Make Him Room

Make Him Room

²⁵ “Then there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and there will be anguish on the earth among nations bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the waves. ²⁶ People will faint from fear and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, because the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift your heads, because your redemption is near.”

²⁹ Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. ³⁰ As soon as they put out leaves you can see for yourselves and recognize that summer is already near. ³¹ In the same way, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near. ³² Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all things take place. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

³⁴ “Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly ³⁵ like a trap. For it will come on all who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”
^{Luke 21:25–36 [CSB]}

A few are surprised that Advent uses texts like our Gospel for today…because…well, isn’t Advent to be about Christmas?

Yes…and No. It is about the coming of Christ to us.

First, yes at Christmas…but that has past…

Not that we shouldn’t remember…

But more importantly—because it is our future, Advent is more about preparations for His Second Coming.

And that WILL BE a Christmas-like Holy Day…like none other we have ever imagined possible… full of sights and sounds, music and bright lights…gladness and feasting…and lots and lots of presents too!

So just as He came once, as promised, we can be reassured that He will come again…just like He promised.

So how do we “prepare Him room” as the hymn says? Some of you may have read my past Friday’s Reflection…

Well, in any penitential season, or special time of need, we are to fast.

No, not the whole time. No, not the way some do… this is not to earn favor with God… nor can we change our insides by doing it…

Rather…

This enables us to be in shape… to be practiced at doing without… and so better able to do without that which keeps us…

…that which keeps HIM at arms-length.

What does this?

I don’t know, as it can be something different for each of us.

Our sinful flesh… that THING we will not be done with until we are in the ground or until that final Avent!

Yeah… so… these things…whatever they are…keeps us from preparing…from paying attention… for waiting in expectation for His return.

And fasting is a muzzling… so we can hear… a putting under water… again… our flesh that rears up and makes it seem like there are actual reasons… not to….

Make room… in our lives for the coming King.

So, when we take things out …and I mean good things…

This is not about removing or stopping sin… those need to go anyway…

You can’t fast from stealing or lying…

But when we choose to make more room…in us…in our lives for Him…

We will be more attuned… will notice so that… ²⁸ …when these things begin to take place… [we will] straighten up and raise [our] your heads, because [our] your redemption is drawing near.”

So… this Advent, do pay more attention. Actually ponder the possibility that today could be that very day!

And let me tell you, your body will certainly let you know… will remind you why you are fasting!

It will tell you there is no need… that it is legalistic… that Lutherans don’t do this… that one little bite won’t matter…that no… come on…now…it certainly will not be—cannot be this day!

And if you dare to take your focus off this life…a little…and the things of this life… for a time… with its worries and involvements…

…that keep our heads down and noses to the grindstone…

BUT DO… yes, take a moment each day and look to the skies…in expectation and wonder…as maybe…just maybe it will be the END OF DAYS…

But those who don’t want Him…who don’t want Him close…or too close…

They will want to keep their heads down in hopes of not being seen…noticed…by Him. Maybe, they think they can hide in all that they do and have…all that is around them….

Not that that will work…because:

²⁵ ” …there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, ²⁶ people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

But we who know about this…who have heard and hoped…who have our heads up…watching and waiting…

We who have the room, are like those who clean house in preparations for important guests…and as we do this, we look out the window, don’t we? We listen intently…for them to arrive…in expectation….

But… we also ask: how can we ever dare to expect Him to come to us…to our house…other than in the judgment described in this text?

Because any time you look too close, you see how much more there is to clean… how much more that needs fixing…

What if they see… what if they notice…? Worse: what if HE NOTICES?

Yes, and fasting will show you this in vibrant color… just how demanding our flesh is…how ugly…how easy we give in… and let it be in control…

BUT…

Jesus, says, “Yes, I know… I knew before this world was made…and that is why I had to come….”

And He already has…
He has come to us in Mercy and Grace…gentle as a Baby…at Christmas.
He already Has, in His Word in the Waters of our Baptism.
He already has…and will in His Body and Blood with bread and wine.

These are His preparations…
His Work at cleaning house…
His repairs that could not wait…
His paying all the bills needed for that event…that grand gala prepared for us…

…and in these He has, He is… and He will prepare us….

Us…His redeemed…

…and this will be the fulfillment of our redemption, just as He said.

Wait, so we don’t prepare…? He prepares us for Him?

Yes! Of course.

But we need to be reminded. The flesh distracts us so!

We need to be real about what so many say is not. The flesh is so easily tricked.
We need to hear all this because we fear it may not be real…especially the good part. The flesh is very cynical.
We worry that it is not ever for people such as you and I. Because the flesh always believes the lie…and loves the dark more… loves sin more…

Instead of these things that we are called to be a part of… the listening, the looking, the reading, the confessing and repeating of His Words…

The praying and singing and giving and doing in His fields… in His house…

This He involves us in while we are here… in the flesh—yes, still while in our sinful flesh.

And that needs putting down.

That flesh has a way of making His things seem so far away. So dull. So dim and other-worldly as to be almost make-believe. Not down-to-earth enough to be of use to us in the day to day.

So, as St. Paul instructs us to wrestle our flesh into submission, fasting is one such tool.

Yes… still our flesh will gladly listen to the world tell us that it has gone on like this for ages…and it will just continue…in the same way…so…eat drink and be merry… party hearty… gorge yourselves with food and all the stuff you can manage to grab and hang onto…

The person who dies with the most wins, right?

Jesus called them FOOLS. For it was then that He chose to come to them…

No, Jesus tells us…

³⁴ “…watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. ³⁵ For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

So that is why we are doing all this.

We need it to be real to us…because of all this…

As our own flesh—our will, minds and emotions—doubts much of this…

…and because we live in such a doubting, clueless, asleep world…buried alive…and dying….

That flesh—our flesh—needs to be restrained.

It takes some practice. It takes some focus. Our catechism teaches us that “fasting and bodily preparation are indeed a fine outward training”.

This is Advent. This is what it is for. Preparation for Jesus’ coming…on the Last Day…and no…not so much for Christmas.

That is the feast after! And that should go on for 12 days… like it did at one time… why did we give that up? Someone give that up for Lent? Not too smart!

I know…right? Only one day for it? His name was Grinch or Scrooge, I’ll wager…

But Christmas is so much nicer. So much easier to take. So much less frightening…

And so…
We look up.
We look to what He says.
We do what Christians do…gather together in His Name, around His Word and Sacraments.
We pray, praise and give thanks.
We speak the Truth in Love.
We listen.
We wait in expectation.
We fight the good fight.
We deny the flesh, pick up our crosses and follow Him…

We make ready….

When will we know?

²⁹ And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. ³⁰ As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. ³¹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

He is nearer than when we first believed, St. Paul reminds us. We will know…

Advent is practice. Advent reminds. Advent teaches. Advent prepares us to make preparation.

He is coming soon. We know He keeps His promises. So, we pray, Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

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