Monday of Week 2 of Advent – First Reading

Commentary on Isaiah 35:1-10

The First Reading expresses the excitement and anticipation of God’s coming in our midst. The passage comes from a longer passage (chaps 34-35) which speaks of the ultimate triumph of Jerusalem. It is sometimes known as the ‘Little Apocalypse’. It describes the final terrible battles, which will be waged by Yahweh against the nations in general, but against Edom in particular. This is followed by the prediction of a final judgement when Jerusalem will be re-established in all its glory.

Why was Edom picked out especially as the object of God’s anger? “The land of Edom” extended from the head of the Gulf of Akabah, to the south shore of the Dead Sea. It is a wild and rugged region, traversed by fruitful valleys. At the time of the Exodus, the Edomites refused permission to the Israelites to pass through their land, and ever afterwards maintained an attitude of hostility toward them. After being conquered by David and later by Amaziah, they regained again their independence, and in later years, made war against Israel. The Edomites took part with the Chaldeans when Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem, and afterwards they invaded and held possession of the south of Palestine as far as Hebron.

Clearly, all this did not endear them to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Some feel the present desolate condition of that land is a standing testimony to the inspiration of the prophets’ warnings. After an existence as a people for more than 1,700 hundred years, the Edomites have utterly disappeared, and even their language is forgotten forever. In the capital, Petra (also known as Sela), “where kings kept their court, and where nobles assembled, there no man dwells; it is given by lot to birds, and beasts, and reptiles”.

Today’s reading is in sharp contrast to the destruction of Edom described in chapter 34. Instead, there comes a description of the blessings which are in store for Jerusalem. It is similar to the description of the return from exile in Babylon found later in chapters 40-55 (Second Isaiah).

In contrast to the desolateness of Edom, the barren areas of the land will bloom and all shall see the glory of God:

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly
and rejoice with joy and shouting

Words of encouragement are to be given, perhaps by the prophets:

Strengthen the weak hands
and make firm the feeble knees.

Not only will life return to nature but all kinds of disabilities will be removed from people’s lives – the eyes of the blind opened, the ears of the deaf unstopped, the lame leaping like deer, the tongue of the speechless singing for joy. We find such a prophecy constantly confirmed by the works of Jesus and foretold by him at the beginning of his public life (Luke 4:18) using a similar prophecy from Isaiah (61:1).

And so too, today’s Gospel is a graphic example, describing the total healing – in body and spirit – of a man who was paralysed. The former wilderness, too, will be transformed by an abundance of water – something that people in the Middle East can probably appreciate much more than we can. And, with the coming of water, the whole land bursts forth into new life, a land is transformed. All this we see now as a symbol of the spiritual richness that Jesus would bring into our lives.

And so the passage concludes with:

A highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Holy Way

The “unclean” will not travel on it; they will go their own way, on the broad road that leads to their own destruction. Rather, the highway:

…shall be for God’s people;
no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.

Again, Jesus is that Way. As long as we are on that Way we have nothing to fear.

Finally the:

…ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing.

Instead of the baggage the ordinary travellers carried on their heads, these will come with everlasting joy on their heads. Joy and gladness will be theirs and:

…sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

This is what we look forward to in our coming Christmas celebration. The birth of the Child is the beginning of all that is foretold here. May we be part of it.

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Monday of Week 2 of Advent – Gospel

Commentary on Luke 5:17-26

Today’s First Reading from Isaiah expresses the excitement and anticipation of God’s coming in our midst. The Gospel is an example of this promise being realised. It is Luke’s version of the healing of a paralysed man who can only reach Jesus by being lowered through the roof of the house. The efforts which the sick man’s friends make to get him to Jesus is an indication of their tremendous faith and confidence in Jesus.

However, the man may have been somewhat surprised to hear the words of Jesus:

Friend, your sins are forgiven you.

That was not what he came for. He hoped something could be done about his paralysis. But the Pharisees and Scribes present were even more shocked:

Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?

Of course, they were perfectly right, but they did not put two and two together and identify the presence of God in Jesus.

So Jesus asks them:

Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’?

Naturally, the first is easier to say. But to show that Jesus has the authority really to forgive sin, he says to the paralysed man:

I say to you, stand up and take your stretcher and go to your home.

Immediately, the man stands up before them all, picks up his mat and goes home.

To understand what is happening here we have to realise the perceived close relationship in those days between sin and sickness. Sickness, especially something chronic like paralysis or blindness, was often presumed to be the result of, or punishment for sin. So if Jesus can totally remove the sickness, it must mean the sin which caused it has gone too. Jesus can forgive sin.

We might not express things quite the same way now, but there may be some truth in the belief that there is a relationship between sickness and behaviour. Many people are sick and even in hospital because their bodies are revealing symptoms of ‘dis-ease’ which has its roots in their hearts and minds and feelings. The healing power of Jesus, which we all need, has to extend to every part of our being – body, mind, heart and in our relationships with others.

There are intimations in this story of resurrection and new life when the man now stands up – something he could not do before. And, now able to walk, he goes home, that is, he goes to the place where he belongs.

We too need the healing of Christ which removes the things which paralyse or handicap us in our following him. We need to stand anew in the Life that he gives and then find our way to our true home, which is to be with him.

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