Monday, December 3, 2012 -- Advent Week 1 -- Meaning Making
This is the beginning of the annual season of advent -- a time of preparing for Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Each day we will reflect on ancient words from the Bible that point to the coming of the Lord Jesus. Even though these words were written by a prophet named Isaiah hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, they accurately foretold many things about His birth that were fulfilled when He came as a helpless baby. We'll also spend some time looking at the actual events of Jesus’ birth recorded by the gospel writer Luke. Why take the time to do this? God wants to draw our hearts close to His heart. He wants us to know about the fulfillment of His redemption plan for us and for the world. Advent is a time for allowing that closeness to become more real and more consciously a part of our day to day living. So let's give ourselves to reading and hearing what God wants to say to each of us during this Advent season.
Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.
“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. (Isaiah 1:13-18 NLT)
Why does our reading today start with God being unhappy with His people? It doesn't sound very inviting. Even though His people are making sacrifices to him and bringing offerings before Him, in the traditional way of thanksgiving, God finds the whole exercise offensive. Why? Because in their hearts it was pious and meaningless. The sacrifices and prayers and times of worship were meant to be the people’s response to the blessings God had poured out on them. They were "doing all the right things,” so what is the problem? God, who knows their hearts, could see the emptiness of their rituals and practices. God saw people saying one thing and doing another. They were worshipping and then living a totally different way during the rest of their week. Their hearts were deceitful before a God who does not lie and in whom no darkness is found.
What do empty activities look like for us? Here are some examples: 1) Sitting at meetings just because we have an obligation to fulfill the program we are in. 2) Shopping and wrapping gifts just because it is the season to do these things; 3) Helping the less fortunate so we can look good; 4) Singing Christmas carols without really meaning the words; 5) Going to church and praying prayers without changing our attitudes and our behaviours.
We are blessed to be a blessing to others. In His great mercy and kindness, God invites us to come and be washed from our sins and learn to do good. Even though it seems we could never be cleaned up, God promises that if we will come to Him with a true heart of repentance, He will wash us as white as snow. God, who is full of light and truth, who cannot stand the hypocrisy can change our hearts so we can be like Him.
This is God's advent invitation to us. Will we turn away from our empty activities and bring our whole lives to Him in repentance? Will we receive His forgiveness and cleansing? Will we then get busy doing good things out of gratitude for the meaningful way God has filled our lives with His love and kindness? God invites us to turn away from empty activities and turn to His love every day.
Audio for Monday, December 3, 2012 -- Advent Week 1 -- Meaning Making
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