Walking with Jesus: Second Sunday of Advent

Baruch 5:1-9; Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11; Luke 3:1-6

We are reading this blog because we are interested in the Lord and how He is leading us closer to Himself and the Church. I’m sure you “blog-readers” are continuing your search journey by reading articles and books that you’ve heard about or recommended to you, telling of God’s concern and continued care for you and your loved ones. Put simply, the bottom line is that you and I are interested in the Lord … we like to talk about the Lord … we have gratitude for the love the Lord is constantly sharing with us.

Now, since we have all this enthusiasm, how often do we share that gratitude with the people we are leading to the Lord through our example, our care, our sharing of God’s love? Yet that is exactly what we are doing. You might say, “I really don’t do much … I’m not that well versed in the Church’s teaching … I don’t have a background or have time to spend in Scripture study or Theology … I’m just me, doing what I can.” But you are a doer for the Lord. Why do I say this? Well, you are not afraid to talk about God -- to say how He is in your life, to share in gratitude all of His little miracles you’ve witnessed. How He is not to be feared because He just loves everyone. And you tell others, “I just love the Lord.” You don’t have all the fancy answers but you continue, in your own way, with your own words and actions, living in God’s love to you and your love for others. That is the root theme of the Readings today as expressed in the Psalm response: “The Lord has done great things for us, we are filled with joy.”

Baruch was a well-known secretary of Jeremiah. His original work was written in prose and poetry and in Greek. Later on, the prose sections were composed in Hebrew. His content expressed his and the peoples' gratitude to God for bringing the Babylonian exile to an end. Yet he continued warning against the idolatry which had led so many in the leadership to be enslaved in Babylon. Much of the book was composed after the Exile, when hopes for the immediate restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple were still high. He continuously uses the expression “God’s glory,” which refers to God’s honor and reputation as well as His power and authority as seen in His interventions in human affairs. The people have grown wiser as a result of their being conquered. They have responded to God’s forgiveness. God is telling them to put on “the new you.” They are God’s people. God continues to lead and guide them. They are to rely on God and not own their own misguided pride. Each day they are growing closer to the Lord ... just as we are.

Paul continues encouraging the people by thanking them for responding to the call to proclaim Jesus’ Gospel of Love. Each of them, and us, are blessed because God has called them and us to salvation by being His ministers. We are chosen to live holy lives … blameless lives … doing all we can in love which returns all the praise and glory to God. People observe us and see when we are “walking the talk” … we are living what we believe … we are practicing what we preach. If we live love, we are living God in our lives. People see this and call us ambassadors of God’s love, meaning we are Jesus’ disciples of love, care and forgiveness, responding to those in need. This is our call: There is no greater call.

Luke presents the arrival of John the Baptist and the preparation for Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah. Luke gives the names of real people, but the dates and positions they hold are far from accurate. What is important is that Luke is sharing Jesus’ message in a real world with real people doing real things. His description of John the Baptist resembles the call the prophets received in the Old Testament, with John being the last of the prophets. His preaching is to prepare all for the coming of Christ who will heal the entire world of its past misdirection and give it a future. John urges the people to prepare for the Messiah by seeking forgiveness for their way of life and being renewed in the Lord. They are to exhibit what they are made of, not in a showy or dramatic way; just being kind, good, loving and sincere. Being charitable to others takes the spotlight off of ourselves so we can focus on the needs of our hurting neighbors in our world. All of our good intentions, backed by our actions -- no matter how small or insignificant -- will make it easier for us and those who see us to redirect our focus to see God’s incredible love for all.   

So I reflect on:

• When I hear God’s call to repentance, I may become worried or frightened. How can I do this when my faults and distractions are huge?
• I must remember that it is God who levels the mountains and raises the valleys.
• Do I walk alone? No. … How can God’s grace live in me and help me? Do I ask for help?

Sacred Space 2022 states:

“Passage through the wilderness was an integral part of John’s mission, as it was for Abraham, Moses, Elijah and Jesus. Where, in all the hurly-burly of modern life, do we find a holy place where we can be apart and encounter God daily? Might it be here and now, on our desktop, laptop or mobile device, as we pray with Sacred Space?

“Do I believe that if I have the courage to place myself in the hands of my Maker, I will feel the heavens open and grace rain down upon me, transforming my desert, making the crooked straight, the rough places smooth, until - at last - I will see the salvation of God?”