Hidden Masterpieces
December 7, 2025
Opening Thought
In 2009, Hungarian art historian Gergely Barki was sitting at home watching the movie Stuart Little with his daughter. It was a mundane moment of family downtime. But suddenly, Barki froze. Hanging on the wall in the background of the Little family’s living room—treated as a mere set decoration—was a painting.
It wasn't just a prop. It was "Sleeping Lady with Black Vase" by Róbert Berény, a lost masterpiece of the Hungarian avant-garde that had been missing for over 90 years. It had vanished in the 1920s, only to resurface in a Pasadena antique shop where a set designer bought it for next to nothing, thinking its style fit the movie's aesthetic.
For decades, millions of people had looked right at it, but they didn't see it. It took a trained eye to recognize that what the world treated as background noise was actually a treasure.
As we approach the Second Sunday of Advent, we are invited to train our eyes like that historian. We are living in a world that often treats the sacred as a background prop, something purely decorative. But Advent calls us to stop the movie, look closer at the background of our lives, and recognize the masterpiece of God’s grace waiting to be found.
Engaging the Word
If Gergely Barki is the art historian of our opening story, then the voices in our lectionary today—Isaiah, the Psalmist, Paul, and John the Baptist—are the art historians of our faith. They stand in the wilderness of a cluttered world, pointing at things we have discarded and shouting, "Look! Do you see the treasure hidden here?"
In Isaiah (11:1-10), the prophet points to a stump—the "stump of Jesse." To the untrained eye, a stump is a dead thing; it is what is left over when the useful wood is gone. But Isaiah sees the hidden masterpiece: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” He sees life where the world sees only an ending.
Psalm 72 (1-7, 18-19) sings of the character of this King who emerges from the forgotten stump. He is not like earthly rulers who seek power; he is a King who "shall defend the needy among the people" and "deliver the poor." Like the hidden painting, this King's value is found in his attention to those the world overlooks as mere background.
In Matthew (3:1-12), John the Baptist appears as the ultimate "Voice in the Wilderness." Like the historian frantically emailing the film studio, John is urgent. He stands in the rugged terrain of Judea, pointing to the Messiah amidst the religious and political clutter of the day, shouting: "Prepare the way! The Real Thing is here!"
Finally, Paul in Romans (15:4-13) tells us the result of recognizing this hidden work of God: hope and harmony. When we see the "root of Jesse" (which Paul quotes), we are called to stop overlooking one another and instead live together with "one voice," glorifying the God who reveals such treasures in our midst.
A Journey in Song: Our Musical Guides
Our music this Sunday is designed to help us tune our ears to this frequency—to recognize the holy in the humble and to prepare our hearts for the "root of Jesse."
We begin with "Hail to the Lord's Anointed" (Hymn 616). This sturdy, confident hymn sets the stage for the arrival of the King, echoing the justice and righteousness promised in Psalm 72.Before the Gospel, we sing "There's a voice in the wilderness crying" (Hymn 75). The melody is haunting and stark, perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the Judean desert and the urgency of John’s call to "make straight the highway."
At the Offertory, the choir offers "An Advent Message" by Martin How. The text is direct and piercing: “Come Lord Jesus, O come quickly... Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” It reminds us that the path to the masterpiece isn't always a paved road; sometimes we must clear the spiritual debris of our own lives to reveal it.
We move to a place of deep consolation with "Comfort, comfort ye my people" (Hymn 67). After the stern warnings of the Baptist, this hymn offers the soothing balm of God’s promise that our warfare is accomplished and our pardon is complete.
We conclude with the Post-Communion Hymn, "On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry" (#76). This is the final, triumphant call of the day. Having been fed and comforted, we are sent out with John’s message ringing in our ears: the Lord is nigh, and we must cleanse every breast and make straight the way for our King.
A Closing Note on Our Journey
The story of the Stuart Little painting is a reminder that in God’s economy, nothing is truly lost. The painting was missing for 90 years, but it wasn't gone. It was just waiting for someone to say, "I know you."
As we move deeper into Advent, we might feel like that painting—faded, dusty, or hung in the background of a chaotic world. We might feel like the stump of Jesse—cut down or burnt out. But the Second Sunday of Advent tells us a different story. It tells us that the Master Artist knows exactly where we are. We are never just background props in the story of salvation; we are the beloved work of His hands.
A Prayer for the Week Ahead
Let us pray with longing for the coming of Christ.
For the Church, that we may be like the voice in the wilderness, pointing the world toward the true Light that is coming into the world;
Come, Lord Jesus.
For this community, that we may have eyes to see the "roots of Jesse" in our midst—the signs of new life springing forth from places we thought were dead;
Come, Lord Jesus.
For those who feel lost, forgotten, or treated as background in the story of the world, that they may know they are recognized, known, and cherished by the Master Artist;
Come, Lord Jesus.
For the peace of the world, that the wolf may lie down with the lamb, and that the earth may be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea;
Come, Lord Jesus.
Almighty God, who sent your servant John the Baptist to prepare your people for the coming of your Son: Grant that we may also prepare the way for him in our own hearts, that when he comes, he may find in us a dwelling place ready for his glory; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
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