Reflection on Today's Readings, Friday, 2nd Week of Advent, Year B, December 11th, 2020
Texts: Is. 48:17-19; Ps. 1:1-6; Matt. 11:16-49
Every one desires Peace, but most often we seek it in the wrong way. Sometimes, we seek it in positions. Sometimes, we seek it by amassing wealth. Sometimes, we seek it in pleasure, such as drinks, food and sex. The truth is that peace cannot be found in things that pass; peace cannot be found by devoting to earthly things.
Peace is found in God; we find peace by following the way of the Lord, by keeping his commandments. Today's first reading says, "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you the way you should go. O that you had listened to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like waves of the sea". Peace and righteousness have disappeared in our midst because we have refused to follow the ways of the Lord and to keep his words.
Today's Psalm also speaks to us about peace. The psalm tells us not to do three things if we want true peace: not to follow the advice of the wicked, not stand in the path with sinners, and not to join the group of scorners, those who criticize and mock the righteous. To be wicked is to be inhuman, to lack regard for human feeling, rights and dignity. We should not take their advice, we are not to entertain wicked thought, we are to stay away from any thing that can make us act wickedly. We are to avoid the ways of the wicked but walk in the ways of the Lord, which are justice and righteousness.
Standing in the path of sinners is doing things that can lead us to sin. Sin is more than being wicked, it is a disobedience to God's commandments, it is a rejection of God's commandments, a refusal to keep his words. If we want peace, we are to keep the commandments of God, we are to keep his words.
The third thing we should not do is to scorn or hate the righteous; we are not to belong to the group of those who mock those who live righteous life. We are to love their ways and emulate them, that is, we are to belong to the group of those who live righteous life.
The psalm does not tell us what we need to avoid only, it also tells us what we are to do: we are to delight in the law of the Lord and meditate the law day and night. The law, here, is the Scripture, the words of God. We should have devotion to God's words, reading and meditating on them every day and allowing them to guide and influence our thoughts, words and actions; the words of God should be light on our path and lamp for our feet.
We are to devote ourselves to God's words so as not to fall into the error that Jesus Christ condemns in today's gospel reading. The people lack discernment, they could not see God in ordinary things of life, they could not discern the ways of life that are sinful and ungodly. Devotion to God's words helps us to understand ways of life that are sinful and ungodly. Let us, therefore have a great devotion to God's words. If we have devotion to God's words, we will be like trees planted beside a flowing waters, that yield its fruit in due season, and whose leaves shall not fade; and we shall prosper in all we do.
Lord our God, make us love your ways, commandments and words, that we might be faithful to them, and by so doing we may enjoy peace all the days of our lives. Amen.
Rev. Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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