Fourth Sunday of Advent
Playing games! I do not mean the Wii. I mean, playing games in relationships. Sometimes this is a defense mechanism; other times it is avoidance of responsibility or even a strategy for gaining moral or mental advantage. I would be surprised if any of us said that we have never engaged in it. Children are very good at this. Especially, if they know that parents do not agree about an issue, they know how to manipulate the situation. What about playing games with God? Have you ever said to God, if you grant me…, I will …? I have not met anyone who has felt good after playing games in relationships. There is something about simple and honest relationships.
It is in this context that I would like to talk about today’s readings. The first reading and the gospel readings bring out the contrast between Ahaz and Joseph. Let us talk first talk about Ahaz. As king of Judah, he and the nation were being threatened by the Assyrians. What should he do in response to the threat? He had two options: to trust God against his enemies or to make a political alliance with smaller nations (the Syro-Ephramite Alliance) as a defense against the Assyrians. As the prophet of the time, Isaiah’s advice was clear. He wanted Ahaz to trust God unconditionally. His rationale was simple. If God had come through for the Israelites against the Pharaoh and the might Egyptians, then God could do the same for Ahaz. So he tried to persuade Ahaz to ask for a sign. Ahaz refused – not because, as he says, he does want to tempt the Lord (I think Ahaz was playing games with God), but because he’d rather trust the political alliance. Somehow he found himself incapable of being faithful to God. Even though Ahaz is not faithful, God promises that God will be faithful. Thus the prophecy, “A virgin shall conceive and bear a son…” (Is 7:14)
The account of the fulfillment of that promise is today’s gospel reading. The hero of today’s gospel is Joseph. His story is very different from that of Ahaz. Jewish Law and pure commonsense told him to divorce his betrothed since she was with child before they came to live together. Faith, on the other, told him to trust the message from God. Unlike Ahaz, Joseph does not play any mind games with God. The gospel tells us that he was a righteous man. Unlike Ahaz, he found within himself the capacity to believe. He believed that the child within Mary was from the Holy Spirit. He believed that this child within her womb was Emmanuel. As the gospel tells us at the end, “When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.” (Mt 1:24).
Both the first reading and the gospel reading tell us that the child’s name will be Emmanuel. Emmanuel means ‘God with us.” My practical implications answer this question: What can we learn from today’s readings so that “God is with us” this Christmas? I am saying there are three things we can learn.
1. Christmas calls for fidelity. When people are faithful to God in the same way the God is faithful to us, miracles will happen. Today’s reading contrast fidelity and infidelity for us. As in any relationship, fidelity involves making decisions in favor of the person we are committed to. Ahaz is considered unfaithful because he made crucial decisions in favor of a political alliance rather than the God he was committed to. Joseph, on the other hand, made a decision in favor of God. It would not be a bad idea to evaluate our lives before Christmas to see if our important decisions have been in favor of God. Since last Sept, we have been talking much about fidelity and faithfulness in our parish. Each of us at least knows that we are called to be faithful disciples of Jesus. If there will be a Christmas in our hearts, may it be because of Joseph-like fidelity to God.
2. Christmas calls for righteousness. The gospel tells us about Joseph that he was righteous man. The best definition of righteousness is right relationship with God, with others and with our own selves. Joseph’s decision to divorce Mary quietly in order to spare her shame is a very telling decision. His righteousness before God prevented him from taking a pregnant woman as his wife. His decision to divorce Mary came from his regard for God’s Law. On the other hand, his decision to spare her the shame came from his own compassion. He did not have to do it this way, but he chose to spare her the shame. He acted out of compassion rather than his own hurt and anger. His decision also reveals the strength of his own character. The lesson for us is that our relationships are locations where God reveals God’s self. Relationships are holy things. To the best of our ability we must strive to be righteous in them. This means that we are challenged make decisions about our relationships (with God, others, and self) not from anger, hurt envy, revenge or lust, but from compassion, justice, and genuine love.
3. Christmas calls for plain, simple honesty. There is certain simplicity about God and faith. Either we have total faith and confidence in God or we don’t. One thing is clear. We do not have to play games with God. This is exactly what Ahaz was doing. He would not ask for a sign. His reason for that? He did not want to put God to the test or so he said. His real reason was that he trusted the Syro-Ephramite political alliance more than he trusted God’s ability to deliver him and the nation. Joseph on the other hand had the plain and simple honesty to trust God beyond reason. In fact, both Mary and Joseph teach us that. What does this prompt us to do? Five days before Christmas let us evaluate our capacity for plain and honest relationships. No need of games – just plain simple honesty is enough for Christ to be born in us.
In faithfulness and love, God is once again with us in this Eucharist. It will take plain and simple faith to believe that this bread and wine is indeed the real presence of Christ among us. If we can recognize Christ here, if we can find within ourselves the capacity to believe, then Christ will come to us like he came to Mary and Joseph. If we can be faithful, righteous, simple and honest, then Christ will be born in our hearts. Amen.
- Fr. Satish Joseph