Advent2025 Waiting With Matthew 7

Day 7: Waiting With Restlessness. Today we reflect on Matthew 2:3 - "When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him." Join us this Advent as we sit with the waiting in the first 5 chapters of Matthew's Gospel.

Transcript

Hello friends,

This is Mark Gladman,

Also known as Brother Frederick James,

Your friendly neighbourhood monk in docks.

Welcoming you to Day 7 of Advent 2025,

Waiting with Matthew.

As we stop for a moment and settle ourselves,

I invite you to bring yourself to a place of stillness,

To breathe in and out,

Knowing that as you rest,

You rest in God.

Today's focus text is Matthew chapter 2 verse 3,

Where Matthew writes,

When King Herod heard this,

He was frightened,

And all Jerusalem with him.

And as we begin,

As always,

We ask that God would open our ears,

Our minds and our hearts as we reflect on this text during our Advent waiting today.

It's interesting because restlessness isn't something that we often associate with Advent.

We imagine Advent as soft candlelight,

Gentle carols,

Quiet preparation,

Peaceful waiting.

But the scriptures actually tell us a slightly different story.

The birth of Christ doesn't arrive into a peaceful world.

It arrives into tension,

Anxiety,

Political fear,

Spiritual restlessness.

It arrives into a fragile human experience that,

Unfortunately,

You and I still know so well.

Today's verse pulls back the curtain.

When King Herod heard this,

He was frightened,

And all Jerusalem with him.

Herod hears a rumor,

A whisper really,

That a child has been born.

Not just any child,

But a child the prophets spoke about.

A child called King of the Jews.

A child whose very existence threatens the fragile kingdom that Herod has built.

And Matthew tells us,

Herod was frightened.

But then Matthew adds something deeper.

And all Jerusalem with him.

Have you ever noticed that there's something contagious about fear?

It spreads quickly.

A fearful leader creates a fearful people.

A restless heart creates a restless atmosphere.

And the whole environment becomes charged with anxiety.

This is the world that Jesus is born into.

A world where power is fragile.

A world where leaders protect themselves first.

A world where an entire city can tremble at the whisper of God's movement.

And somehow,

This is the world that God chooses to enter.

Not a peaceful world.

Not a settled world.

But a restless world.

And maybe that's why this verse should matter so much to us.

Because often,

God works in our lives and doesn't wait for everything to be calm.

God arrives in the middle of unrest.

God speaks into the swirl of our thoughts.

God surfaces in the questions we haven't answered yet.

And sometimes,

The first response of our soul,

If we're honest,

Is fear.

When God stirs something new in us,

There's always a Herod in the heart.

The part of us that wants to stay in control.

That doesn't want to be disrupted.

That's frightened by the idea that God might actually be doing something new.

And then there's all Jerusalem with him.

The people around us who also feel the tremors of change.

The relationships that shift.

The expectations that wobble.

The communities that sense that something deeper is unfolding.

Restlessness,

When God is moving,

Isn't a sign that something's gone wrong.

Sometimes it's the sign that God is beginning to unsettle the powers that keep us small.

It can be the sign that God is loosening the tight grip of the false kingdoms we build.

The kingdom of self-importance.

The kingdom of achievement.

The kingdom of control.

The kingdom of certainty.

Restlessness is often the first crack of light before revelation.

Advent teaches us that restlessness doesn't mean God is absent.

Restlessness can actually mean that God is near.

I mean,

Think of Joseph.

Think of Mary.

Think of the Magi.

Every one of them responds to God with some form of restlessness,

Confusion or fear.

Yet every one of them keeps moving toward the light.

Herod hears the birth of Christ and responds with fear that leads to violence.

Contrastly,

The Magi hear the same news and respond with wonder that leads to worship.

Both begin restless,

But one of them chooses openness.

And so,

Maybe today's reflection invites us to sit deeply with a couple of questions.

Here's one.

What is being stirred in me right now that makes me restless?

Is it a decision that I need to make?

A relationship that needs clarity?

A longing that I've been avoiding?

A truth that I don't want to face?

A call that feels too big to make?

Restlessness might be the angel tapping you on the shoulder.

And then how about this question?

How am I responding to that restlessness?

Am I tightening my grip like Herod?

Or am I loosening it like Mary and Joseph?

Am I closing the door?

Or am I daring to follow the star?

God often speaks first through the language of holy disturbance.

Before revelation comes disruption.

Before direction comes discomfort.

Before clarity comes restlessness.

Now not all restlessness is holy.

I take that.

But some of it is.

And wisdom comes in discerning which kind that we're experiencing.

Herod's restlessness grew out of fear of losing power.

But the Magi's restlessness grew out of longing for truth.

One clung to his throne.

The others bowed to a child.

And so the other question is,

Where is your restlessness leading you?

As you sit now and then go through the day holding this text,

Imagine the whole city of Jerusalem stirring with anxiety.

A city that senses something is happening but has no idea what it means.

And now imagine your soul as a city.

Some parts calm.

Some parts grieving.

Some parts hopeful.

And some parts deeply unsettled.

And into that inner city God whispers,

I am doing something new.

Do not be afraid.

Restlessness isn't the end of the story.

It's the threshold.

And the one that stands on the threshold is Christ.

And so as we let these truths sit with us,

I invite you to share with me in this prayer.

God of holy restlessness,

You know the places within us that tremble at change.

You know the fears that rise when you draw near.

You know the small kingdoms we build and the fragile thrones we protect.

But today we place our restlessness in your hands,

Not to silence it,

But to listen to it.

To let it teach us.

To let it guide us toward you.

Where our fear is rooted in the need for control,

Soften us.

Where our anxiety is born from uncertainty,

Steady us.

Where our restlessness is your gentle call towards new life.

Give us courage to follow.

Enter our inner city,

Lord.

Walk its streets,

Quiet its trembling and lead us toward the manger where peace and disruption meet in the face of a child.

Amen.

And so,

My friends,

As you rise to go into the rest of your day,

May you find courage in the restlessness that stirs you towards God.

May you recognize the holy invitations hidden within your unease.

May you discover that even in fear,

Christ is already drawing near.

And may grace,

Peace,

Love and hope go with you through the rest of this day and every day as we continue through Advent.

Amen.

Until tomorrow,

Grace and peace be with you.

Reviews

Beautiful. Restlessness before revelation very helpful. Thank you and Blessings. ✨💜

Thank you. This message gives me encouragement and hope, easing my fear of restlessness. 🙏💝🌅

my goodness, i'm so thankful for mark's guidance and wisdom through this advent collection. i appreciate the reflection questions, the normalisation of our very human experience, and the emotions and the restlessness that come with it. thank you for the reminder that in this mess and restlessness God is doing something new.

Grace and peace be with you🙏🏻
May our restlessness produce the desire to follow the star to our savior.

Such profound truth. Thank you, this really ministered to me.

Thank you! I guess I wonder about why the all the people of Jerusalem were afraid with Herod? I wonder if they were not afraid because Herod was afraid. I believe it is likely that all the people— probably only men in leadership—were afraid of Herod or afraid like Herod of losing their power.
Peace be with you. 🙏🏾

I love the idea of leaning into the restlessness I’m
experiencing with the thought that God is present in the midst of that -and always doing something new. Thank you, this gives me a lovely pause 🙏🏼

Thank you for opening this passage up for me in such an illuminating way 🕯️🙏❤️