Reflection on Today's Readings, Friday, 3rd Week of Advent, Year B, December 18th, 2020
Texts:Jer. 23:5-8; Ps. 72:1-2.12-13.18-19; Matt. 1:18-24
The Messiah we are awaiting is coming to establish righteousness and to save us; he will execute justice and righteousness in the land. By his mission and ways of life we shall say, 'The Lord is our rightousness'.
We say the Lord is our rightousness because he bestows righteousness; he is the one who makes us righteous; it is his rightousness that is ours, we have no rightousness of our own. The righteousness we have is not out of our merit, but out of the grace the Lord bestowed on us through his redemptive works. St. Paul puts it thus: "all are justified by the free gift of his grace through being set free in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24).
The Lord is our rightousness because he is righteousness himself; he embodies righteousness. The Lord we are expecting is going to lead us in the way of righteousness; he shall show us what it means to be righteous in words, deeds and ways of life. Hence, he is called a righteous branch. In him we will understand what righteousness is.
The Lord is not only our rightousness because he bestows righteousness and live righteously, but also because following him we become righteous. The Lord is our rightousness because keeping his words makes us righteous, following his ways of life is walking the path of righteousness. The Lord is our rightousness means that for us becoming righteous is keeping his words, following his commands and laws.
The Lord will still not be our rightousness if we only know that he bestows righteousness, he lives righteously and that his ways of life is path of righteousness, without actually becoming righteous by him. The Lord is our rightousness because we have walked in his ways and we have become righteous. This means we are keeping his words and walking in his ways to become righteous.
The Messiah is also going to bring salvation. It is said, "in his days Judah will be saved and Israel dwell securely." He is going to inaugurate a new era of salvation, which shall supercede and replace the old era of salvation. The new era shall become a new point of reference. It is said, "Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when men shall no longer say, 'As the Lord lives who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' but 'As the Lord lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel out of north country and out of all countries where he had driven them.'" The coming of the Messiah shall be a new dawn, new starting point, in the history of man's salvation.
Today's gospel reading gives us St. Joseph as an example of righteous man. A righteous man does not act out of hatred, malice, or anger. Though, St. Joseph might have been embarrassed and disappointed in Mary, he was unwilling to put her to shame. It is said, "her husband, Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly." In the example of St. Joseph we also see that being righteous means keeping God's words and instructions. It is said of him thus: "When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him." We are not to act out of negative emotions, and we are to always keep God's words and follow his instructions.
Lord Jesus, may we always see you as our rightousness that we might live righteously every day of our lives. Amen.
Rev. Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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