Advent – “Steadfast Love”
Every time I hear those two words, Steadfast Love, my mind takes me back to Seminary. The classes in Hebrew were taught by some of the best linguists in the world. Humbled and at times fearful I would try not to draw too much attention as the class poured over vocabulary, grammar and syntax. Often we would go to the board to translate, which periodically would require therapy afterwards. On more memorable days our professors would simply display their knowledge in hopes that something might transfer and stick. I can still hear Walter Harrelson strong voice seek to define steadfast love, (Hb. chesed)
“as a word so beautiful and magnificent that it is almost untranslatable in English.”
This week we read the story of Mary’s declaration that “nothing will be impossible with God.” Upon hearing that she would miraculously conceive and bear the Messiah, she lets us know that this can only be God’s story, God’s initiative. God is doing the impossible work of newness in the world and in us. Newness and steadfast love are all God’s doing in the first place. It’s not that there is nothing we must do to make this moment happen; it’s that there is nothing we can do. Only God can make this impossible child. Only God can author loving kindness and steadfast love. Only God can create real newness. Only God can do forever. And in this story—this true story, God will. There are very few things that are steadfast in our human experience. The retaining wall at the lower end of my house is bowed like an old man’s back. The stock market is as fragile as crystal. Relationships dissolve like the sun as it dips below the evening horizon. The image that we see in the mirror faintly resembles the vibrancy and youthfulness of earlier years. Everything is tenuous—except this. God’s steadfast love, which by definition is unconditional and eternal, brings us to Mary. The power of God to do impossibly new things is backed by His unending faithfulness; unasked for, unimagined, unmerited. The rule of this impossible child will have no end. The promises of God for his steadfast love fulfilled in Jesus are forever. And for this young mother, at that moment, as far as we can discern from the story, there is only joy. May that same untranslatable steadfast love be yours in Jesus, this season and forever.
Luke 1:26-38; 47-55; Romans 16:25-27
