WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.480 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 00:00:02.480 --> 00:00:06.559 of the Holy Spirit. The text that we have before 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:11.599 us this morning comes to us in the Church's wisdom 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:15.699 on the second Lord's Day in the Nativity Fast. 00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:20.440 We're given a story, another parable that the 00:00:20.440 --> 00:00:26.260 Lord tells, not all too dissimilar from the one 00:00:26.260 --> 00:00:30.300 we heard last week. In this one, We're given 00:00:30.300 --> 00:00:34.399 a parable that could almost sum up the American 00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:41.979 life. This guy has great wealth. His land flourishes. 00:00:42.679 --> 00:00:47.320 His crops grow. He has everything. In fact, he 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:49.799 has so much that he has no room for it. And he 00:00:49.799 --> 00:00:54.579 asks, what shall I do? Well, I should tear down 00:00:54.579 --> 00:00:59.000 all of my barns and raise up more storage units. 00:00:59.609 --> 00:01:05.849 for myself, and put all of my things in it. Not 00:01:05.849 --> 00:01:11.349 unlike so many in the American life. We have 00:01:11.349 --> 00:01:16.109 wealth. We have ease. We have things. Things 00:01:16.109 --> 00:01:20.430 that we accumulate. Things that we fill our lives 00:01:20.430 --> 00:01:25.049 with. And this guy puts everything in it. And 00:01:25.049 --> 00:01:30.879 he says to his soul, Which is interesting. Soul, 00:01:31.159 --> 00:01:36.159 now you have everything. Now you can relax. Now 00:01:36.159 --> 00:01:38.579 you can be at ease. Eat, drink, and be merry. 00:01:39.159 --> 00:01:42.900 And on that very night, the Lord comes to him 00:01:42.900 --> 00:01:46.579 and he says, your soul is required of you, you 00:01:46.579 --> 00:01:52.840 fool. Which means that the guy is dying. What 00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:57.340 are you then going to do with all of these things? 00:01:58.040 --> 00:02:00.620 For you who had so many things and yet you were 00:02:00.620 --> 00:02:08.060 not rich toward God. We think about this language 00:02:08.060 --> 00:02:13.360 of talking to our soul. It strikes, when I was 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:15.800 reading it, when I was reflecting over the gospel, 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:21.879 it strikes us as kind of odd. Do we talk to our 00:02:21.879 --> 00:02:24.879 soul? Then I stepped back and I thought about 00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:29.099 it. I thought, well, we actually do every single 00:02:29.099 --> 00:02:32.379 Lord's Day when we come in. We hear the Psalms. 00:02:33.580 --> 00:02:38.219 Bless the Lord, O my soul. Bless the Lord, all 00:02:38.219 --> 00:02:40.699 that is within me. Bless the Lord, O my soul, 00:02:40.759 --> 00:02:44.159 and forget not all his benefits. Forget not everything 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:48.659 that he has done to you, for you. Praise the 00:02:48.659 --> 00:02:51.699 Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord as long 00:02:51.699 --> 00:02:55.090 as I have being, as long as I live. Put not your 00:02:55.090 --> 00:02:59.449 trust in princes nor sons of men in whom there 00:02:59.449 --> 00:03:02.449 is no salvation. On the day that they die, they 00:03:02.449 --> 00:03:05.129 return to the dust and their plans perish with 00:03:05.129 --> 00:03:09.250 them. Don't put your trust, soul, in earthly 00:03:09.250 --> 00:03:12.969 powers, in princes, in rulers, in kings, in politicians. 