4th Sunday-Advent

Is 7:10-14; Rom 1:1-7; Mt 1:18-24

I almost feel sorry for Ahaz. Like Ahaz, I need to occasionally decide whose advice to follow. Isaiah and the Lord suggest that he wait out the political turmoil involving other nations of the region. His advisors suggest, however, protect his nation by aligning himself with the most powerful nation of the region. Its a difficult decision to make because much is at stake, but Ahaz opts for security by whatever means possible (1).

In the passage prior to this one, the Lord commands Ahaz to ask Him for a sign but Ahaz resists. Perhaps because he doesn’t want to follow Isaiah’s advice, he doesn’t want proof it’s the wise course of action. “The pun in verse 9 may be rendered, ‘If you are not firm in faith you will not be firm (1).’” Ahaz is not firm in faith, and indeed his decision leads to their defeat (1). Following Isaiah’s advice would have required Ahaz to trust God, but instead he chose to take his chances with a foreign political power. He may not have trusted the foreign power, yet felt even less secure in the Lord’s hands.

Romans 1:1-7 calls us to be holy. The word Paul uses to express “obedience of faith” harkens back to the idea of Shema Prayer (Deuteronomy 6:4-9): the word combines the meanings of listen and obey. While the bible repeatedly exhorts readers and listeners not to sin and to repent when having done so, we tend to think of sin as the negative or hurtful things we’ve done, or things we’ve left undone that have caused harm through their absence. However, the idea and call to be holy is the expectation and hope that we are actively attempting to do good. If we pray, which is an activity of listening and obeying, we find not only can we resist temptations and not do harm, but that we are lead to actions which bring about good.

The opening of Paul’s letter “echoes of the primitive kerygma (2).” Saint John Paul II describes the Gospel kerygma as, “The initial ardent proclamation by which a person is one day overwhelmed and brought to the decision to entrust himself to Jesus Christ by faith…” (Catechesi Tradendae, 25, 1979). The notion of kerygma reminds us not to assume because we live in a society which proports to be “Christian-value based” people know the Gospel. While it is good to remember Jesus’ commandment to love God and neighbor, it is simply good advice and not good news if we don’t believe in His resurrection and Second Coming. To Paul this kerygma, the gospel that he’s driven to preach, includes educating others to both the human and divine nature of Jesus. “It is not simply his divine nature, but rather the transcendent, dynamic source of holiness and his glorified state and virtue of which he vivifies human beings (2).”

In the gospel passage, Joseph’s dream angel does not offer him validating platitudes, or feel good affirmations about being an important person in history. Instead, the dream angel briefly tells Joseph he’s doing the right thing. The focus of the angel’s words, however, land on the role Jesus will play in salvation history. The angel speaks to Joseph but about Jesus.

Just as Paul’s words compel me to action, Ahaz’ desire to be right also echoes in me. He didn’t want a sign to inspire his trust in the Lord but a sign which communicated if he relied on self-serving and untrustworthy allies the Lord would make it turn out well. I want to hear kind words from the Lord about a unique talent, skill or insight He’s given me to proficiently and powerfully engage in kerygma evangelization. Like Ahaz I want to be the protagonist of the story. But Joseph’s dream and Ahaz’ failure reminds me I’m not the central character in this story. The message of Paul’s kerygma and the Christmas story, Jesus’ simultaneous humanity and divinity (and how that fact is played out through the death and resurrection) is vital, not my success or failure to express it. I need only to try.

Journal Questions:

How are you like Ahaz, Paul, and Joseph? What do you have in common with each?
Recall a time when you followed bad advice, and ignored good advice.
Reflect on a dream you’ve had which you believe was given by God.
How do you spread the Gospel?

Resources:

1- The Interpreter’s One-Volume Commentary on the Bible. Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 1971.
2- New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1990.

Related