FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YR B
2 Sam. 7:1-5,8-11,16; Ps 89
Rom. 16:25-27: Luke 1:26-38
GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES
For the fourth Sunday of Advent, we bring our preparations for the celebration of Christmas to an end. In a couple of days, we will begin the Christmas season.
Our gospel today is generally referred to as the annunciation. It is the appearance of the Angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary to announce the birth of the saviour Jesus. In the midst of much perplexity, fear and awe of Mary, the angel announced the birth of the Messiah in these words, “ you will bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, he will rule over the house of David forever and his kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:32-34).
From this message of the Angel, we identify about four things concerning this Child of Mary:
- He will be great.
- Will be called the son of the Most High
- He will be given the throne of his father David
- His Kingdom will have no end.
When we read the first reading carefully, after God refused David to build a house for Him, he made him a promise for his good intention. The promise of an offspring who will be great, who will rule forever (a dynasty) and will have God as a father is found there. But the sad truth is that the dynasty of David didn’t last forever. Just after his death, the Kingdom was divided into two. By 587 AD these two divided kingdoms were taken into exile and the Temple of God was totally destroyed. So, from historical point of view the dynasty of David did not last forever but just a few hundred years.
The dynasty of David can be said to have lasted only a few hundred years. When those in exile returned around 538AD they rebuilt the temple but did not restore the Davidic dynasty. It looks like God couldn’t keep his promise. The people kept some hope of salvation but were not too sure whether to hold on to this promise or not. For this reason, varied notions and teachings about the messianic expectation arose. Even some groups forgot about it altogether and associated with the present political power and way of doing things.
Then an Angel called Gabriel appeared. I think it would sound better to say he was sent. May the Lord send a Gabriel your way. The angel appears and announces of the birth of this saviour who belongs to the house of David. He repeats the promise of God and tells Mary that God wants her consent to fulfil this promise.
The difference here is that the greatness of the child to be born is not because of the grandeur of his lineage but the lowliness of his life which here is represented in Mary and Joseph. Whereas the kings in the Davidic dynasty were metaphorically called sons of God, Jesus is truly the son of God in the true sense of the word. Through Joseph and Mary, Jesus is a descendant of David. His Kingdom will never end because he will by ministry and purpose defeat the devil and will reign forever as king of the whole universe.
As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, we are assured that God does not go back on his word. It may seem to have delayed but God does come around for us. He is not a man; he does not promise what he cannot accomplish. Trust him.
He sent an Angel with good news. May the Lord send you also an angel with good news as this year ebbs away.
God fulfils his promise but not according to our pattern. The Lord God abandons the Temple and the Palaces where people will expect the saviour to be born, and found the humble home of Mary and Joseph in an unimportant town of Nazareth. The Lord acts only through our humility and lowliness.
Hope is never lost when God is involved. May you never lose hope of a better life. By the birth of Jesus may all your hopes be fulfilled.
Have a blessed Christmas Season.
God bless you.
By Fr. Delight Arnold Carbonu
