We are in the season of Advent. Advent means coming. Who are we waiting for, to come?
We remember the people who waited for a long and difficult time, for a king to come.
Many of us are also waiting.
We wait with longing for things to be made right in our personal lives, in our communities, and in the world.
There was a gap of about 400 years between the last words of the prophets at the close of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and the time when Christ was born. This time between the Old and New Testaments is sometimes called, “the 400 silent years.” During the Old Testament and during this 4oo years, the Hebrew people were conquered by many foreign nations. They longed for a king who would save them from their oppressors, who would rule with justice and peace, and who would save them from their sins. A king who would be strong and gentle. A king who would be loving and forgiving.
A Shepherd-King.
The prophet Micah spoke beautiful words as he looked forward to the coming of the Shepherd-King. These are Micah's words, spoken about 700 hundred years before Christ was born:
But you, O Bethlehem Eph′rathah,
who are little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days…
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth (Micah 5:2, 4, RSV).
This is one of many passages in the Hebrew Scriptures that point to the coming of Christ. Notice Micah's words about the king feeding his flock like the shepherd. Notice that the first sentence even predicts where the Shepherd-King would be born-- in the little town of Bethlehem.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the first people to be notified of his birth were shepherds (Luke 2:8-20). It is those who are humble in heart who recognize their need for a savior, and who recognize this Savior who came from heaven, born as a little child.
The Bible describes sin as both structures of injustice and as something that runs through every human heart. This sin causes separation between us and God, between us and other people, between us and God’s good Creation, and separation or alienation even within ourselves.
When the Shepherd-King came, he issued words of invitation. Jesus said,
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30, RSV).”
Jesus lived in an agrarian culture. He often used metaphors and parables related to the world around him, that people could understand on a deep level. Jesus’ listeners knew that two oxen shared the load plowing a field, when they were yoked together.
Jesus offers us a yoke of love. He invites us to come to him. He wants to be with each of us, each step of the way. He comes as a gentle and lowly Shepherd-King. He gives us his strength when we are weak. This is an invitation that I need, each day, as I wait.
When the angel Gabriel came to Mary, he brought her the news of God’s invitation, to bear Christ. Like Mary, we can choose to respond to Christ’s invitation to come to him, with our “yes.”
Scott Cairns writes,
“When we turn toward him…that change is precipitated by love. And look! Love is precisely what has—now and long ago—brought God with us.”[1]
May you find peace and love as you offer your “yes” to Christ today.
If you wish to use my artwork for print or projection, (or to purchase or commission original work), please email me at: BjellandBarbara@gmail.com
Much of my artwork can be viewed on my website at: www.BarbaraBjelland.com
[1] Greg Pennoyer & Gregory Wolfe, eds. God With Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Christmas (Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press), 61.