*The First Sunday in Advent*
Theology of the Cross *(Hear What the Eye Cannot See)* Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen. In today’s Gospel, “*They brought the donkey and the colt *[to Jesus]*, and He sat on them*.” Dear Christian friends, Ask any preschool child, “What do our eyes do?” The child can easily answer: “Eyes see things.” Ask the child a second question: “What do our ears do?” Again, an easy answer: “Ears hear things.” Ask the LORD our God, “What, Father, do our eyes do?” Our God will say, “Not so much as you might think! I created your eyes to see, to be sure, but your eyes do not see everything. Eyes see only the surface of a thing, not the underneath. Eyes can only see what a thing appears to be, NOT what the thing actually is.” “Please, Father, what then do our ears do?” “Ah!” says the LORD. “Your ears do far more than merely hear things! I created your ears for hearing, to be sure, but your ears also speak to your eyes. Your ears explain to your eyes the meaning of what the eyes see. Your eyes can only see the outward appearance of a thing. Your ears perceive what that thing really is.” “Pray, Father, whatever do You mean? How can it be that our ears must explain the meaning of what our eyes see?” “Consider the example of My Son,” says the LORD. “Look at today’s Gospel. What do you see?” “I see a man. Actually, I see a peasant. He is traveling toward Jerusalem, near to the Mount of Olives. I see a crowd of people traveling with Him. Until just now, the man had blended with the crowd and was hidden from sight. But now someone has brought a donkey and her colt to the man. I cannot tell from this distance, but it almost looks as if the man might be straddling both the donkey and her colt together. I see the people making a big to-do about Him. I see nothing else.” “You have seen well,” says the LORD. “Now listen. What do you hear?” “I hear singing. I hear shouting. I hear ‘Hosanna!’ I hear the voice of the ancient prophet telling me that the man on the donkey is my king. He does not look like a king, but the prophet speaks to my ears. It is as if the prophet wants my ears to explain to my eyes, ‘*Behold, your King! He is coming to you! That man! The man humble and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden*.’” “The prophet has spoken these things to your ears for the sake of your eyes,” says the LORD God. “Eyes see only the surface of a thing, not the underneath. Eyes see what a thing appears to be, NOT what the thing actually is. Your ears perceive what that thing really is.” “I have seen what happens after today’s Gospel, dear Father. The man on the donkey will soon be stripped and beaten, skewered and crucified. It will look terrible! The cross will give that man the look of a criminal. It will seem as though everyone hates Him. It will even appear that You shall abandon Him, Father. And does He not say from the cross, ‘*My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me*?’ (Matthew 27:46). I know my eyes do not deceive me, Father, because I have heard the prophet say, ‘*They will look upon Him whom they have pierced*” (Zechariah 12:10). “Yes,” says the LORD. “Thus the prophet has spoken. But what else does the prophet say, speaking to your ears for the sake of your eyes? Do not answer, My child! I will tell you what other things the prophet has said. Thus says the prophet concerning the man on the cross: · *‘He bore the sin of many, and intercedes for the transgressors*’ (Isaiah 53:12). · ‘*Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world*’ (John 1:29). · ‘*Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil*’ (Hebrews 2:14). “The prophet has spoken these things to your ears for the sake of your eyes,” says the LORD God. “Eyes see only the surface of a thing, not the underneath. Eyes see what a thing appears to be, NOT what the thing actually is. Your ears perceive what that thing really is.” “Ah! Father! I perceive that this is a blessed and joyous thing for Your children, that our eyes see only the outward appearance of a thing, while our ears have been given the power to explain the meaning of what is seen. This is a good and blessed thing for your pastors, too, that our eyes can only see the outward appearance of things. After all, pastors must look out from their pulpits every week and see the people who have gathered there.” “Is that so?” says the LORD. “Tell Me, pastor, what do you see?” “Dear heavenly Father, I see a man in these pews who looks very different today than he looks on any other day of the week. My eyes often see that man, and this single hour on a Sunday morning is, for the most part, the only time that man looks anything like a Christian. What do I see, Father? I see another man who allows himself nearly any excuse to be absent from worship. I see a woman who is so driven by ego she ignores nearly every word I have spoken to her. I see a teenager who seems to think the sermon is a perfect opportunity to get caught up on lost sleep. Yet her sleeping is not nearly as offensive to my eyes as the conversation I see taking place between to two people sitting next to her. I look upon this congregation! I see people who appear to give up too easily upon the important things, and yet who remain earnestly devoted to things that cannot and will not last forever. I see a proud young man who finds it much easier to get angry than to repent. I see a lazy, coddled child who does not even seem to try. I see a drunkard; I see marriages on the brink of collapse; I see the visible results of self-indulgence and greed and idolatry and lust.” “That is not all I see, Father. For all that I can see from this pulpit, I see even worse things—unspeakably worse things—when I look at myself in the mirror. When I look in the mirror, I see more darkness therein than I was able to see in the entire congregation all at once. When I look in the mirror, I clearly see someone who has no business looking out from a pulpit.” “You have seen well,” says the LORD. “Now listen. What do you hear? What does the prophet say?” “Heavenly Father, your Son Jesus, “*the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee*,” says thus: · These are My Baptized ones! ‘*They have been washed; they have been sanctified; they have been justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God*’ (1 Corinthians 6:11). · These are My body, and ‘*no one ever hated his own body, but nourishes and cherishes it*’ (Ephesians 5:29). · These are My Church, My bride. I gave Myself up for her, ‘*that I might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, so that I may present all of these to Myself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any other blemish*’ (Ephesians 5:26-27). “The ‘*prophet from Nazareth of Galilee*’ has spoken these things to your ears for the sake of your eyes,” says the LORD God. “Eyes see only the surface of a thing, not the underneath. Your eyes can only see the outward appearance of a thing. Your ears, hearing the prophet, perceive what that thing really is.” “I thank You, My heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ Your dear Son, that our eyes can only see what a thing appears to be, NOT what the thing actually is. Keep our ears filled with the Words of Your holy prophets, so that our ears may explain to our eyes the meaning of what we see. Give us Your Spirit. Help us to hear and help us to believe, so that we may raise our voices and sing to our King, ‘*Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!*’ Amen.”
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