Ad Te Levavi

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At this time of the year, the whole world is caught up with anticipation, waiting for the advent of the all-knowing and omni-present giver of gifts. He knows all about you, though you’ve never seen him. He knows whether you’ve been bad or good. He knows your thoughts, what you want and desire. And he has the power to give his gifts or a rebuke to every person, to those in every home across the world at the same time. I’m talking about Santa Claus, of course. He is the world’s parody of Jesus, the all-knowing, all-powerful, and ever-present judge and rewarder of humanity. Does the world care about the Advent of Christ? No. It is too busy preparing for the advent of Santa.
But the original St. Nicholas did care about Christ, and spent his life preparing for his coming. Bishop Nicholas didn’t live in the North Pole. Instead, he lived the Mediterranean town of Myra, in modern day Turkey. He was a faithful pastor, who cared for his flock and often secretly gave money to those in need. This is where the tradition of gift giving sprang from. Most of all, he was an ardent defender of the words and doctrine of Jesus. When the church gathered in 325 AD to condemn the great Arian heresy, Nicholas was in attendance. In fact, church legend tells that he became so angry with the heretic Arius, who denied that Jesus is God, that Nicholas slapped him across the face and had to be removed from the proceedings while he cooled down. Here is a man worth remembering, a stalwart defender of pure doctrine, and an example of love and service to his neighbor.
Even though the world is too preoccupied to notice, even though most people are too busy rushing here and there, buying and selling, eating and drinking, being married and being given in marriage, the Advent of the true King approaches. Whether people believe in him or not, whether they look for his coming with joy, terror, or not at all, his Advent approaches. Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your king is coming to you!” (Mt 21:5a).
Christ is coming, and unlike Santa Claus, he is all-knowing. He knows about your sins. He sees every one of your secret thoughts. The hidden motives of the heart are as an open book to him. What’s more, he is all powerful. He has the authority to dispense to every one according to his deeds. The all-knowing and all-powerful Judge of all the earth is coming to dispense justice. This should be enough to strike terror into the heart of every sinner who knows the truth about what goes on in this old sinful heart. The righteous King is coming, and we are not prepared to meet him. We have not loved him with our whole heart. We have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. We have justly deserved temporal and eternal punishment.
But there is more to our Gospel text. “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden” (Mt 21:5). Jesus could have come in righteous and vindictive anger. He certainly has the power to exact vengeance from his enemies—and we were his enemies. He could have come with a host of angels at his side, immediately righting all wrongs, burning up all sinners in a consuming fire, purifying the world in a searing flame of judgment. But he didn’t come this way—at least, not in his First Advent. Instead, he came in humility. He hid his power behind a veil of weakness, and exchanged his chariot of fire for a lowly donkey.
What a fitting text to begin the new Church Year. Here is the heart of the Christian faith. “Behold, your king is coming to you!” God has chosen to deal with us, not according to our merits, but according to his mercy. He has stooped to us with compassion rather than judgment. Instead of coming to his enemies astride a mighty war-horse, he comes to us riding a donkey, the pack-animal of peace. In fact, he himself becomes the beast of burden, bearing the weight of our sins to Calvary’s hill.
Jesus knows whether you’ve been naughty or nice, and what he knows is that none of us deserves the least of his mercies. And yet, he gives them all anyway. When we ask our Heavenly Father for good things, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer, “we pray that He would not look at our sins, or deny our prayer because of them. We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, but we ask that He would give them all to us by grace, for we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment” (Small Catechism). And our Lord answers: “Behold, your king is coming to you!” Christ comes in mercy. He comes with forgiveness. He comes to break the stranglehold of sin upon us, and usher us into his kingdom of righteousness and joy. He comes to restore the lost beauty of Creation, to right every wrong, and to make all things new. “Behold, your king is coming to you!”
Santa Claus will give you what you deserve. He will reward you based on your actions. But thanks be to God that Jesus does not! Instead, he takes what we deserve, and gives us what he deserves. He suffers the punishment for our sin and gives us his perfect life, boundless joy, and eternal blessing. He enters our kingdom of death in order to transfer us to his kingdom of life. What better way could we begin this new season and year, than looking to our King with thankfulness and joy! We join our voices with the ancient Jewish crowd, and with all the holy saints and martyrs, including Saint Nicholas, crying out with gladness, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mt 21:9b). Let us pray.
Lord Jesus, whenever we began the new Church Year, we had to come before You in shame, because of the sins committed in the past. Today is no exception. We are again laden with the burden of guilt. Lord, are You not tired of having mercy upon us? No! No! You are not. You are God and not mere man; You are Jesus, “the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Though we may forget You, You will not forget us. Though we may forsake You, You will never forsake us. Though we may be unfaithful to You, You will remain ever faithful. You cannot deny Yourself. “‘For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but My steadfast love shall not depart from you, and My covenant of peace shall not be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:10). Trusting this word of comfort, we on this first day of the new Church Year approach You and beseech You not to remember our unfaithfulness; come again through Word and Sacrament with new grace, new blessings, new protection for Your whole Church, for our city, our congregation, our homes, and for all of us. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
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