Prepare to Be Surprised

Narrative theology is at the heart of advent. Advent is a season of preparation. We are trying to put ourselves into the world before the Messiah, and prepare ourselves for his coming. But in another sense, we are also preparing for the Second Coming. This morning in church, we read from James 5:7-8:

Be patient, therefore, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Be patient, and prepare. This is a good message for Advent. It was not a selection I had ever seen associated with the Christmas season.

And the sermon was on Matthew 11. From prison John the Baptist sent disciples to ask Jesus if he was the one, or if he should wait for another. His doubts may have stemmed from the fact that Jesus was not the Messiah anyone had expected. That got me to thinking.

The reason we need a narrative theology of Advent is because of this very fact. The devout had been preparing for the coming of the Messiah for centuries. And when he came, they didn't recognize him. Because he came in an unexpected way; he was a king born in a feeding trough, he was God in the barn.

Today, everyone has ideas about what the Second Coming will be like. Some expect him "riding on the clouds, shining like the sun at the trumpet call." I bet many first century Jews expected something like that. Maybe advent could remind us that we worship a Messiah who defies our expectations. So maybe we need to prepare to be surprised.

-Wyatt