The future is now!
First Sunday of Advent . 28 November 2021
Bible texts: Jeremiah 33:14-16 | Psalm 25:4-5,8-9,10,14 | 1 Thessalonians 3:12-4:2 | Luke 21:25-28,34-36
Old and New
Often, the message of the Old Testament seems to be darker and harsher than that of the New Testament. We can only properly understand the Old Testament in the light of the New, with Jesus’ message as our lead. But in the biblical readings on the first Sunday of Advent it is the opposite: the prophet Jeremiah tells us of God’s hopeful promise for a better future (Jer 33:14-16), while Jesus speaks of apocalyptic times with distress, confusion and roaring (Lk 21:25-28,34-36). What is God telling us here?
Righteous
The central phrase in Jeremiah’s text is God’s promise: ‘I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David’. So what does this mean? Jeremiah uses biblical terms to formulate an early Advent announcement of Jesus’ birth. King David is among the most important kings in the Old Testament. He was chosen by God and anointed king by the prophet Samuel. But David was not without fault – he was not always ‘righteous’. That word ‘righteous’ is repeated several times in this brief text. A righteous person acts in a way that is morally good and right in accordance with God’s laws. So it is one of the qualities of the saints, who tried to do so out of love for God and the people around them. We too are called to live ‘righteously’!
Family
The prophecy is that ‘a new branch’ will sprout from David’s family tree. In other words, the birth of a truly righteous descendant of King David is announced. This descendant is not just an ordinary human being. His very name is ‘The Lord is our righteousness’, so he is equalled with God himself! You can probably guess that Jeremiah speaks of no one else than Jesus! In the Gospel, Jesus is called the ‘Son of Man’: he is indeed the son of a human being, Mary. But Jesus is also the Son of God, given to humanity. In the Gospel of Matthew we hear how Jesus is born as a descendant of David (Mt 1:1). That is the ‘first coming’ of Jesus on earth. In his preaching, Jesus himself announced that he would come a second time, at the end of the world.
When?
If we had the chance, most of us would immediately embrace the opportunity to take a peek preview into the future. We are all curious to know what will happen. Are we given such a preview in the gospel of Luke? Jesus announces the signs that will accompany the end of the current world. This end will mark the beginning of a new and eternal order, ruled directly by God. The signs Jesus describes sound very much like the natural disasters and distress among nations which we hear about in the daily news! So does this mean that the end of time is near? The short answer is that we do not know. Jesus said that no-one knows when the end will be, not even the Son, but only the Father (Mk 13:32). Instead of worrying whether these events are at hand, we better make sure to be ready whenever the end will come.
Charity
The essential message of this gospel text is not only that Jesus will come soon, but also that we will then ‘stand before him’ – so we better be prepared. Maybe you remember that in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus speaks of the end of times as a judgement, a separation between the good and bad (Mt 25:31-32). And how the good are given a great future with him in heaven. Being good means that we love other people just as God loves us (1Thess 3:12). Even more: whatever we do for another human being without asking anything in return, we do it for Jesus himself! He is our neighbour, as you can read in the book Your neighbour is GOD.
How?
We do not know when Jesus will come for the second time, but we know that it will happen one day, maybe even tomorrow or next week! The season of Advent wants to help us be ready, whenever that moment will come.
Be active and alert
Jesus calls us to an active lifestyle, in which we are aware of our surroundings and of God’s presence at the same time. We are called to be on guard, to be alert: that means we are not to live only for sensual pleasures, which are temporary and can make us selfish. When we are drunk from drink or desire we cannot be alert. So, in this Advent season you may wish to decide to snack or drink less to help you be alert. Or to spend less time on gaming, TV, social media… At the same time, try not let your worries and problems overtake you: these too can make you locked up in yourself. Instead, try to see at all times that Jesus is always greater than your problems. Once you are active and alert, you will be able to better see the needs of your neighbour and able to help them. A renewed attention to charity will help you live this Advent season. Have a look at Question 1 from Your neighbour is GOD.
Listen to God
We cannot be alert and active without the help of God’s grace. So it is important to pray and ask him for strength to avoid sin and self-indulgence. Your aim as a Christian is that on the final day you can stand before Jesus with your head high, so you too will be called ‘righteous’. There is no way we can get there on our own. Listening to what God wants to tell you through texts in the Bible is a great help. In this Advent season, take time regularly to contemplate the Word of God, the Bible. Jesus says: ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away’ (Lk 21:33). God is speaking to you today through the Bible texts we briefly contemplated here. Now take some time for prayer and try to listen to his Word by yourself. Always start by inviting him into your life, and asking him to teach you his paths (Ps 25:4). If you want some help, check out our outline for praying with a Bible text in the appendix of the books Tweeting with GOD or Online with Saints.
