Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent
It is easy to get caught up in the business of the Advent season while missing its deeper spiritual significance. Thankfully, the readings for today present us with vivid images that focus our attention on Jesus as the focal point of our preparation and celebration during this time.
In the first reading, Isaiah offers a profoundly moving image of the changes that will result at the arrival of the Lord. Christians have traditionally interpreted Isaiah’s pronouncements to be foretelling not only the birth of Jesus at Christmas but also to be looking forward to the second coming of Jesus at the end of time. Consequently, reading Isaiah during Advent helps us to prepare our minds and hearts to celebrate Christmas and remain cognizant of his second coming as well.
One thing that strikes me about the first reading is the contrasting images of God that it offers us. On the one hand, God is presented as a mighty king who rules ‘by his strong arm’; on the other hand, God is compared to a caring shepherd who never fails to carry lead his sheep. The juxtaposition of these two aspects of God’s character – God’s awesome majesty together with God’s care for the weak and the lost – are continued in the gospel reading. There, Jesus teaches the disciples about the tender concern of God for lost souls. God the Father, he says, rejoices on account of the one sheep who was lost and now is found even more so than he does for the ninety-nine sheep who never go astray.
As human beings, the proper attitude for understanding this dual character of God is humility. Meditating on the truths about God presented here helps us to realize that before God we are extremely insignificant: ‘all flesh is grass,’ and our very existence seems to matter very little in the face of eternity. In the day of the Lord’s coming, Isaiah says, ‘every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low.’ This suggests that there will be a leveling of human beings with respect to each other. People often draw artificial distinctions between each other for trivial reasons. These distinctions so often have the effect of separating ourselves from each other. At the coming of Jesus, such distinctions will no longer matter. What will matter instead is our relationship with God. We need to trust in God’s desire to save us.
Isaiah indicates that the Lord’s coming will be awesome. And that is not something that should be taken lightly; yet as Christians we put our hope in God’s mercy towards us. It is our hope that we will one day be resurrected to life with God in Christ Jesus. As Jesus states in the gospel for today, it is not God’s will for any to be lost. God has concern even for those who are considered by others to be least important.
This concern of God for all human beings is reflected in Jesus’ life and ministry. He chose to minister to those who were marginalized by society and those who were outside of his social group. If we are indeed followers of Christ, then we too should have active concern for those who are in need. Furthermore, if we are honest with ourselves we will realize that we too are ‘lost sheep.’ Today I am reminded to consider anew what it means to be led by Jesus the Good Shepherd.
- Joel Schickel