Friday in the Second Week of Advent
"Hear then, O house of David! ... Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Imman'u-el."
When Christians read this verse of scripture, our imaginations are immediately drawn to the story of the birth of Jesus. And why not?
As the Gospel of Matthew (1:18-25) narrates the story of Jesus' birth, Isaiah 7:14 is the text quoted by the "Angel of the Lord". The Angel appears to a confused Joseph in a dream to explain the bizarre set of circumstances surrounding Joseph's betrothed, Mary. Clearly, for some portions of the early Church, the word from Isaiah to King Ahaz hundreds of years earlier was predictive of the advent of Messiah in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
Interestingly enough, when read in its context, Isaiah's oracle to Ahaz is not a comforting one. The birth of Immanuel will not usher in a time of peace, but of desolation. The coming of "God-with-us" will signify the fulfillment of God's judgment upon Judah and the surrounding kingdoms and empires. By the time "God-with-us" is old enough to "know how to refuse the evil and choose the good" the decimation of Judah will be complete -- "all the land will be briers and thorns" (Isaiah 7:24b).
What are 21st century Christians to make of a 1st century disciple's selective quoting of a text written centuries earlier? Does Isaiah 7:14 actually refer to Jesus? Or does it only relate to some unknown child who was born shortly before the death of the kingdom of Judah?
However we understand this cryptic sign, "God-with-us" is not simply the sentimental vision of a cuddly infant in the arms of his mother. "God-with-us" is not Divine permission for business as usual. "God-with-us" is the birth of a new world and the death knell of the old. "God-with-us" marks the overthrow of human kingdoms and the advent of the Reign of God. "God-with-us" is at once a terrifying comfort and a comforting terror.
O come, O come, Emmanuel!
Oh really???
posted by FrGaryB | 7:16 PM
2 Comments:
Thank you for pointing out the context of this immanuel reference. Interesting. I will have to return to that passage and ponder it a bit more! Interesting...
"What are 21st century Christians to make of a 1st century disciple's selective quoting of a text written centuries earlier? Does Isaiah 7:14 actually refer to Jesus?"
Can I go fishing for yours (or those of your other readers?) opinions/takes on such questions?
I wondered if something else was on your mind while thinking of the comfort association that frequently accompanies that passage, Emmanuel (God with us). And as a sidebar I can most certainly count myself among those who have taken the Matthew passage in that way, complete with sentimental Christmas card art adorning the passage in my mind - but my wonder is this: maybe another appropriate question to ask is if the author of MATTHEW intended his passage to be taken as words of comfort and reassurance, at least in the cozy, sentimental sense of the word? Given that the remainder of the infancy/child narrative Matthew provides is peppered with threats to all the baby boys of the area and time because of his concern for this one King, any one of these "us's" (we, the 21st century readers, and probably the readers before us as well) has to wonder if an association with cozy comfort is warranted? It continues on much like you say so well: Jesus/Emmanuel=comforting terror, terrifying comfort. Much to chew on here... Thanks again.
Karla:
I think you are spot on in your assessment of the Matthean birth narrative. There's a good deal of conspiracy and bloodshed (remembered in the Church calendar as The Holy Innocents) as Herod attempts to eradicate "God-with-us" by the arrogant exercise of the only thing he had at his disposal -- the sword.
But, as you well know, most casual church-goers conflate the birth narratives of Matthew and Luke, have the Magi arriving at the manger, and neglect to read the entire story that Matthew tells.
But, if we take the time to read Matthew's birth narrative, it is clear that the Evangelist is intent upon establishing a connection between Jesus and Messiah; between Jesus and the Prophets; between Jesus and Moses. Not only does the author of Matthew quote from the Hebrew scriptures liberally (and sometimes even in a "forced" fashion), the Gospel Matthew writes is replete with allusions and echoes from the story of Israel.
While it's a dangerous business to attempt to reconstruct an author's intent across the centuries, I think we'd do well to consider that Matthew's "God-with-us" was no less threatening than Isaiah's.
Post a Comment
<< Home