This week the blog has an appropriate name. I am at a loss at what to do with either text,and I have no memory as to why I picked this title. I have always puzzled over the Isaiah text. It seems to me that I could do a pretty good sermon about being faithful and not demanding a sign from God. But Ahaz gets in trouble for not asking for a sign. The passages suggests that God is going to give a sign whether Ahaz, whether we are ready or not.
I do know that the Matthew passage caught me off guard when I read it last month while working on the Advent texts (yes, I do sometimes work brainstorm before the night before preaching the sermon!). Trying to postpone the birth narrative until after all the preparatory texts is easy with Luke, but in Matthew, the birth of Christ just flows from the story with little drama or added expectation. I was actually surprised to be reminded that the Matthew lectionary text includes Christ's birth on the Sunday before Christmas. Of course, it would be awkward to stop Matthew's story just before the birth. There actually is not much of a birth story in Matthew (about ten words on his birth). Most of the story is about the Wise men and Herod's response to the birth of Christ. What do we do with that textual truth?
If you have read the Isaiah or Matthew texts or the above paragraphs, where do you find something of interest for the sermon?
Peace,
Richard
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