December 13, 2015
Third Sunday of Advent
First Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-18a
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121315.cfm
We can fail to hope. In fact, our inner cynic is always warning us against the danger of hope. It tells us that we’ve hoped before only to see our expectations crushed. We’ve looked forward to better days, only to regress. For the jaded, hope is foolish, a silly way of thinking for naïve people who don’t have enough life experience to know that hopes don’t get fulfilled, the world doesn’t change, things won’t get better. To expect otherwise is just to set yourself up for disappointment. It’s better to expect the worst and maybe, one day, you’ll be wrong, but most of the time you’ll have the satisfaction of being right. However, this sneering perspective is the one that is truly short-sighted, the one that has only reached a certain level of understanding about the universe. Zephaniah the prophet jolts us out of such worldly pessimism and points to the powerful Joy that trumps the sadness of this world.
Concentric Joy
This Sunday’s first reading from Zephaniah 3:14-18a presents its message in concentric circles, a pattern of parallels that scholars refer to as a chiasm. The themes of a chiasm wrap around a central core—the most important part, the message. Here the concentric themes are from outside-in: singing, gladness, saving, being “with you,” and “do not fear.” Zephaniah diagnoses the people’s main problem as their fear. His message is meant to be the antidote. Zephaniah prophesied just before 600 B.C. during the reign of Josiah. The people of Judah were in the midst of a positive religious reform, but would soon be exiled (in 586). Most of Zephaniah’s prophetic word is about the judgment coming on the Day of the Lord, but here at the end of his book, he offers a consoling message of restoration for God’s people. It starts with song.
Singing
Zephaniah’s first sally against the pessimism of the jaded is a call to sing: “Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel!” (Zeph 3:14 RSV). He calls the people of God to recognize the end-game, to look past the pain of judgment and exile, to look past the troubles this life brings. Ultimately, God’s plan is not about sorrow, devastation and judgment, but about joy. Singing is the quintessential expression of joy (along with dancing), which is why we do it at birthday parties, weddings, parties and the like. The kind of singing we’re talking about here is not doleful or somber, but exuberant, loud, boisterous, happy singing. God’s people are meant to recall that his awesome plan is for their happiness. That’s why we sing at Christmas.
We also learn that it is not just us, but God himself sings! “He will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing” (Zep 3:17 RSV). This is the only place in the Bible, where God is depicted as singing and it is us, his people, over whom he is singing loudly and joyfully. When we sing his praises joyfully, we mirror his happy singing to us. Like two lovers singing songs to each other, we find ourselves in a relationship of joyful singing with our God.
Gladness
Along with this singing of course, is a generous helping of gladness. Jerusalem is invited to be glad and rejoice “with all your heart” (3:14). Again, her attitude has been bad, limited, cynical, and the prophet invites the people to mirror God’s attitude over them, gladness. “He will rejoice over you with gladness” (3:17). The Lord is not sad, disappointed, angry, capricious, but happy, singing, joyful. In fact, his love for his people is so extensive that it fills him with gladness. When we rejoice heartily in God’s salvation, when we truly embrace the joy he offers us, it sinks deep into our hearts and overflows with song.
Saving
This over-abundance of joy and singing might seem puerile, but it is founded on God’s power to deliver his people. It is the rejoicing that comes from his saving. “He has cast out your enemies” (3:14). The enemies of the ancient Jews might have been the Babylonians, but ours are sin and death. By the power of his Cross, the Lord casts them out and we find ourselves saved, delivered, redeemed. He truly is “a warrior who gives victory” (3:17). Jesus has fought the fight for us. He has won our salvation, so we have cause for great rejoicing.
“With You”
Near the heart of our concentric structure, we find God’s presence. The prophet says, “The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst” (3:15). A moment later, he reaffirms this point, “The Lord your God is in your midst” (3:17). God’s presence means continued protection from our enemies. It means a relationship of joyful love with him. His being “in our midst” means that we are not alone, we are not living in the same sorrowful, cynical world that many people see, but a far greater one—one where hope can actually be fulfilled. This passage about God being “in our midst” or “with us” is perfect for Advent, when we reflect on Immanuel, “God with us”—the Isaian prophecy cited at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel right after St. Joseph’s encounter with the angel. Also, it dovetails with the Annunciation scene, where the angel tells Mary, “the Lord is with you.” God’s presence with us is no small thing. It shows us that God is on our side and we are on his. In fact, he promises “I am with you always” (Matt 28:20). His presence changes everything.
Do Not Fear
Lastly, at the center of our concentric text, just like the angel who appeared to Joseph and Mary, Zephaniah offers his take-home message: Do not be afraid. Fear poisons joy. Fear of the future is the opposite of hope. Jesus warns us strongly against it, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life” (Matt 6:25). Anxiety, worry, and fear lead us in the wrong direction. They trick us into thinking that all there is is the here-and-now, that we have nothing to hope for, that all our expectations will be crushed. They rob us of the hope and joy that is rightfully ours. They deceive us as to the nature of the world we live in. They vitiate our faith of its meaning. Zephaniah builds his case against fear from God’s perspective and his actions: God is with us. God has saved us. God rejoices over us. God even sings to us. If that isn’t cause for joy, I don’t know what is. I think hope is worth the risk. So, as the Church commands us on this pink-colored Sunday of Advent: Gaudete! Rejoice!
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