Dec 21 ~ On the Threshold of Fear, Faith is Freedom / 4th Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 7:10-16

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

Romans 1:1-7

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon by Pastor Joel

Recently we have been hearing the kind of headline that makes your stomach drop. Reports out of Sydney have described a deadly attack at a public Chanukah celebration at Bondi Beach—an evening that began with families gathering for light and song but ended in terror. And then, almost as moving as the tragedy itself, were the responses closer to home: rabbis and communities in Canada saying, in effect, we will keep gathering; we will keep lighting candles; we will not give in to fear—choosing light over darkness, even while grieving. 

We all know this kind of fear. Maybe not from that exact event, and maybe not from violence at our own doorstep, but we know the fear of being confronted by the unknown—of realizing how quickly “normal” can fracture. To be human is to learn to live with uncertainty. 

No one could know this kind of fear better than the woman behind today’s gospel. Mary’s situation could not be worse. In her world, she lives under layers of vulnerability and powerlessness. And now she is pregnant. And not only pregnant, but pregnant in a way that will invite suspicion, shame, and danger.

On top of all of this, she is confronted with news that will change everything. Not only does she have to tell Joseph that she is pregnant—knowing very well that he knows he is not the father—but she also has to speak words that sound impossible: that she was “found with child from the Holy Spirit.” Not an easy thing to say. Not an easy thing to hear. And it will no doubt change the direction of her life.

Joseph’s response is crucial. He could have reacted severely to Mary’s apparent unfaithfulness -- a reaction that could have led to her ruin. According to the law and the customs of the time, Joseph had the right to divorce her, and Mary could have faced public punishment and even death.

So here they are: two people caught in a moment of uncertainty. And anxiety. One that requires a time-sensitive response. Joseph likely ready to dismiss Mary quietly, Mary trapped by circumstances she cannot control. Both worried about the shame of public disgrace. Both struck by anxiety over a radical change in their lives. Both facing the uncertainty of standing on the threshold of a new life.

And then something amazing happens. God breaks into the situation and says: “Do not be afraid.” It is revealed to Joseph -- and even more profoundly in Luke’s telling, to Mary -- that God is with them.

This is the hinge point of our gospel lesson today. It is not about the mechanics of how it happened, or the arguments that try to pin down the mystery. The focal point is faith—and what faith does to a life on the edge of fear. Into this situation comes good news: that God has broken into our world, and the message is no longer one of fear, but of rejoicing.

In a sermon Martin Luther wrote on this text, he said that the three wonders of Christmas are that God became human, a virgin gave birth, and Mary believed—and that the greatest of these is that Mary believed. Mary and Joseph stood on the threshold of fear and change, and they were freed by faith.

People throughout the story of our faith -- from Abraham in Genesis to the shepherds in Luke, to John in Revelation -- were confronted by fear. And to each of them God’s response was the same: do not be afraid. As soon as they sensed that God accepted them and loved them, their fear subsided. God had given them freedom.

And that story isn’t over. It continues in each one of us. God seeks to give us the same freedom. We, too, stand on the threshold of new things—in our lives and in our world. We want to believe that our story—the story of a creator God, a loving and forgiving and redeeming God, a sanctifying and nurturing God—can still speak through each one of us. Even -- and especially -- in times of uncertainty.

When we sing in our sending hymn for today, “O come, O Wisdom from on high, embracing all things far and nigh: in strength and beauty come and stay; teach us your will and guide our way,” we are announcing our belief that God’s story in Jesus still has meaning and relevance and purpose.

And that is why those words from the news this past week landed so heavily: people who had every reason to retreat, to hide, to cancel, to go silent -- choosing instead to gather, to light candles, to sing, to say: we will not be ruled by terror; we will choose light. 

Because here is the truth: standing on the threshold of fear, we always have choices. We can meet fear with fear—tighten our fists, harden our hearts, close our doors, narrow our compassion. Or we can meet fear with faith—not naive faith that pretends nothing hurts, but courageous faith that refuses to let the worst moment define the next moment.

That kind of response does not come from binge-watching crime shows or doom-scrolling headlines. It comes from people like Mary and Joseph. It comes from the meaningful and relevant story of our faith—this persistent, stubborn message that, when we are most afraid, God speaks the words we most need: “Do not be afraid.”

We are gathered here today to tell and to hear a story—the story of God breaking into human history and into human lives. By coming together, we are saying that this story gives meaning to our lives and has purpose for our present and our future. We are saying that this story needs to be shared with others. We tell it in song, in laughter, in tears, in words and in actions.

For us today, it is told in the promise wrapped inside this gospel: Emmanuel—God with us. God with us in fear. God with us in uncertainty. God with us in shame and danger and disruption. God with us when the world shakes. God with us when we are tempted to retreat. God with us—calling us not to be afraid of the barriers and impediments to participating in the reign of God. God with us—calling us to do miracles of courage and love.

Is not our life of faith itself a miracle—a sign of what is yet to come? As we live in God’s grace, in openness to God’s forgiveness and love, we become a sign for others. Is not our living—no matter how small it may seem—part of the network of communication God is spreading across the face of the earth? That we should live by grace. That we should show love. That we should come with the words “fear not” to lives closed in on themselves, barricaded by fear and anxiety, trapped by anger and doubt.

In the Bible, the message “Fear not” is heard over 600 times—more than enough for each day of the year. Enough for each day we wake up to headlines that unsettle us. Enough for each day we stand on the threshold of change.

Do not be afraid. Rejoice in the gift God gives us this Advent: not the promise that nothing will ever go wrong, but the deeper promise that God will not leave us alone when it does. 

Amen