2nd Sunday in Advent, 2005
Isaiah 40:1-11
"Comfort"
Grace, Mercy, and Peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
"Comfort, yes, comfort My people! Says your God. Speak Comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins." (vv 1-2 NKJV) Such wonderful words of hope…such comfort given to each of us; God’s word of comfort that all of our sins are forgiven and that our Lord has given us double for all our sins…more than that our Lord has given us Salvation.
We thank our Lord for these words…for we surely need them; we surely need to be comforted. Oh the things of this world that cause us to worry…to mourn… to be in need of comfort. We worry about so many things…so many "little" things. When will our loved one get home? What’s for dinner? Where are my keys? Do I have enough gas to make it to the gas station? Yes, even little things cause worry but there are other things as well that are more important to us. We worry about death and dying, about failure to live up to our standards and the standards of others (we never want to disappoint), we worry about broken hearts, we worry about destruction from earthquakes, fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis. We fear depression. We worry others are cheating us or even cheating on us. We worry about lies, and stealing, and murder. Oh so many things that cause discomfort! Yes Lord, we are in need of your comforting Word and love!
But where do we look for comfort? What is it we do to be comforted? Some see comfort as being distracted from reality. Some see comfort as being in charge of others. Some see comfort as getting revenge on someone else for what they did. Some think suicide will bring them comfort from this world. Others see anger as the answer or hatred. This is what all too many people see as being comfort and when they come together the opposite of comfort happens. These were the motives of two young men in highschool that needed comfort. These were the motives of the tragedy at Columbine highschool in Littleton, Colorado. This didn’t bring comfort…but death, anxiety, hurt, and heartache. When we look to our own sinful ways for comfort…we find tragedy.
Comfort many times is the opposite of our wants…the opposite of what we have or what we think we have. Comfort isn’t our attempts to fix a problem. Comfort isn’t being alone to think everything over; to deal with our problems alone. Comfort isn’t ignoring your problem or ignoring the problems of others. Comfort is never lonely.
So what does Isaiah tell us that comfort is…how does he explain this comfort? Isaiah gives us the same words that will be spoken some 700 years later by John the Baptist, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’" (vv. 3-5)
Wait, something’s wrong! This isn’t comforting…this makes us worry. This tells us that everything in God’s way will be flattened…destroyed. Aren’t we in God’s way… aren’t we the mountains that are proud? Aren’t we the paths that are crooked? As sinners we are against God. When we sin we do the opposite of what God wants? Doesn’t this verse tell us that we are in danger of impending destruction? You can see Isaiah and John the Baptist proclaiming this and humbly asking God… what shall I say to comfort your people? What shall I say to ease their minds about this destruction that is coming?
"The voice said, ‘Cry out!’ and he said, ‘What shall I cry?’ ‘All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, But the Word of our God stands forever.’" (vv6-8) We will die and wither like the grass of the field. We know this will happen. But does this give us comfort? Is death comforting? Is it comforting to know that we fail in this world? No…our failure isn’t comforting. But death is comforting for the Christian. Death is comforting because God’s Word stands forever. As Christians we know that life is not dependent on us. We know that forgiveness isn’t dependent on us. We know that Salvation and our Ressurection are dependent on God and His Word!
Comfort is not alone. Comfort is not found in us. Comfort is found in God!
"O Zion, you who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, you who bring good tidings, lift up your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’ Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him and His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are young. ‘Comfort, yes, comfort My people!’ Says your God. ‘Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.’" (vv 9-11, 1-2)
God’s comfort comes in babe wrapped in swaddling clothes. God’s comfort comes at the cross where that baby hung on a tree. Comfort comes in the death of an innocent person. Comfort comes in the Resurrection of Jesus. Comfort comes in our Baptism where we are joined in Christ’s death and are then joined in His resurrection.
Comfort is in Christ alone. Comfort is knowing that salvation is not dependent on us. It is knowing that there is nothing too bad or too evil that will keep the love of God from each of us. Comfort is death in this world and life in heaven with the Blessed Trinity and all of our loved ones that have died in the faith. Comfort is in the coming of our Lord. Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
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