This passage reminds me of a story I overheard at a friend’s house. The mother was explaining how her home congregation was unhappy with their current pastor. The father responded, “They are never happy. They wouldn’t even be happy with Jesus!” I was much older when I made the connection that people in Jesus’ time were not happy with him. How could that be? Jesus is JESUS!
I’ve noticed this tendency to criticize change everywhere. People are unhappy when they are told they need to change to improve some part of their life. The change is usually suggested because a new way proves the old to be inadequate. We don’t like to be told that we must improve. We don’t like to be wrong. We feel defensive, so we deny and belittle the source of change.
Jesus had come to proclaim the kingdom of God. He was not what people expected; he had a new way that called people to love. Yet he was belittled and eventually crucified.
During Advent, let us listen carefully to hear the call to the kingdom of heaven and to respond faithfully by changing the way we look at others, loving as Jesus loved.
Lord of wisdom, open our hearts to the change you need us to make. Amen. —