Bible
Study: Isaiah 35, 1 to 10. James 5, 7 to 10 and Matthew 11, 2 to 11.
Since the
beginning of Advent, the themes of our Sunday readings have centred on how we
are to prepare for the coming of Christ. On the First Sunday, the emphasis was
on spiritual vigilance while the Second Sunday was on the need for us to change
our hearts and be converted so that Christ may find in us a pure dwelling place
when he comes. On this third Sunday of Advent, also called GAUDATE SUNDAY
meaning: REJOICE SUNDAY, our readings literally beckon on us to put on us to
rejoice and be happy because of Christ’s coming.
It is time
to put on your dancing shoes and let the celebration begin for God is about to
do something great and marvellous in our eyes. The prophet Isaiah says to us
this morning: “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the dessert shall
rejoice and blossom; like the lily it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice
with joy and singing...”
When we
look around us, we cannot but notice a lot of frustrating circumstances that
tend to limit or probably cut off our happiness, the state of insecurity in the
country, the harsh economic recession which is pushing many to commit acts of
man’s inhumanity to man. Not too long ago, a seven year old boy was beaten to
pulp and burnt to death just because he was accused of stealing Garri to take
care of his hunger in a time of recession like this. The only thing that makes
us proud as a country is football, yet our girls having won the African Cup are
being told there is no money to pay their allowances and bonuses while our Senators
who do not seem to understand the meaning of recession are cruising away in millions
of naira.
Recently
there was an attack on Christians in Southern Kaduna but instead of the Governor
to bring those behind the attack to justice, he went to share huge sums of
money to them as if to placate or rather congratulate them for the genocide
thereby proving to the world that we have a government who not only cannot
secure its citizens but is totally biased towards a certain group of people;
the Fulani to be precise.
In the
midst of all these, our readings today call us to be happy rather than being
fearful and hopeless. In fact, to use the very words of Isaiah: “Say to those
who are of a fearful heart, Be Strong, Fear Not! Behold your God will come with
vengeance… He will come and save you.” Dear friends in Christ, this is the
message for us today. Fear not! No matter how bad things may be in this country,
GOD does not, will not, has never and will never ABANDON US. Christmas is the
assurance we need to know that God still cares for our troubled world.
Christmas draws our attention to the God who choose to dwell among men to help
men solve their problems.
Do you
know that if Christ was never born, things would have been a lot worse today?
Who knows if any of us would have been alive at all? So we have to rejoice, we
have to happy. We are happy not only because Christmas is fourteen days from
now, but because we have HOPE. Hope that with Christ dwelling among us, our
problems will not last forever, hope that we can always talk to the baby Jesus
without fear because as we know, babies are harmless, precious to behold and
ready to do anything they are told. This is what God achieves at Christmas,
humbling himself to come as a baby that we might FREELY approach him.
James adds
his voice to this hope that should be in us by using the analogy of the Farmer
who waits patiently after planting for the earth to bear its fruit. He says: “You
also be patient. Establish you hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at Hand.
Do not grumble…” Enough of all grumblings and complaining about the state of
the Nation or even about the state of Christianity today. Let us celebrate the
hope we have.
John the
Baptist was in Prison when he sent people to confirm from Jesus if he was
really the expected Messiah. Note that this was the same John the Baptist who
introduced Jesus to the world saying: “Behold the Lamb of God.” the same john
the Baptist that did not complain when two of his disciples left him and
started following Jesus. The same man who said: “I must decrease and he must
increase.” Now, he is in prison and his faith is shaking, he has begun to
wonder why Jesus is not doing anything about rescuing him from prison. This is
exactly what happens to us, when we are in crisis, we begin to ask if God still
cares about us.
But Jesus
sent words back to John the Baptist saying: “Go and tell John what you see and
hear: the blind receive their sight and the lam walk, lepers are cleansed and
the deaf hear and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached
to them. And blessed is he who takes no offence at me.” Indeed, blessed is the
man who refuses to take offence at God because things are hard for him. Blessed
are we when we can rejoice despite our situation, despite our economic
meltdown. Blessed are we that we can still sing praises to God even when things
are difficult.
Rejoice,
cast off all your worries aside, just rejoice in the Lord. Be happy for the
coming of God into our life and situation. And if you are really really down, I
tell you a secret to quickly activate your happiness. REACH OUT TO ANY SAD
PERSON YOU CAN FIND AND MAKE THE PERSON HAPPY. Reach out to the poor ones in
your midst, reach out to the lonely, the unloved, those abandoned in the
hospitals, those in prisons, those who have no father or mother, bring joy to
them and I tell you, the measure you give out is what you would receive and
double as well.
Let us
Pray: Lord Jesus, fill me with joy that I may bring joy to the world as well. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith.
It is well with you. God bless you. Happy Sunday
Fr. Abu.
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