Advent Reflection for 29th November 2021

Welcome to this series of short Advent reflections, taken from ‘Reflections for Advent’ by Stephen Cottrell and Guli Francis-Dehqani, and ‘The Art of Advent’ by Jane Williams, both of which I recommend you buy - they are not expensive and I have found them very inspiring.

The reading for today is from Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 12. Jesus has been healing on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees are angry...

So, verse 15...

15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. 16 He warned them not to tell others about him. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,

the one I love, in whom I delight;

I will put my Spirit on him,

and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

19 He will not quarrel or cry out;

no one will hear his voice in the streets.

20 A bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,

till he has brought justice through to victory.

21 In his name the nations will put their hope.”

Our first reflection for Advent in one sense starts towards the end of the story. Jesus’s reputation as a healer has brought in crowds asking for his miraculous help - and brought the condemnation of the Jewish religious authorities because his radical retelling of the scriptures challenges their power and their traditions. So the Pharisees start plotting to kill him. Matthew quotes from the book of the prophet Isaiah to affirm the reason Jesus came to earth:

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen,

the one I love, in whom I delight;

I will put my Spirit on him,

and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

But the Prince the Jews had expected, bringing justice through a victorious, violent battle with the pagan Roman empire, instead “will not quarrel or cry out.” His justice and victory will come through his love and sacrifice.

The picture chosen by Jane Williams for today’s reflection for her 2018 book ‘The Art of Advent’ is William Blake’s “The Ancient of Days”, a title Blake took from the book of Daniel. No doubt about the power available to Jesus as the son of this blazing God, should he choose to use it. This is the God whose Word was the beginning of everything, as John tells us at the start of his Gospel, and whose Word was Jesus. Jane Williams says: This ‘Ancient One’ is full of power and purpose, shaping the world for us, but not necessarily as we might wish it to be. Jesus, through whom all things come into being, is coming to claim the world again. Is this good news, or is it terrifying?

Here's the Collect for the day:

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness

and to put on the armour of light,

now in the time of this mortal life,

in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility,

that on the last day,

when he shall come again in his glorious majesty

to judge the living and the dead,

we may rise to the life immortal;

through him who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever. Amen