Is. 35:1-6a, 10; Ps. 146:6-10; Jam. 5:7-10; Mt.11:2-11
The Lord’s messenger sent to prepare the way of the Lord was John the Baptist. Jesus confirms that what Isaiah proclaimed was fulfilled in John and someone greater now is before them, “the one who is to come”. The “coming of the Lord is at hand” meaning the answer we seek, the “good news” we need, the end to our suffering it is all before us that at the appropriate time we will receive him who is our answer. Thus, St. James tells us to “be patient…do not complain” in God’s time the greater good will always return as a blessing to us.
Jesus has come and yet sadly the world continues to look for another who they can follow. They seek the “other” in the world of politics, a political hero, or in science in a miracle worker, or in technology with Artificial Intelligence. They may even seek the “other” within themselves trying to reinvent someone different that what God created of them. God however always sends us someone to prepare the way for his coming to prepare our hearts to receive him, the Lord’s messenger is among us.
The Lord’s messenger comes in many ways from the stranger who walks up to us asking for help, to the child who questions “why”, to the person we made vows to in marriage “till death do us part”. The Lord’s messengers serve the Lord’s purpose to test us, to have us examine our own conscience, to direct our way to the Lord whether they or we are aware of it or not. Yes, we may be acting on our own volition but God can be using us for his greater purpose when we are open to do his will. We may be that messenger God wants to fulfill a greater purpose that just living our lives.
I wonder how often we fail to recognize the Lord’s messenger and delay receiving the answer we seek to our prayer. Instead of following along the “way of the Lord” we create our own path in the desert of our pain and suffering and delay the promise land to come into our life. St. James says “be patient” but patience is a virtue we don’t enjoy. It requires trust in God, trust in others, and faith.
We must have faith in what purpose God has in our lives, in our circumstances, in our blessings and in our struggles. Patience to wait and see how the process works out in God’s hands. Does this mean we do nothing but wait? Not at all! The Holy Spirit will come to guide us giving us the spirit of truth, wisdom, understanding and right judgment. The Spirit comes to confirm in our minds and hearts God’s direction in our lives and this gives us peace because we see God has now come and is in our life. Praise be to God!
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” and we rejoice in the Lord. The Lord desires us to be the messenger of glad tidings to others, an instrument in God’s hands to be part of the solution to a world that continues to look in the wrong direction for the answer. The world seeks another to crown as their savior but the true savior comes in a cradle this Christmas to remind us his coming started over 2000 years ago and now his coming is waiting on us to receive him, the one true God.
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