Bethlehem (Fourth Sunday of Advent)
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Our first reading today begins as the prophet Micah writes, “But you, O Bethlehem…”, and immediately our thoughts turn to Christmas! It really doesn’t matter what Micah writes next! We envision starry skies, and shepherds in the field and baby Jesus asleep on the hay. And after all, it’s only 3 days until Christmas, so it’s natural for us to do that!
On the other hand, the people to whom Micah first spoke would have had no such associations in mind. But Bethlehem was also not an unknown place. Although Micah describes Bethlehem as being “one of the little clans of Judah”, it was nevertheless an important place filled with meaning for those ancient folks. Bethlehem was the town from which David, the great king, had come. And so when the people heard “Bethlehem”, they envisioned not starry skies and silent nights, but a new king in David’s line through whom God would give them peace and security, as David had.
And honestly, they needed that right about now! Micah writes at the end of the 8th century BC, at a time when the Assyrians were laying siege to Jerusalem. They had already destroyed cities and kingdoms north of Jerusalem, and now the same fate seemed to await the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Micah speaks and writes to give them hope in this time of siege and insecurity.
And so the reference to Bethlehem isn’t a warm fuzzy. And it wouldn’t have been a puzzling verse which could only be interpreted in reference to Jesus hundreds of years later. Instead, for those ancient folks who first heard Micah, these words about Bethlehem spoke of God’s promise, and hope for a new future.
But especially as we get ready for Christmas, it’s good to take a moment and consider what these words of Micah meant in their original context, and how the promise of God’s faithfulness might have been heard at that moment. For indeed, while it was a message of hope, it wasn’t all warm and fuzzy.
In lifting up Bethlehem, the prophet Micah called people to remember that God’s promise – and even God’s salvation – both in the past and in the future, often happen:
- Through unexpected people and places – prior to David, nobody thought Bethlehem was a place to look for a new leader. And indeed, even Samuel was surprised when God chose the youngest son to be the Lord’s “anointed.” In remembering Bethlehem, Micah is doing what one commentator once remarked, “would resemble expressing wonderment at the site on Nolin Creek near modern Hodgenville, Kentucky, where Abraham Lincoln was born”… ; and so Micah is reminding his first hearers that God’s salvation may come from a similarly unexpected place or unexpected person … (in contrast, perhaps, to some hoped-for internal miliary ruler who finds a way to break the current siege…)
- Over a long period of time – Micah’s vision of hope includes waiting for a time until “she who is in labor has brought forth”; does that mean the people need to wait until this baby grows up and is ready to do something great? After all, when I’m in a tight spot, I want help NOW, not sometime in the perhaps distant future. And so, even the promise of a baby may not have been the thing ancient folks in Jerusalem wanted to hear. And yet, part of the message of God’s promise is that it happens in God’s time, not according to human timetables…
- Because of God’s promise and commitment, not because people work harder or smarter! One of the striking things about this passage is that there is absolutely no call for people to “repent.” Like the even more ancient Israelites who simply had to stand still and wait for God to part the waters of the Red Sea, they’re simply being called here to watch and trust and know that God will do what he promises…
And in fact, these things are the most important things to remember when we consider Micah’s words in the context of Jesus. It was actually never interpreted by ancient Jews as meaning that the Messiah needed to be physically born in Bethlehem. Otherwise, it would have been a big destination for every pregnant couple hoping to claim that their kid could be the Messiah!
But while we often associate Jesus with this passage simply because of the tradition that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Micah’s words actually resonate more with the actual ministry of Jesus. For in Jesus’ actual life and ministry, we see God fulfilling the promise of salvation to us and the whole world. But as Micah reminds us, Jesus:
- Is an unexpected person, who comes from an unexpected place – Jesus really is unknown to anyone until he’s baptized; and then, he’s often immediately dismissed as someone who couldn’t possibly be “the one” because he’s from Nazareth – really a little place of no account! But Jesus also calls people who are unexpected – even fisherman and tax collectors – and he sends them to places most people don’t care about. And that reminds us that Jesus’ call in our lives is to see God at work in unexpected people and in unexpected places – even when the unexpected place may be our own community and the unexpected people may be us…!
- Is also revealed over a long period of time – we forget this because we celebrate Jesus being born, and about two weeks later in our readings, BAM – it’s suddenly 30 years later and Jesus is calling his first disciples! But that’s not how it actually worked. Jesus was born like any other person, and spent time growing up and living in the world he came to save. And that reminds us that often, God works in our lives over long periods of time. We might want God to work RIGHT NOW, but the fullness of what God is doing in our lives is long-horizon project, and usually not a sudden burst of light…
- Saves us, apart from anything we’ve done, not done, or can do – sure, we’re called to live in faith and to act in faith. We should do those things and nurture faith in our lives and in the lives of others. But finally, God’s salvation, as Micah reminded people long ago, comes about because of God’s promise and commitment, and not because we figured out how to work smarter or harder. Nowhere is that more apparent than when Jesus rises from the dead and still includes all those who ran way…
So as we get ready for Christmas just a couple of days from now, remember Bethlehem. But don’t remember it just as an historical place where Jesus was born. Instead, remember the message of Bethlehem.
And the message of Bethlehem is that God is always at work in unexpected places and people – even you! The message of Bethlehem is that God is committed to the long run, and so if you don’t immediately see where God is going with your life, wait for it! And the message of Bethlehem is that, in the end, God saves you and the whole world because God loves you, whether you figure it all out or not.
Amen.