Reflection on Today's Readings, Wednesday, 3rd Week of Advent, Year B, December 16th, 2020
Texts: Is. 45:6b-8.18.21b-25; Ps. 85:9ab-14; Luke 7:19-23
God reminds us today that he is the only Lord and creator of heavens and earth, including the state of affairs. He puts it thus: "I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create woe, I am the Lord who did all these things." By this, God tells us that he has control and power over state of affairs, either woe or well-being, and by so doing he could change the condition of our lives from one form to another, from woe to well-being or from well-being to woe. God reveals this to us not to exalt himself, but to build our faith in him and to draw us closer to himself for salvation. He says, "And there is no other God besides me, a righteous God and a Saviour; there is none besides me. 'Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! I am God and there is no other."
The constant emphasis on being only "the Lord and God" is a reminder of first commandments. Today's first reading has first commandments as its background: "I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments" (Ex. 20:2-6). Hence, God calls us to total devotion to himself, we should serve him with all our heart, soul and might.
God is not just our Saviour or the only Lord and God, he is also a moral God; he keeps his words and he does not break faith. He is God of righteousness; he saves us, that we might live righteously. It is said, "Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the skies rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation may sprout forth, and let it cause righteousness to spring up also; I the Lord have created it."
Today's gospel reading takes further the message that God has control over man's affairs. The evidence of the coming of the Messiah is the change in condition of the people. When John sent to Jesus to ask if he were the Messiah, Jesus answered, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them." We are to draw close to God, the only one who can true change our conditions of life to better; he is the only one who can save us from bad state of our lives. Let us cling onto him. We draw close to God when we keep his commandments and live righteously.
Lord our God, we thank you for whom you have been to us, grant that we may keep your commandments and live righteously. Amen.
Rev. Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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