00:03:13.449 --> 00:03:18.289 Not because they're bad, but because they're 00:03:18.289 --> 00:03:21.849 earthly, they're human. In them there is no salvation 00:03:21.849 --> 00:03:25.169 and the evidence of it. is when they die, the 00:03:25.169 --> 00:03:29.229 very plans come to a screeching halt and everything 00:03:29.229 --> 00:03:35.009 perishes. Instead, O soul, look to the things 00:03:35.009 --> 00:03:38.669 that the Lord has made. Heaven, earth, everything 00:03:38.669 --> 00:03:43.250 that he has created. Look to the people that 00:03:43.250 --> 00:03:48.250 he has filled the earth with. Look at and notice 00:03:48.250 --> 00:03:51.819 so many of the people who go hungry. Who are 00:03:51.819 --> 00:03:54.939 sojourners, which in the consciousness of ancient 00:03:54.939 --> 00:03:58.139 Israel is a technical term. A stranger, a person 00:03:58.139 --> 00:04:01.379 who passes through the land of Israel. How will 00:04:01.379 --> 00:04:03.620 we treat that person when they come into our 00:04:03.620 --> 00:04:07.840 house? Look to the one who doesn't have a father. 00:04:08.020 --> 00:04:14.139 Look to the widow. Look to the poor soul. Because 00:04:14.139 --> 00:04:18.160 this is who the Lord looks at. Not because he 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:23.129 somehow likes these people more. more than us, 00:04:23.310 --> 00:04:27.670 for we should see ourselves in those people, 00:04:27.810 --> 00:04:31.810 but that he doesn't want those people to be that. 00:04:32.329 --> 00:04:36.129 He doesn't want the person to go hungry. He doesn't 00:04:36.129 --> 00:04:39.410 want the widow to be by herself. He doesn't want 00:04:39.410 --> 00:04:45.689 the child to be fatherless. He wants to take 00:04:45.689 --> 00:04:49.790 care of them. He sees, we should see Christ, 00:04:50.509 --> 00:04:54.810 in them, in our fellow human being, in the poor, 00:04:54.990 --> 00:04:57.769 in the weak, in the needy, in the suffering. 00:04:59.329 --> 00:05:04.329 This is how we build up our house. When we think 00:05:04.329 --> 00:05:08.209 about the text, the epistle text, what Paul tells 00:05:08.209 --> 00:05:11.649 us, he has taken two parties, Jews and Gentiles, 00:05:11.750 --> 00:05:15.870 who have immense animosity towards one another 00:05:15.870 --> 00:05:20.519 in these times. He has broken down the dividing 00:05:20.519 --> 00:05:24.060 wall, and he has taken both of them, and he has 00:05:24.060 --> 00:05:28.980 used all of them for his stones in his building 00:05:28.980 --> 00:05:32.800 project, this spiritual temple that he is building, 00:05:32.920 --> 00:05:36.160 this holy dwelling place that he is building. 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:44.399 In all of us, With all of us in mind, as different 00:05:44.399 --> 00:05:47.480 as we all are, the weak, the poor, the strong, 00:05:47.699 --> 00:05:50.860 the rich, whatever. He takes all of us and he 00:05:50.860 --> 00:05:54.319 builds us on the foundation of the apostles and 00:05:54.319 --> 00:05:56.600 the prophets with Christ as our cornerstone, 00:05:56.720 --> 00:06:01.120 this temple that he's raising up. And it's interesting 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:03.240 that we are thinking about all these things, 00:06:03.319 --> 00:06:07.079 these texts come to us, while we are still thinking 00:06:07.079 --> 00:06:11.360 and celebrating. the entry of the Theotokos into 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:16.240 the temple. For what is the Theotokos? She goes 00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:19.240 into the temple, is consecrated as a three -year 00:06:19.240 --> 00:06:23.360 -old, because she herself figures the temple. 00:06:23.459 --> 00:06:26.540 Or maybe better yet, better put, the temple figures 00:06:26.540 --> 00:06:31.459 her. Everything that she is, she is consecrated. 00:06:31.500 --> 00:06:34.660 She is brought into the temple so that she might 00:06:34.660 --> 00:06:38.100 learn more and more how to be the temple. Of 00:06:38.100 --> 00:06:42.379 the Lord. The tabernacle. The tent. The woman. 00:06:42.439 --> 00:06:45.060 Who is created. The first woman. Who is created 00:06:45.060 --> 00:06:47.439 all the way back in Genesis. And taken out of 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:51.060 man. I was looking at the Hebrew the other day. 00:06:51.180 --> 00:06:55.240 And it actually says. That she is built. She 00:06:55.240 --> 00:06:59.740 is not necessarily created. But she is built. 