God’s manifestation

Cycle C – Advent 3

FIRST READING: Zephaniah 3:14-18 – Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgements against you, he has cast out your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: ‘Do not fear, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.’

SECOND READING: Philippians 4: 4-7 – Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

GOSPEL: Luke 3: 10-18 – The multitudes asked John, ‘What shall we do?’ And he answered them, ‘He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.’ Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, ‘Teacher, what shall we do?’ And he said to them, ‘Collect no more than is appointed you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what shall we do?’ And he said to them, ‘Rob no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.’

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The prophet Zephaniah (living, in the second half of the 7th century BCE) preached during the time of Israel’s kingdom; John the Baptist and Paul during the Roman occupation of Palestine. All three considered the people’s political situation to be very grim and dismal, and that things shall eventually change.

All three thus expected this to come about by some kind of manifestation of God; when God shall tear the skies open and descent upon the world to bring justice and peace. While Zephaniah expected this to happen in some distant future, and John perhaps in the near future, Paul expected it during his own lifetime.

Actually, all three were wrong. There was to be no grand manifestation of God. According to God’s plan, change had to come in another manner which was altogether different: the Jesus way. This is the silent, hidden revolution of hearts and minds. It is in this way that God works; this is how he brings about change.

Jesus birth, which we celebrate in over a week’s time, is ample proof of how God works and manifests himself. You are the change that God promised and planned. You are God’s manifestation which most people shall ever encounter.