Courage to Wait
For Meditation (Elisabeth Hayes)
In this week's lectionary readings, we meet two men, separated by centuries, who each face urgent, dangerous decisions under pressure from the powers of their world. Both are given the same sign: Immanuel, God with us. For King Ahaz, the promise of God’s presence competes with the apparent security of human power. For Joseph, that same promise calls him to trust God at great personal cost. Their stories invite us to consider what it means to wait faithfully and courageously when God’s presence does not remove the threat, but meets us within it.
As we reflect on these texts, we will be reminded that Advent hope is not saccharine optimism, and waiting is not inaction. God’s faithfulness does not promise an immediate escape from hardship, but it does change the way we encounter our hardship — it gives us courage to trust, to obey, and to resist placing our ultimate confidence in the powers of this world.
The coming of Christ to be with us now — Immanuel — allows us to wait for Christ’s return with confidence grounded in what God has already done, and with lives shaped by faithful obedience as we await what he will do.
Isaiah 7:10-16
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”
But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”
Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.
Romans 1:1-7
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 1:18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.