Behold!

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you” (Psalm 33:18-22).

Did you hear about the man who would not give up his window seat on the plane to a woman who begged him for the opportunity to sit there? This was her first flight. She just wanted to be able to enjoy the same view that this man, who admitted that he had flown hundreds of times before, had already experienced.

But the man wouldn’t budge. He absolutely—and rather obstinately—refused to exchange seats. 

How rude!  “Why can’t people learn to share?” many on social media reacted.

But everyone else on the airline flight that day was grateful. They were so very thankful that the PILOT would not switch seats with that first time passenger.

Learning that the seat that this woman wanted was the pilot’s seat, causes us to think very differently about the above situation. A “paradigm shift,” it’s called.

The words of Psalm 33 call us to a paradigm shift in our thinking as we embark on Advent 2020.

The “advent” that currently has the focus of our world’s attention at this particular moment is the one promised by Pfizer and Moderna. This vaccine appears to promise hope of a return to a better life. It appears to promise to remove fear that is paralyzing our ability to gather and move around.  It appears to promise that it will put us back in control of our own lives and programs.

But neither Pfizer nor Moderna nor the most expensive of our medicines has ever been able to change much about life’s hopes and fears or its underlying malady—sin. Nor will this new med change the death rate, which will continue to remain at ONE PER PERSON.

The first word of Psalm 33:18 smacks us to “Wake up!” in these days of Advent. Behold! 

Take a look at this . . . the psalmist says!  Our God and Savior is thankfully, not giving up the pilot’s seat in Advent Season 2020, to our 45th vaccine (or whatever the number is).

Our hope is in His steadfast love, which Christ displayed by living the perfect life we should have lived, and then dying the death we deserved to die, to grant us complete payment for our sin.

The removal of fear we rejoice in, is not simply the one of avoiding COVID-19. It is that our baptism connects us to Christ who delivers our soul from death, walks with us daily and gives us eternal life.

The Advent gladness that is ours, is knowing these absolute truths. God kept the promise that He would come into our world through the sending of a Savior (Advent 1). He keeps His promise of coming to us through Word and Sacrament (Advent 2). And He will keep His promise to return in judgment. At that final Advent, the “best is yet to come” will be fully realized when, through faith in Christ, we transition to walking by sight with our Savior in heaven. 

John C. Lehenbauer, Pastor,

Christ Lutheran Church, 208 Langston Road, Perry.    

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