul’s eyes, the entire plan of God which was clear to the people of old – “kept secret” – takes full shape in Jesus. His coming was anticipated and proclaimed by the prophets. Once in the world, Jesus, through his life, death and resurrection, accomplished what God had always intended to do for his people – redeem them for the power of sin and death. Conquering death, Jesus accomplished God’s supreme goal, thus fulfilling God’s promises. Having described all this in the letter, Paul fittingly concludes it with the praise God, the author and architect of believers’ salvation.
The Gospel passage of today narrates the annunciation to Mary, revealing how God’s saviour, Jesus, came into the world. The angel Gabriel informs Mary, that the child that she is to bring into the world will fulfil the promise that God’s promised to David, thus, Jesus will be God’s son ruling “the throne of David”, and will rule over an everlasting kingdom, exactly as God promised to David through Nathan.
Mary, a simple peasant girl, did not initially comprehend this great and awe-inspiring message, and the role she was to play in God’s plan. Yet, hearing about the promise to David, a simple shepherd himself, and about the miracle taking place in the life of Elizabeth – Mary realized that God works out his grand purposes as he chooses, even through simple and insignificant persons as herself or David. Trustingly, she declared herself servant of the Lord, thus willingly placing her life in the service of God’s purposes. Doing so, Mary showed herself to be a person like David. Through a simple peasant, David, God brought the nation to its greatness. Through Mary, an ordinary Galilean woman, God will do something even greater, she will bring into the world the one through whom God’s salvation will be offered to all people.
Christian Act in Word of God “Blessings-The Saviour is to be born”
God works wonders! A shepherd boy and village girl are to bear God’s son child. As we approach the great feast of Christmas, God’s intentions and purposes become clear. As instruments of his work, God chose ordinary people like David and Mary (a shepherd boy and a village girl). They were both insignificant and unknown, and yet, God’s greatness descended into the world through them. This presence of God is beautifully stated in Nathan’s message to David, where God declares that he is not interested in dwelling in buildings but in people’s hearts. God is not concerned with our building magnificent Churches for him, but he is concerned about our well-being and greatness according to his designs. Are our hearts clean to receive the Lord? He is to be born just now!
Let us open our hearts to receive God’s blessings through the birth of Jesus Christ his son.
We must be open to welcome God’s or our parents’ blessings in forms that we might not expect. David, hearing about the blessing on his house promised by God might have imagined that his kingdom over the Israelite lands will never end. But he never imagined that this blessing will be fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ and the everlasting kingdom of God. Similarly, we ought to maintain confidence that what life delivers us brings hidden blessings, whose true benefits might not come to light or become reality for years.
This patient confidence is well reflected in the saying that “no matter how long the night, the day is sure to come.” God works on his own time, which, to us, might appear as delay. But his promises come to their fulfilment in his own time.
Looking towards Christmas, let us feel important and significant, because we are the chosen objects and recipients of God’s blessing. God did so much to offer us the supreme gift of his salvation. God chose and worked through David, through Mary, through his own Son for our sake. Thus, no matter how small and unimportant we might appear, we are significant for God. God’s promises for us, the promise of salvation above all, will surely come true, as they did for David and Mary. Knowing God’s supreme purposes, let us rejoice and celebrate, because God’s blessing promised to our ancestors in faith, will certainly bear fruit in our lives. Immanuel, God is with us! We are a blessed generation!
Action:Today I will commit myself to being very attentive to the blessings of God in my life. I will open my heart that Jesus Christ may be born in my heart and may I receive his blessings.
Prayer: Almighty God, we thank you for the gift of your son Jesus Christ to us who is to be born tomorrow. Thank you Lord for all the blessings you have bestowed on us and on our families and on our friends. As we celebrate the fourth Sunday of Advent, we ask your pardon for the moments in which we have failed to clean our hearts to prepare for the Lord and for not recognise your hand at work in our life. May Christ be born in our hearts and sanctify us, Amen.
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