Advent Sunday

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If you recall, during 2020-2023, the average life of most Americans (and most every person on the globe), saw a significant change in our daily habit. Folks did not go out much, except to those places deemed “essential” by local, state, and federal government officials. If I recall, in the early days of what was lovingly called ‘quarantime’, there were two “essential” businesses: The Walmart and The Home Depot. During those few years, the fastest growing statistical gains per household in America were in personal body-mass-indices and home improvement spending. Since we could not go out to eat, to the office, or travel on vacation, weight gain and home upgrades emerged as the nation’s newest, haute couture. I cannot speak to the statistical analysis of the average weight increase per household from 2019 to 2023, but the average dollar spent on home improvements jumped 173% during that same time period. In the first six months of 2020, The Home Depot reported revenue gains of +75% over the previous year – instead of $50B, their revenues were $65B. (LA Times; “Financial Times”; Alistair Gray; 23 Aug. 2020) 

What was the reason for this increase in spending in America? Was it dilapidation of homes, which were at that time older than normal? Or was it a result of underinvestment in residential upkeep for the many years prior because we were in the office more, travelling more, or more heavily distracted with our families, communities, or entertainment? — One financial leader said, during the Pandemic, “Americans found themselves with more time than ever to focus on their living environments.” (Yahoo/Finance; Dylan Croll; 27 March 2023) A lot can be accomplished when we have more time than ever to focus on a glaring need, if we know that it is a need. 

Grateful we should be, then, to the Anglican Divines, with an eye toward our spiritual sanctification in Christ, we have been gifted with a Christian calendar that allows us more time than ever to focus on our spiritual, living environments. Well, perhaps saying ‘more time than ever’ is a bit hyperbolic, but we do have four weeks, starting today, as our Collect says, ‘To cast away the works of darkness,’ and with GOD’s aid and assistance, ‘put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life.’ — The season of Advent, in the Anglican tradition, is an interesting one – Advent (which means ‘coming‘ in Latin), is a season of preparation AND repentance. In its developed form, since the early days of its institution in the 4th century A.D., Advent was seen, not only as the beginning of the Christian calendar, but also as a sacred time to spiritually prepare for Christ’s first and second Advents: His first as a human Infant to redeem mankind – His second as King to judge them. “The double emphasis, therefore, on both the first and the second advents of Christ gives to the season its unique mixture of devotional color: joy in the redemption that has come to us in the Incarnation, and awe before the Judgment that yet awaits us … Historically, Advent was a penitential season of fasting in preparation for the baptisms administered at Epiphany; comparable to the Lenten fast and disciplines before Easter ”¹ — In other words, Mother Church is calling upon the ‘living stones’ that make up her House, the House of GOD in Christ, to ‘take stock’, spiritually, and tidy-up those areas of our lives that are in disabuse, disrepair, or deterioration; viz., to engage in a project of spiritual upgrade to our soul’s living environment for the next four weeks.  

‘Cleaning house’ is a very important biblical principle that the 21st-century Church should be keen to engage in. In the reign of Joash, a good and godly man who ruled in Jerusalem in the era of the kings, in the 8^th century B.C., a major project of cleaning and overhaul of Solomon’s Temple was conducted. Joash was commanded of the LORD to “let the priests take [the tithes and offerings of the people] themselves, each from his constituency, and let them repair the damages of the Temple, wherever any dilapidation was found … Thus, the [priests, along with artisans, carpenters, and stonemasons], restored the house of GOD to its original condition and reinforced it” (2 Kings 12.5 & 12 Chronicles 24.13). Again, this was all done at the LORD YHWH’s command. Thus, “It hath pleased Almighty GOD, that these histories touching the re-edifying and repairing of His Holy Temple should be written in Holy Scripture to the end that we should be taught thereby; first, that GOD is well pleased when His people have a convenient place to resort unto – to come together to praise and magnify His Holy Name … And secondly, because GOD was sore displeased with His people that they had built, bedecked, beautified, and trimmed up their own houses, while suffering His House to fall into ruin and decay; viz., they allowed the sacred dwelling place of GOD to become uncomely and lie in unwholesome disrepair,”² a direct reflection of their own spiritual condition. 

Let us consider first the idea that GOD desires that His people should have a convenient place to resort unto – to come together and magnify His Holy Name. This is precisely the contention in today’s Gospel Lesson from St. Matthew. JESUS, the Messiah of Israel, comes parading into Jerusalem as the kings of old, like David and Solomon, upon a foal of a donkey. He does not first go to the palace or the state buildings, but instead, He goes directly and purposefully to the Temple, for His Kingdom is spiritual and not carnal. There arriving, He finds the Temple being used, not for its intended purposes, but for the purposes of commerce, exchange, walking, talking, and rumor mongering without fear, reverence, praise, or worship of GOD. In other words, He finds the Temple, and the people, in great spiritual disrepair. — St. Matthew tells us that the religious leaders had allowed for moneychangers and bazaar owners to establish their shops in the narthexes of the Temple, thus creating a culture of ‘thieves’ in GOD’s House.  That culture encouraged the buying and selling of animals for the Temple sacrifice; the exchange of Roman coins with Claudius’ superscription upon them, so that the people might have the mandatory Temple tithe, and all with a profit – ‘a cut’ – for the Temple leaders. — “They sold beasts for sacrifice for the convenience of those that could more easily bring their money with them than endure the inconvenience of bearing (or evening raising) a beast of their own to offer unto the LORD … Thus, when great corruptions and abuses come into the Church by those who make worldly gain the end of their godliness, GOD’s House is converted into ‘thievery’ for the sake of counterfeit godliness and worldly gain.”³ — To this offense, JESUS quoted Isaiah 56.7 & Jeremiah 7.11, just before He drove the moneychangers and all who bought or sold in the Temple out: “My House shall be called the House of Prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves!” (St. Matthew 21.13). 

