O Come, O Come
Emmanuel
And ransom captive
Israel
That mourns in lonely
exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Advent is the season in which the Church worships in
celebration of the 1st Coming of Jesus Christ and longs for His
Final return. The theme of Exile is a
poignant one for this time of year. The
birth of Jesus Christ was envisioned in the 1st century as a signal
to all that the massive disruption of the Babylonian Exile was truly over and
that the long awaited savior from God had arrived to renew the Kingdom. In the Bible, this teaching is most explicit
in the genealogy found in Matthew 1:1-17.
A cursory reading of the genealogy reveals that in the midst of the long
list of names there are four that are emphasized: Abraham, David, the exile to
Babylon, and Jesus Christ. Abraham
stands at the beginning because he is the figurative father of Israel, and he
was the recipient of God’s promise that all nations of the earth would be
blessed through him (Genesis 12:1-3).
David is emphasized because he represents God’s ideal ruler who will
extend salvation and reign over a kingdom of justice and peace. Why is Exile mentioned? Because the exile to Babylon in 587 B.C.
effectively put an end to the Davidic Kingdom and raised questions about the
viability of God’s promises. The Jews had
returned home from exile in 538 B.C. and even rebuilt their temple in 516 B.C.,
but as the 1st century A.D. dawned, they remained under foreign rule
and were hardly living in the reality of the Old Testament promises. They longed for a renewal of God’s mighty
acts of salvation. Although they were in
their homeland, they felt as though they were still living in a spiritual
exile.
Matthew’s genealogy announces that Jesus Christ (or better
Jesus the Messiah) is the fulfillment of all of God’s promises. This is filled out in Matthew 1:18-25 where
Jesus’ two names are described. God will
no longer be “far away” because Jesus will embody and fulfill the Scripture
from Isaiah 9 by bearing the name “Emmanuel”, which means “God is with us”
(Matt 1:23). God’s people will no longer
carry the sting of exile because the name Jesus means “the Lord saves [his
people from their sins]” (Matt 1:21).
What are the implications for today of these Scriptures?
1) Exile remains a powerful metaphor today.
Persons around the world live with a sense of displacement
and longing for a true home. In the most
extreme cases, poverty and/or war have driven persons far from their native
lands in search of the possibility for a prosperous life. Such persons often face hardships in their
new countries as they seek to overcome cultural barriers without the aid of
friends or extended family. Many will
never or rarely see or hear from those that they left in their homelands. They live as strangers in a strange
land. Feelings of Exile are the plight
of immigrants around the world.
Many native born citizens of the United States or other
countries around the world live in a sort of self-imposed exile within their
own countries for economic reasons. For
example, as the world economy changes, it is becoming common for Americans to
move across the country for employment.
My own story is not unusual. I
grew up in Akron, Ohio. I lived there
for my first twenty two years, even attending the local university. From Akron, I moved to Lexington Kentucky to
attend seminary. Then, I moved to
Richmond, Virginia to pursue the PhD. I
currently reside in Orlando Florida where I teach at Asbury Theological
Seminary – Florida. I am far away
from my native Midwest and my in laws are from Puerto Rico. My closest relative is more than 800 miles
away. In our neighborhood, there are
very few native Floridians. In fact,
with sixteen years in the state, I am a virtual “old-timer” in our
neighborhood. My closest neighbors are
from Puerto Rico, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, England, and New York
respectively!
Such a reality represents missional opportunities for
Christians. Reach out to those around
you who are far from family during this Christmas season. Open your home to the lonely and displaced
during this season. Embody the reality
that Jesus has come to end Exile and to bring the love of God near to all who
seek Him.
2) Jesus calls us
home and sends us Out.
The Gospel is more than merely an announcement that Exile is
over. Salvation is truly come in
Jesus. But because salvation has come,
many of our common expectations and practices are subverted. Exile is over, but this doesn’t mean a return
to a physical homeland but a commitment to life as a resident alien. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus does represent the
end of Exile and beginning of God’s long awaited age of salvation, but living
as a follower of Jesus Christ means going into the world. If Matthew’s Gospel begins with the
announcement that Exile is over, it ends with the announcement of a sort of
return to Exile. In the Great Commission
(Matt 28:16-20), Jesus sends his disciples to the ends of the earth to “Make
disciples of all nations.” Yet, this new
mission is not a return to Exile because Jesus promises to go with his
disciples to fulfill this mission. “Behold, I will be with you always” is how
Matthew’s Gospel ends. The child born
Emmanuel “God with us” brings this promise to a reality in His
post-resurrection state. The Risen Lord and
Savior abides with his Church in its mission.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we may find ourselves a long way from the
place of our birth, but when we live our lives on mission for God, we are never
far from our truest home.
Reflection:
1) How are you participating in God’s mission this Advent
season? To whom will you reach out?
2) In what ways does the theme of Exile connect with your
life? How can you use this connection to
reach out to others who do not know God?
3) What if following Jesus Christ were the surest way to
find home?
© 2015 Brian D. Russell
No comments:
Post a Comment