Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr

 Lectionary: 187

The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eye is true, the utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured, and with eyes unveiled.

“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” (President John Adams)

Religions are not usually based on facts. They rely on myth; that is, legends, stories, and songs about persons and events in a time before time, and often here in this place. 

Along with their interpretations they give meaning, direction, and purpose to the people who receive and honor the myths. However, the New Testament insists that our faith is anchored not in myths but in stubborn facts:

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.

The apostolic church began with eyewitnesses, those who saw the Lord raised from the dead. They passed  their experience along to others who became in their turn witnesses. The latter heard the Word of God, and it was authenticated by the Holy Spirit. We recognize God's Spirit by the joy, relief, courage, confidence, and freedom that wells up within us. This is a communal event, and not simply the mad assurance of a deranged individual. (We test every spirit.) Not even threats of punishment and death deter inspired witnesses from telling their stories, both personal and traditional, of Jesus. 

Confident that our faith is based on historical facts and not the myths of a nation or tribe, -- not even Jewish myths -- we have taken the Gospel from Jerusalem to the farthest corners of the earth. And beyond the earth if that is possible. Nations and tribes hear and welcome the gospel not as legends to be integrated into their traditional lore, but as the revealed truth. It is both historical and transcending history. It is, 

"the utterance of the man whose eye is true, the utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the Most High knows, of one who sees what the Almighty sees, enraptured, and with eyes unveiled."

With confidence in the truth, we can recognize today's gospel and the frustration Jesus felt in dealing with his opponents. He knew the truth even before his death and resurrection. He knew, just as certainly as he knew hunger for food, energy in the morning, and weariness at the end of the day, that the Father had sent him to announce the Kingdom of God. It was a confidence he shared with his cousin, John the Baptist. As terrible as it was, he was unphased by the death of John. He was grieved, he was shaken, and he continued because the Spirit of God was upon him. 

His opponents were coming from a very different place. If they supposed they were keeping faith with their religious traditions, their behavior revealed what was really happening. They were more concerned about what the crowds believed -- we would call them polls -- than what God had revealed. 

Trying to be cagey, they could only respond to his question, "We do not know." But Jesus knew and the crowd knew. We might describe their assurance as a type of the sensus fidei which guides the Church.

During Advent we ponder the truth that has set us free from the narratives that political parties and their operative spin at us. The Holy Spirit recognizes cleverly concocted myths and the old wives tales of demagogues; they have a peculiar smell which assures us, that aint right. 

We prepare to celebrate the Nativity of the Lord with the same confident joy and freedom which carry us throughout the year.