00:06:59.879 --> 00:07:04.480 As if she is a temple. The Hebrew word for Eve. 00:07:04.740 --> 00:07:09.600 It actually means. A tent woman. A woman associated 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:14.060 with tents. That she will be filled with life. 00:07:14.300 --> 00:07:16.660 And that she will become the mother of all the 00:07:16.660 --> 00:07:21.540 living. This is the Theotokos. The one who in 00:07:21.540 --> 00:07:27.339 her earthly body. She bears God. She becomes 00:07:27.339 --> 00:07:32.019 the tabernacle. She prepares us for the Lord's 00:07:32.019 --> 00:07:35.259 coming in this nativity fast. Because the Lord 00:07:35.259 --> 00:07:39.149 is coming. And he is coming in her. The word 00:07:39.149 --> 00:07:43.509 become flesh of his mother. Christ born of his 00:07:43.509 --> 00:07:48.269 mother. In time and space. And yet in this nativity 00:07:48.269 --> 00:07:52.149 fast. When we think about the Lord coming. How 00:07:52.149 --> 00:07:58.110 will he be born in us? How will he come in us? 00:07:59.670 --> 00:08:03.509 Because that's also what it's about. We are looking 00:08:03.509 --> 00:08:06.879 at everything that we have. And are we thinking 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:09.180 about, let's just tear everything down and rebuild 00:08:09.180 --> 00:08:12.319 new fortresses for ourselves where we can sort 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:15.540 of hoard the goodness that the Lord has given 00:08:15.540 --> 00:08:19.139 us and not really think about anyone else in 00:08:19.139 --> 00:08:22.319 our life? No, brothers and sisters, that's not 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:26.980 the way the Lord asks us to live. We are his 00:08:26.980 --> 00:08:31.420 temple. We are his building project. We are patterned. 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:34.460 After the mother of God. That Christ would be 00:08:34.460 --> 00:08:38.059 formed in us. The hope of glory. That Christ 00:08:38.059 --> 00:08:41.279 coming in us. That Christ would dwell richly 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:43.500 in our hearts. That Christ would be manifest 00:08:43.500 --> 00:08:46.799 in us. That when others looked at us. And that 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:49.480 when we looked at others. They would see Christ. 00:08:49.639 --> 00:08:52.919 And we would see Christ in them. And another 00:08:52.919 --> 00:08:59.080 human being. And so we think about. This time. 00:09:01.070 --> 00:09:05.190 This idea about emptying ourselves. We fast. 00:09:06.490 --> 00:09:12.750 We prepare. We give. Some of us might not have 00:09:12.750 --> 00:09:17.230 earthly means, but what else can we give? Can 00:09:17.230 --> 00:09:19.370 we give our energy? Can we give our talents? 00:09:19.570 --> 00:09:21.990 Can we give our love? Can we give our prayer? 00:09:22.129 --> 00:09:25.809 Can we notice the people who are struggling in 00:09:25.809 --> 00:09:28.889 our midst? Can we give them a smile at least? 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:37.879 We prepare. We think about that other gospel 00:09:37.879 --> 00:09:43.419 text that the Lord gives us. Come to me all who 00:09:43.419 --> 00:09:48.720 labor and are heavy laden and I will give thee 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:52.360 rest. I think that's the part of that entire 00:09:52.360 --> 00:09:54.960 text that we kind of capitalize on, which is 00:09:54.960 --> 00:09:59.480 great. We should find rest in the Lord. I hope 00:09:59.480 --> 00:10:02.759 that we find rest in him. that we find refreshment, 00:10:02.759 --> 00:10:06.299 that we find life, that we find confidence, that 00:10:06.299 --> 00:10:09.360 we find richness and goodness, that we find someone 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:12.440 who loves us so deeply and intimately and knows 00:10:12.440 --> 00:10:17.379 us. Come to him and find that. But sometimes 00:10:17.379 --> 00:10:22.120 we miss what he says next. Take my yoke upon 00:10:22.120 --> 00:10:29.240 you, for I am gentle, I am lowly. But in that 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:35.299 context, To take the yoke upon you means something. 00:10:36.379 --> 00:10:40.000 For any Jew that would have, the Gospel of Matthew 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:42.279 is written first and foremost to Jewish Christians. 