“Laying a Foundation”
Second Sunday in Advent
December 5, 2021
Philippians 1:3-11
Luke 1:57-80
They say a house is only as good as its foundation. At Legoland in Kansas City, there’s a station where people can build structures out of legos and then test their stability. They place the structure on a lego pad which is attached to a mechanism that makes it shake like an earthquake. As you can imagine, the tall, thin structures don’t last long—even on the lowest setting. But broad structures that have full bases, that don’t just go straight up with similar pieces but rely on various sizes and shapes to add integrity—those are the ones that last.
Today, in our theme Close to Home, we focus on laying a foundation. We heard part of the story of John the Baptist—the part that only Luke includes in his gospel account. You see, Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin. She and her husband Zechariah never had kids, and by this time were too old to bear children. And yet, while Zechariah was serving as priest, an angel came to tell him that they would have a son. They would name him John. And the angel told Zechariah what John’s mission and vocation would be—he would prepare the people for God’s arrival. He would prepare the soil for God’s foundation.
But Zechariah didn’t believe him. Honestly, most of us wouldn’t either, I think. I’m amazed at how many people in the Bible believed some of the news angels told them. Anyway, because of this, Zechariah was made mute—he couldn’t talk—until the day his son was circumcised and named. And when his mouth was opened, he couldn’t remain silent. He sang—he sang a song of promises kept and hope for the future.
The song, some of you may recognize from the morning prayer we used to do here in worship. He sings about what God has already done—God has redeemed the people of Israel, sent a savior, remembered the promises to the people made generations before—a promise that the people would be rescued from their enemies and given the ability to serve God without fear.
And then he sings about his son—the one sent to be a prophet—to pave the way for God’s presence. And finally, he sings of future hope—that in God’s mercy, light will break into the darkness and guide the people toward peace.
What most other congregations will hear today is what happens after John grows up. He has lived his adult life in the wilderness. But when he emerges, he does so with gusto. He is the voice crying out from the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made sooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ He comes to make people ready to hear a new word of hope from a man from Nazareth. He comes to prepare the soil for the laying of the foundation of Christ.
Because a house is only as good as its foundation. But a foundation is only as good as the preparations made before it is even poured. To prepare for a foundation, one has to do exactly what John said—make paths straight, tamp down the high places and fill in the low places and smooth the rough places. One has to dig into the soil, place a frame around the edge that is straight and square, flatten the soil beneath, pour gravel into the area, and tamp it down so tight that you don’t leave footsteps. It’s hard work. But if this first work isn’t done correctly, it won’t matter how smooth you leave the concrete or how beautiful you build the house. Eventually, the soil underneath begins to shift, and the concrete cracks, and the beautiful house begins to lean in some places. Preparation is everything.
I remember a friend bemoaning the once popular phrase, “What would Jesus do.” WWJD bracelets and keychains and wall art all over the place. He said, “We’re not Jesus, and we can’t do what Jesus did.” But instead, I think we’re more like John. WWJD—What would John do? How do we prepare the way for the Lord? How do we do the hard work of getting ready to receive the savior of the world?
There’s a comic strip I shared on Facebook with a picture of a pastor in front of the congregation telling everyone to slow down, be quiet, take time. It’s Advent—a time of waiting and watching. And then, the pastor is in her office with her to-do lists: plan the services, get the music, attend Christmas parties, order poinsettias, hang the wreaths, do the shopping. Hurry up, get to work…it’s Advent. Is that what your Advent looks like? Parties and decorations and shopping and planning and cooking and baking and…and…and…?
I don’t think those are the preparations John is referring to when he says, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” And yet, there are all of those expectations swirling about—as if lights and trees and presents and parties are the essence of Christian joy. I’m as bad as anyone. I want to make sure the services are beautiful and the space is beautiful and everything goes as planned. But how are we preparing the way of the Lord?
John’s instructions might help us out here—the ones he proclaimed when he came out of the wilderness:
· Make straight the paths. In this, I hear (at least today) advice to get out of the way. Get out of the way of the Spirit’s movement. When I think I’m in control of where the Spirit needs to go, who deserves forgiveness and grace…and who doesn’t, I need to get out of the way.
· Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill made low. While this is actually going to be God’s work, we can begin the preparations. We can lift up those who are oppressed and comfort those who despair. We can work toward systems that make accountable those who seem to answer to no one. These aren’t just spiritual words but actual, real-world actions we can be taking. Equity, affirmation, immigration reform, tax reform, building of diversity, making a room for those seeking sanctuary and asylum. It’s like the building of the legos—using a broad base and diverse legos to make a stronger structure.
· The crooked made straight and the rough places made smooth. And I think, ‘ouch.’ I hear in this a call to speak truth to corruption, just as John did to Herod. Having one’s rough places softened and smoothed is not always a comfortable experience, but it’s necessary. It’s the tamping down of the gravel, the shaving off of the harmful. It’s accepting the ugly truth about ourselves and our history—not to feel guilty but to feel responsible for making a better way.
These are the ways in which we begin to prepare the way of the Lord—to prepare for a foundation onto which God’s house of faith is built. It’s hard work. It’s sweaty and dirty. It doesn’t always look pretty. It’s not always appreciated—and yet, we cannot truly hear the gospel without it. We cannot hear the good news of liberation for the captive, sight for the blind, freedom for the oppressed, and life for those in the midst of death unless we have first heard about those in captivity, those who cannot see, those who are oppressed, and those who know death all too well. We cannot hear about resurrection if we deny the power of death. We cannot see the possibility of freedom without recognizing the power of our own captivity.
And so, this Advent and beyond, we are called to prepare for the foundation to be laid. We are called to prepare the way. We are to remember WWJD—What would John do. Because Jesus is coming. God is entering the world and ready to pour out upon us the Spirit of the Lord. God is coming with good news of great joy for ALL the people of the world. And upon it, God shall build our faith. Within it, God shall create a place of true worship and beauty. With it, God shall save us from ourselves and nurture in us God’s everlasting kin-dom.
Pastor Tobi White
Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church
Lincoln, NE
