+ In modern Bibles there are chapter titles and section titles that help to focus us and assist us to readily capture a theme or context.
In the Revised New American Bible edition, Chapter 35 starts with this “title”: “Israel’s Deliverance.”
Finally, after all of Israel’s pain and suffering, occupation, destruction, result of their sin, disobedience and lack of faith, etc., etc., etc., they come to the moment of their deliverance.
And what incredible language describes this idyllic time: The wilderness would blossom with incredible irrigation — water, water, water — in that desert; blossoms and flowers, weak knees becoming strengthened, the lame will walk, vindication, eyes opened and ears cleared.
And even mutes will sing, their tongues having been loosened.
The messianic time was the time, and everything would be transformed and made new and given life, blessing, peace, hope, grace, and goodness.
Jesus appears on the scene; he encounters the crowd hungering for so much faith and peace and meaning, encounters the paralytic, and speaks about healing from sin’s spiritual paralysis, then from physical paralysis: “Your sins are forgiven; get up and walk.”
+ Our God has come to save us!”
+ Is this Advent faith our faith? Have we been freed from our many ways of being paralyzed — spiritually, socially, within our relationships, intellectually, emotionally?
Do we — have we, will we? — let Christ encounter us and invite us and free us and send us forth, with the conviction that he always wants our freedom from sin and the ability to walk and run and dance our life of grace?
+ This is Advent, wake up, come alive! Let the eternal Christ enter!
“Our God has come to save us!”
Father Perry D. Leiker is the 14th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at perry.leiker@gmail.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.
