“ADVENT ONE 2024”
Saint Matthew 21: 1-9
1st Sunday of Advent: December 1 Anno Domini 2024
Fr Jay Watson, SSP
“And when THEY drew night unto Jerusalem…”
Yes, the “12” and the other disciples and followers of The Christ were in His company. But this also hearkens to the greater truth that wherever Jesus goes there goes The Church. And, vice-versa; wherever the true Church “draws nigh,” there is Jesus.
The village of Bethphage, whether it means ‘house of unripe figs,’ as most modern exegetes have it, or the older understood, ‘house of mouth/my mouth,’ is an interesting but not crucial distinction. The little town is mentioned in all three synoptics. Three. Hmm.
It would be a fig tree, symbolic of God’s people, that did not bear fruit—figs—which would have Christ’s curse upon it. Even as all who demonically resist The Lord’s grace be cursed. You who daily flirt with, and court, weak faith, and sin, need correction, rebuke, and fortifying. This comes from the same Jesus, but only now, like then, form His Word! The Word of God is Jesus but it is “for you” through the mouth of Jesus, i.e., the Scriptures, the Sacraments, the preachment. Jesus speaks. His Church IS His mouth house.
And from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem. Olives used, forever, in making the oil to anoint God’s Old Testament Priests, Prophets, and Kings.
The Christ was anointed by John in the river Jordan to do God’s work; a work which ended up in David’s capital; David himself anointed by the Prophet Samuel. The oil flowing down David’s head into his eyes and on his beard points to the water in John’s baptism of Christ, all the way to the Roman anointing of Jesus’ sacred head with the crown of thorns—all that blood flow anointed Christ’s suffering and death, and your own, acquittal and release form sin and death.
This text, the pericope appointed to be read on Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week during Lent, also starts off our new Christian year on this, the first Sunday of Advent. During Lententide the reading’s historicity and factuality points to the truth and the theological doctrines of the vicarious atonement, the completion of all prophecy of Christ as the final lamb of God—is suffering, death, and then Easter resurrection.
In a simple way, it starts our new Advent calendar to keep all this in your mind, on your lips, and in your heart. Sure. But it is wonderful in that it should pull your thoughts away from Christmas in two ways. First, Christmas is not about any of the fake commercialized, mammon laden Americanization of one of the chief Holy Days for a Christian. Secondly, in Advent you are not just waiting patiently for December 24/25 to celebrate Jesus’ Nativity with a Mass—The Christ Mass—but in a greater way, you are waiting for his second and final Advent: His return in glory at the end!
And, our Gospel is also highly liturgical. This is you today: December 1st 2024.
God became man. The creator took flesh and blood from a creature, to be sure, a most highly favored Virgin. Thus began the “humility” of Majesty eternal; Majesty of the same substance as The Father. Being born in Bethlehem was not humility, but refraining from His Divine Nature and voluntarily submitting Himself to human nature, is humility. Letting Himself be swaddled and fed at St. Mary’s breast is humility. Letting Himself be taken to Egypt by His Guardian St. Joseph, no doubt on a donkey, was humility. He first came in meekness and submission to the will of His heavenly Father. And this morning we read of the ultimate “lowness” and humility when He enters Jerusalem to die—to die on the cross. In this we joyously proclaim that the wood of the cross is the wood of the manger He was laid in, and the wood of the Ark (Noah’s typologically) but now the Ark of The Holy Church!
Fellow sinners, sheep that stray, and take a lackadaisical attitude far too often to the necessity of being here to receive Christ’s gifts; sufferers with all the earthly Saints who doubt, who grumble, and wo think this is not what it really is, take heart (receive God’s heart). If The Savior, If God can ride to His death on an ass, can He not also ride into Augsburg, to His + Font, Pulpit, and Altar, to give you all the fruits of His suffering and death? If God can ride into a cesspool of Sadducees, Pharisees, and sinful thugs, He can come to you “meek and sitting upon an ass;” He can come to you in humble + water and humble bread and wine. And He does.
He had two disciples fetch the beasts of burden. He has another beast of burden give you the two parts of His word—Law and Gospel—and its Holy result—repentance and belief.
Those sinners, believing sinner, praise The Lord, “spread their garments in the way; cut down branches,” and sang “Hosanna to the Son of David.” But now due to Christ’s love for you and His mercy—shown forth at its zenith in His being set upon the ultimate donkey—the crucifix—Jesus spreads His own seamless garment upon you. For He is the ultimate “branch,” the branch of the stump of Jesse, the true Tree of Life and the real vine of victory. He makes you his evergreen branches. Now today, sing the Sanctus as loud as you have ever done in the past. Join with all the “great multitude” of the Saints and Sabaoth: “Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of The Lord”—the fulfillment of Zecharias’ prophecy—"Hosanna in the highest!”
He came in the fullness of time. He will come again shortly at the end of time. He is Here today for your time and eternity.
In The Name of The Father and of + The Son and of The Holy Ghost
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