FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
18 DECEMBER 2016
Ahaz
was the king of Israel eight centuries before the birth of Christ. Like his fellow Israelites, King Ahaz was not
a deist. Our founding fathers were
deists, who believed that God created the universe and remained distant as his
creatures tried to work things out. The
people of eighth century Judah were convinced that God was not distant. God was involved in their lives and the life
of the world. That is why signs were so
important to them. Signs were not events
that defied the laws of nature. Signs
were outward demonstrations of God’s activity in the world. Signs ranged from the rising of the sun in
the morning, to the birth of a child, and to any event – ordinary or
extraordinary – that showed forth God’s presence.
God’s
presence did not protect King Ahaz and his kingdom from difficulties. Kingdoms allied with the Empire of Assyria
had attached Judah. Now, Ahaz had
decided that he would enter into an alliance with Assyria. But, the prophet Isaiah brings him a
message. He tells him that God does not
want him to do anything. To show the
king that Isaiah is speaking for God, he offers him a sign. King Ahaz refuses in a very pious way. He refuses the sign, because he has already
made up his mind. But Isaiah gives him a
sign anyway. The virgin shall conceive and
bear a son. He even tells him to name
the child “Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.” In the context of the
times, Isiah’s words were fulfilled in Hezekiah, Ahaz’s son, who became king.
Saint
Matthew recalls the words of Isaiah and applies them to a member of the House
of King David. Joseph of Nazareth is
also a deeply religious man, trusting that God is involved in his life. Joseph had been betrothed to Mary, probably
for many years. Marriages in that
culture were arranged, and couples had to learn to know and love one another once
they were married. Joseph must have been
devastated when he heard the news that his future wife was with child. As a righteous man, he knows the Law of
Moses. He could have Mary stoned to
death for committing adultery. But he is
also a deeply compassionate man and decides to divorce her quietly. He will step aside and allow the father of
the child to come forward to claim the child.
Centuries
before, God had spoken through dreams to Joseph, the son of Jacob. That Joseph had trusted what he heard in his
dreams and saved Egypt and his own family from starvation. Now, the angel of the Lord speaks to this
descendant of Joseph in a dream, telling him how the Lord had fulfilled the
prophecy of Isaiah in ways that no one could ever have imagined. Joseph trusts what the angel says: do not be afraid and name the child Jesus (“God
saves”). Joseph trusts what he has been
told. Without fear, he takes his wife
into his home. Combined with Mary’s
passive trust of what she had been told by the Angel, Joseph’s actions set the
stage for the Mystery which we will celebrate next Sunday.
God continues
to be involved in our lives. That is why
Christmas is so important for our faith.
Through the Incarnation, God took on human flesh and dwells among
us. Christmas is not just a one day
event. It is a continuing unfolding of
that presence in our world and in our lives.
As we spend this final week preparing to celebrate this great Mystery,
we can learn from Joseph. We can listen
attentively to the voice of God speaking to us – maybe not so much in dreams, but
more in the way that God speaks to us through the Scriptures. We can spend time in quiet reflection,
pondering what the Lord says in the Scriptures and reflect on the ways that God
is already active in our lives. We can
imitate the righteous man of Nazareth and pattern our lives more closely upon
the Law of God showing us the way. We
can imitate his compassion and be merciful to those around us. In preparing to give gifts to those we love
and cherish, we reflect the greatest gift ever given – God taking flesh in our
midst.
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