Since the first Sunday of Advent, with vigilance (i.e. Luke 21:36) and blessed hope (Titus 2:13), we have been preparing ourselves for the coming of Christ incarnated in the human flesh of Jesus during Advent in anamnesis and for Christ’s second coming in reality, as Advent marks the beginning of a liturgical year, which concludes in celebrating Christ’s return in anticipation. But what is the reason for us to prepare for Christ’s coming?
To be saved? To be redeemed?
If this is all we think of, then, we may not be saved and redeemed for his Kingdom, which is at hand.
Let us not be so selfish.
Though Christ is coming to save and redeem us for his Kingdom, it is not that he would immediately take us to the Kingdom upon his arrival. We need to get to know him personally, spending time with him, witnessing his teaching and his actions, and engaging with him for his ministry. We must become his true disciples first. Then, we grow in faith and mature enough to understand the Paschal Mystery in him (i.e. Luke 24:44-49). By the time of his ascension, we will be ready to be sent on our apostolic mission with the Holy Spirit, who is another Parakletos (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7), while Christ remains to be the Parakletos (1 John 2:1).
For us to be saved and redeemed into his Kingdom, we need to be mature in faith through your discipleship (Ephesians 4:13) and serve as his apostles upon receiving the Holy Spirit (John 20:22; Acts 2:1-12). Therefore, preparing for the coming of Christ through Advent means that we prepare ourselves to be sent on our apostolic mission so that we can spread the Gospel of Christ’s Kingdom and making disciples in all nations (i.e. Matthew 28:19).
In the scripture readings of Saturday of the First Week of Advent (Isaiah 30: 19-21, 23-26; Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8), we are directed to look beyond the arrival of Christ and ready ourselves to work with and for him. These readings encourage us to think what we are doing for him and with him, upon his arrival. And the way we work for him and with him certainly affects the judgement before entering the Kingdom upon his return.
The Gospel Reading (Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8) is about Christ proclaiming the Gospel of his Kingdom and sending his disciples on mission to respond to the growing needs of people who were like sheep without a shepherd. They were the abandoned and the troubled.
It was out of his compassion for those who were like the sheep without a shepherd that Christ said, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest”(Matthew 9:37-38). Because he is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14), Christ heard the cries in the hearts of the abandoned and troubled sheep without a shepherd. In response, he is sending more shepherds who are one with him to reach out to these abandoned and troubled sheep. In this context, the master of the harvest is Christ the Good Shepherd and the laborers to be sent are his disciples, who are trained to be shepherds, on behalf of the Good Shepherd.
So, Christ, the Good Shepherd, commissioned and sent his disciples to these abandoned and troubled sheep (i.e. John 10:16), instructing:
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give (Matthew 10:6-8).
This means that we will be sent on our apostolic mission, in Christ’s name, clothed with the Holy Spirit (i.e. Luke 24:49), reaching out to those who are broken-hearted, suffering, marginalized, and having no sense of meaning and direction in life because they have no faith. Through our mission works, we bring the living Christ to them, through the Word and the Eucharist. And, through our pastoral presence, we bring Christ, the Good Shepherd, in our fellowship with them (i.e. Matthew 18:20), as we proclaim the Gospel of his Kingdom them. This way, we draw these “lost sheep” to Christ’s sheep fold (i.e. John 10:16), so that more brothers and sisters can be saved with us (i.e. John 10:9).
The First Reading (Isaiah 30: 19-21, 23-26) is about trusting God for His promise to protect Judah from Assyria’s attack.
To Judah, Assyria became a great threat, when Hezekiah refused to pay tribute to Assyria (2 Kings 18:7), because his father, Ahaz, made Judah a vassal state to Assyria for protecting the kingdom against Israel (Northern Kingdom) and Syria (i.e. 2 Kings 16:5-6; 2 Chronicles 28:5-6), defying God’s advise (2 Kings 16:7-9; Isaiah 7:1-8:22). In order to protect the kingdom from Assyria’s attack, Judah was thinking to seek protection from Egypt against God’s counsel through Isaiah, and God warns Judah for its attempt to seek protection from Egypt (Isaiah 30:1-17).
Would God condemn Judah for defying His counsel?
According to the First Reading (Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26), no. Rather, God shows His compassion and mercy for Judah’s difficult geopolitical struggle, because of Hezikiah’ bold move to refuse to be Assyria’s vassal state.
Judah, which was a small kingdom, lost protection from Assyria because of Hezekiah’s action. But, Judah became extremely vulnerable to Assyria’s attack. And God certainly understood this with His compassion and mercy for Judah’s difficult position. While was strongly against Judah’ inclination to seek protection from Egypt (Isaiah 30:1-17), God promised to protect and sustain Judah against Assyria (Isaiah 30:18-26). In this promise, God called Judah to trust Him and be patient with the deliverance of this promise as He promised to provide sustenance during in adversity, not to hide Himself but to be with His people in Judah, making Judah prosperous, while healing its affliction.
When we are in a situation like that of Judah in Isaiah 30, we are tempted to seek quick-fix and military options. Then we tend to turn our deaf ears to God’s counsel, because following it is rather difficult and demands patience. But God nevertheless calls us to turn our years to His counsel and trust Him. And as God delivers His salvific promise to those who trust Him and follow His counsel with patient hope, He not only provides for sustenance but healing, as well.
Reading this text for Advent indicates that our preparation for the coming of Christ is to prepare ourselves for God’s promise to be delivered. And the promise is send His only begotten Son, the Christ, so that the fullness of our life is recovered.
Then, we learn from Christ to be able to continue the deliverance of God’s salvific promise, namely, the establishment of the Kingdom, upon his arrival. This will enable us to serve for the Kingdom through our apostolic mission works, after his ascension, until his return. Through this, we reach out to those who were lost and those who were struggling with difficulties, as Judah was in dealing with a threat from Assyria. Rather than letting them seek devil’s counsel for quick-fix, we teach them Christ’s counsel. This way, more of us will be saved and redeemed into the Kingdom.
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