Thursday, December 16

Isaiah 9:18-10:4

Psalms 33, 50, 59, and 60

2 Peter 2:10b-16

Matthew 3:1-12

They gorged on the right, but still were hungry, and they devoured on the left, but were not satisfied; they devoured the flesh of their own kindred. Isaiah 9:20

Advent is upon us. All signs are pointing to the great feast of Christmas. We anticipate the Lord’s coming into the world to renew us and make us His people.

Yet, we are a people who are anything but simple. We spend this Advent time lead not by the anticipation of the Lord’s coming but by our calendars. At work, there are deadlines to meet. At church, there are liturgies to plan and festivities to organize. At home, we are attempting to balance demands – demands on our time, demands on our pocketbooks and demands on our patience as we fight the mall crowds. We are reminded daily not of the number of days until Jesus comes again but the number of shopping days remaining in this season.

On Christmas morning, are we satisfied? Do we sit back and reflect on an Advent spent gorging or being gorged? Do we watch the fire remembering the joy on a child’s face or the stack of to-do lists that have items yet to be crossed off? Do we marvel at the Christmas lights glowing from the tree or do we shake our heads at the hangover the last weeks have caused? Do we watch the door waiting for family or friends to fill the house with laughter or sit wishing that you could just be left alone?

Christmas morning will come. The Christ-child will be born again into the world to bring peace – that peace which passes all understanding. Will that peace find you or will you be found not satisfied?

Jesus comes to us at Christmas. How we receive his coming will depend on this time we call Advent.

Prepare the way of the Lord. Matthew 3:3

John Pitts