2nd Advent
Philippians 4:1, 4:4-9
Therefore my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and
my crown of glory, stand firm in the power of the Lord.
Rejoice in the nearness of the Lord at all times!
And I say it again: Rejoice!
Let a gentle kindliness be evident toward all human
beings you encounter. The Lord is near! Let not worry have power over you; let
your concerns in all things be known to God by sending your supplication and
prayer upward in thankful thoughts. And the peace of God, which transcends
anything that the intellect can grasp, will keep your hearts and thoughts safe
in the Being of Christ….
And lastly dear brothers I say to you:
all that is true,
all that is worthy of reverence,
all that is good and holy,
all that is lovely to look at and beautiful to hear,
all that has virtue and deserves praise:
let these be the content of your conversations and
thoughts. All that you have had handed on to you, what you have heard from me
and seen in me—put all this into practice; then the God of Peace will be with
you!
2nd
Advent Sunday
December 8, 2013
Philippians 4:1,
4:4 – 9
The reading today
encourages us to rejoice in the nearness of the Lord. It can be hard to sense
His approach, His presence in these troubled times. Yet somehow we are to find
Him. There is an old story on this theme.
Once a synagogue had fallen on hard times. Only five members were left,
all over 60 years old. In the mountains nearby there lived a retired rabbi. It
occurred to the five to ask the rabbi if he could offer any advice that might
save the group. One of the members and the rabbi spoke at length but when asked
for advice, the rabbi simply responded by saying, "I have no advice to
give. The only thing I can tell you is, the messiah is one of you." This
member, returning, told the four members what the rabbi had said.
In the months that followed, the old members pondered the words of the
rabbi. "The Messiah is one of us?" they each asked themselves. As they
thought about this possibility, they all began to treat each other with
extraordinary respect on the off-chance that, one among them might be the
Messiah ... and on the off-chance that each member himself might be the
Messiah, they also began to treat themselves with extraordinary care. As time
went by, people visiting the synagogue noticed the aura of respect and gentle
kindness that surrounded the five old members of the small group. Hardly
knowing why, more people began to come back to worship at the old synagogue.
They began to bring their friends, and their friends brought more
friends.
Within a few years, the small group had once again become a thriving
congregation, thanks to the rabbi's gift![1]
We are in fact, each
and every one of us Messiahs, Anointed Ones of God. The Lord is as near as our
neighbor, as near as our own heart. Therefore we will 'Let a gentle
kindliness be evident toward all human beings we encounter. The Lord is near….
and the God of peace will be with us.'
[1] The Rabbi's Gift, author
unknown. There are several versions of this story. One was published by M.
Scott Peck in A Different Drummer.
This Jewish version is available on http://www.community4me.com/rabbisgift.html
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