Word to the Wise
Friday, December 9, 2022 - 2nd Week of Advent - Fri
[Isa 48:17-19 and Matt 11:16-19]Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go. If you would hearken to my commandments, your prosperity would be like a river, and your vindication like the waves of the sea. [Isaiah] "To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in the market places and call to one another, 'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is vindicated her works." [Matthew]
Closed minds gather no wisdom. Isaiah reminds us that God has taught us the right ways to live, whether in Old Testament prophecy or in the gospels and letters of the New Testament. The statement of Jesus in today's gospel warns our own generation of the danger of closed minds to his teachings. Our minds can be "closed" by political opinions, biases of various sorts, fears associated with past events - the list is long.
Advent offers us the opportunity to examine our lives as a kind of preparation to welcome the birth of Jesus. Is there someone from whom we are alienated? Do we need to forgive that person or ask for forgiveness from him or her or them? Can we take a good long look at our socio-political beliefs/attitudes and see how they fare in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. chs. 5-7) or the scene of the Last Judgment (Matt. 25:21-45)? Will wisdom be "vindicated" in our works? Jesus challenges every generation to open their closed minds to his message and live accordingly. Isaiah speaks to God's promises if we will "hearken to my commandments." AMEN