Reflections for Sunday
Third Sunday of Advent - December 14, 2003
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say rejoice. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.Philippians 4: 4-7
Rejoice in the Lord
When Jesus came into the world, his arrival was announced as glad tidings. The message he taught in his public ministry was proclaimed as good news. After the darkness of Good Friday, his resurrection on Easter Sunday was greeted with joy. Faith in Jesus is always a matter of rejoicing.
But joy does not come easily in an unredeemed world. Everywhere we find sin and suffering. Each of us receives a portion of tears and sorrow. And when we look around us, we see many who are far worse off than ourselves. Countless numbers of our brothers and sisters live in conditions of poverty and deprivation that we can hardly comprehend. How can we rejoice in a world filled with so much suffering?
The answer is simple: we rejoice because the Lord is near. We believe that the sufferings of this present life cannot compare with the joy of redemption. We believe that the Lord will come again and bring justice to the earth: that the poor will be raised up to places of honor; that the hungry will have plenty to eat; that the oppressed will be set free; that every tear will be wiped away, and God's grace will rain upon the earth. We believe that the Lord will restore creation to what it was in the beginning in God's plan. Those who have done evil to their brothers and sisters, whether by deed or by complicity, will answer to a just God. And those who have hungered for righteousness will be at peace in the kingdom of heaven.
Lord Jesus, we await your coming in eager expectation. Give us the faith to watch vigilantly for you. Guide us with your word, that we may act justly in all we do, and be numbered among those who enter your kingdom filled with rejoicing.