00:10:43.159 --> 00:10:45.700 To any Jew who would have heard that, they would 00:10:45.700 --> 00:10:49.379 have heard what they do in prayer every single 00:10:49.379 --> 00:10:52.360 morning when they take the yoke of the kingdom 00:10:52.360 --> 00:10:55.879 of heaven upon them. Hear, O Israel, the Lord 00:10:55.879 --> 00:11:00.720 our God, the Lord is one, the Shema. pray and 00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:06.460 take that yoke upon them. And they try to internalize 00:11:06.460 --> 00:11:08.980 it. That's their prayer. Love the Lord your God 00:11:08.980 --> 00:11:11.259 with everything that you have and love your neighbor 00:11:11.259 --> 00:11:16.120 as yourself. Christ says, I am that yoke. I am 00:11:16.120 --> 00:11:21.019 that yoke. And I am easy, I am light. And yet, 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:29.879 he is still a yoke. And he does. We are free 00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:33.980 to follow him or not, but he does impose a yoke 00:11:33.980 --> 00:11:39.840 upon us. This yoke that in this particular season, 00:11:39.940 --> 00:11:45.340 it manifests as a form of emptiness. Rather than 00:11:45.340 --> 00:11:48.379 building things and accumulating things, hoarding 00:11:48.379 --> 00:11:51.279 and withholding things and storing up treasures 00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:55.740 in this earthly life, we give those things to 00:11:55.740 --> 00:12:00.340 him, which means we give them, To others. Because 00:12:00.340 --> 00:12:03.480 we see Christ in them. And we empty ourselves 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:07.399 because we are trying to internalize him in our 00:12:07.399 --> 00:12:12.139 hearts. So that he might be in us. So that he 00:12:12.139 --> 00:12:15.460 might be upon us. Again and again and again. 00:12:17.620 --> 00:12:22.279 We are looking for his coming. We are awaiting 00:12:22.279 --> 00:12:26.620 his coming. Eagerly, brothers and sisters. O 00:12:26.620 --> 00:12:30.539 come, O come, Emmanuel. Entering into the goodness 00:12:30.539 --> 00:12:35.220 of that. We can use this opportunity that we 00:12:35.220 --> 00:12:38.220 have, that the church gives us, to grow deeply 00:12:38.220 --> 00:12:44.299 in him. To let go of the things that we hold 00:12:44.299 --> 00:12:48.919 so closely, that are earthly and worldly, and 00:12:48.919 --> 00:12:52.600 will likely just tear us apart and consume us 00:12:52.600 --> 00:12:56.909 if we give in too much to them. And letting our 00:12:56.909 --> 00:13:01.690 hands grow a little looser. So that we can open 00:13:01.690 --> 00:13:04.889 ourselves to God. So that we can be rich to God. 00:13:05.070 --> 00:13:09.049 So that he can come into us. So on that Christmas 00:13:09.049 --> 00:13:13.690 morning, when we say Christ is born, we can know. 00:13:14.909 --> 00:13:17.950 We can trust. We can have faith. We can believe. 00:13:18.049 --> 00:13:22.929 We can enter into it. Participate into Christ's 00:13:22.929 --> 00:13:28.779 birth in us. dwelling richly in our hearts, transforming 00:13:28.779 --> 00:13:33.879 us, making us more and more like him. Brothers 00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:36.460 and sisters, that's why we're gathered here today. 00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:39.899 We're about to experience that in the Eucharist 00:13:39.899 --> 00:13:44.259 when we offer ourselves up to him, to the Father, 00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:48.100 and the Father gives us Christ, who we take into 00:13:48.100 --> 00:13:52.179 ourselves, that we are strengthened to face another 00:13:52.179 --> 00:13:56.220 day. That we are encouraged, that we are filled, 00:13:56.360 --> 00:14:01.059 that we are humbled at his mercy and love towards 00:14:01.059 --> 00:14:04.840 us. Those who are poor, those who are weak, those 00:14:04.840 --> 00:14:07.840 who are orphans in this world apart from him. 00:14:08.019 --> 00:14:11.340 Those who are fatherless apart from the Father 00:14:11.340 --> 00:14:16.220 who gives us hope. Those who have no love, really, 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:19.399 apart from the Spirit bursting into their hearts 00:14:19.399 --> 00:14:25.240 and God pouring out his love into them. Amen? 00:14:25.240 --> 00:14:26.919 Amen. May God help us.