Second Saturday of Advent 2024

Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women, each with staff in hand because of old age, shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem.  The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in the streets.  Thus far says the Lord of hosts: Even if this should seem impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people, shall it in those days be impossible in my eyes also, say the Lord of hosts? Thus says the Lord of hosts: Lo, I will rescue my people from the land of the rising sun, and from the land of the setting sun.  I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem.  They shall be my people, and I will be their God, with faithfulness and justice.

This word of the Lord of hosts came to me: Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast days of the fourth, the fifths, the seventh, and the tenth months shall become occassions of joy and gladness, cheerful festivals for the house of Judah; only love faithfulness and peace. Thus says the Lord of hosts: There shall yet come peoples, the inhabitants of many cities; and the inhabitants of one city shall approach those of another, and say, "Come! Let us go to implore the favor of the Lord!"; and "I too will go to seek the Lord." Many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to implore the favor of the Lord.  Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten people of every nationality, speaking different tongues, shall take hold, yes, take hold of every Jew by the edge of the garment and say "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."

--Zechariah 4-8, 18-23

First, this is consistent with the purpose of the future promise of Israel, the blessing of God. That blessing will be a blessing on the world. The light of Israel will shine so brightly all peoples of all nations will be drawn to it. This is Isaiah’s holy mountain. For Jesus it is the basileia tou theou. This is why Israel is chosen to be in covenant with God. And that this is consistent with what Brueggeman means by “dialogical transaction:”

What is revealed here is a Holy One who is undomesticatedly available for dialogic transaction; and because of dialogical transaction, what is revealed here, as well, is mature personhood that is commensurate with the undomesticated fidelity of the Holy One

 Meaning a conversation (but more than a conversation), a relationship, a transaction in words. A God who is other, but who is with us in history. And so over and over again like a formula, like a mantra, the prophet repeats the report of his authority: “Thus says the Lord of hosts.”

A few quick explanations: “the land of the rising sun” and “the land of the setting sun” is metaphorical, just as we would say “from the four corners of the earth.” So the children of Abraham will come from near and far; no matter how scattered by Exile, God will return them. Because God is not a god of geographical location, but of all locations.

I’m not trying to exegete this passage; just trying to clue you into a few things.

The last of which is that reference to “faithfulness and justice.” Faithfulness because God, in a dialogical transaction (“Thus says the Lord of hosts”), will be faithful to humankind (all peoples of the nations), and justice, because that’s why those people will be saying: “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."  

Dialogue. Transactions. A “mature personhood that is commensurate with the undomesticated fidelity of the Holy One.” Stories. This is Advent.

Once two brothers went to visit an old man.  It was not the old man's habit, however, to eat every day.  When he saw the brothers, he welcomed them with joy, and said "Fasting has its own reward, but if you eat for the sake of love you satisfy two commandments, for you give up your own will and also fulfill the commandment to refresh others."

--Desert Wisdom