GOD desires a sacred place for His people to meet together in assembly, that we might “stir up love and good works among one another” (cf. Heb. 10.24), and especially, that we might worship Him in holiness and righteousness together. For if GOD’s people, with pure hearts, minds, and lives, will sustain a holy space for themselves and for their Creator (making that space a ‘House of Prayer’ for holy worship for all nations), then, we will also keep ourselves – heart, soul, and mind – holy and blameless as the Household of GOD. — This is the point of Advent Sunday, and the Advent Season – to make sure that the people of GOD, given the time, are beautifying and bedecking their spiritual living environments for fulsome worship and service of GOD and their neighbor, in anticipation of Christ JESUS’ advent – His coming.  

JESUS had come to Jerusalem in Passion Week, the last week of His earthly life, acknowledging what everyone and the prophets of the Old Testament had been proclaiming – that He was the Messiah and Redeemer of GOD. Yet, when He arrived in Jerusalem as Israel’s King – the long hoped for Son of David – He found the people spiritually unprepared. Coming to His Father’s House, the Temple, He did not find the people awaiting Him as those that followed Him – singing ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD.’ Instead, His Church, the Household of GOD, were more focused and attentive to the ways of the world and worldly gain, than in having their hearts prepare in holiness for His arrival. — It was not the brick and mortar of the Temple complex – it was their hearts that He was concerned with most. — They had forgotten what the LORD YHHW had said to Jerusalem through the prophet Jeremiah: “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Do not trust in these lying words, ‘The Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD! [See what manner of buildings of stone are here.] For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor; if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever” (Jeremiah 7.3-7). — Having ignored His prophet, and now His Son, JESUS proclaimed to the leaders and all of Jerusalem: “See! Your house is left to you desolate!” (Matthew 23.38). 

Dear people of GOD it is you and me that compromise the House of GOD. We are the “living stones [of His Temple], being built up into a spiritual house [by the Holy Spirit into] a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to GOD through JESUS Christ” (1 Peter 2.5). We are to prepare the way of the LORD in our hearts, that we will be ready at His advent. — If we allow our spiritual house to become a ‘den of thieves’, and do not amend our ways, then we can expect to hear the same words upon JESUS’ advent: “See! Your house is left to you desolate!”  Thus, now we can see why Advent is a season, not only of expectation of Christ’s coming – His first and second – but also a season of activity of repair of our spiritual living environments that might be dilapidated or falling into decay. This is Advent Sunday’s primary theme: not to let GOD’s House, the hearts, souls, minds, and outward lives of GOD’s people to come to ruin and uncomely deterioration.  

So, let us then return to the charge of today’s Collect, good people of GOD, which is based upon verse twelve of the thirteenth chapter of today’s Epistle to the Romans: “Almighty GOD, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility…”⁴ — “This Collect is remarkable for its striking antitheses: cast off darkness – put on light; mortal life – life immortal; great humility – glorious majesty. The crucial word is ‘now,’ which ties together the Church’s whole past, present, and future. ‘Now’ does not refer to the time or season of Christ’s coming, but to our own immediate time – [to the immediate time we are living in – this very hour.] For ‘now it is high time to awake and be sensible to the ‘hour of our visitation’ – the visitation of Christ our LORD, thus repairing our spiritual living environments in expectation of His imminent return.”⁵ (cf. Luke 19.44) 

Let us take heed to Paul’s charge as we enter Advent, this season with a dual meaning: ‘joy in the redemption that has come to us in the Incarnation of Christ as the Babe in the manger, and awe before the Judgment that yet awaits us when Christ returns.’ “And thus, knowing the time [of Christ’s advent is near], ‘now’ it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now, is our salvation nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the LORD JESUS Christ, making not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Romans 13.11-14).   

As we contemplate Advent’s proper readings, “The Gospel should not be read historically, for that would be more suited to Palm Sunday; [rather, we should read it] symbolically. It portrays for us the coming of our LORD as the prophet Zechariah foretold (cf. Zech. 9.9), as King and Messiah. JESUS came not in a lordly state, but in humility, ‘meek, and sitting upon a donkey.’ And yet, He brings terrible judgment upon those whom He finds putting spiritual things to selfish, material gain. The acclaim of the people cannot hide from Him the rotten traffic that goes on within the Temple – within the hearts of GOD’s people. So, [good people of GOD, in Advent, JESUS comes as both Redeemer and Judge.”⁶ Let us, therefore, dear St. Mark’s, awake from our spiritual slumber (if indeed we are slumbering), and with GOD’s help, let us put on the armor of light, casting away the works of darkness. Let us “owe no man anything but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law” (Romans 13.8). And in so doing, we will have ‘taken up the whole armor of GOD, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6.13). Then, with the whole Household of GOD, in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, we will be able to shout with minds clear and hearts free: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!” (St. Matthew 21.9). Amen. 

1 Shepherd Jr., Massey H., The American Prayerbook Commentary, (New York, Oxford University Press, 1950), 163-164. 

2 Various Anglican Divines, The Book of Homilies, (Nashotah: Nashotah House Press, 2013), 249. 

3 Henry, Matthew. BlueLetterBible.org. “Commentary on St. Matthew 21.” Accessed 27 November 2025. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Mat/Mat_021.cfm?a=950001.  

4 1928 Book of Common Prayer, 90. 

5 Massey, 164. 

6 Massey, 165.