Friday of the Second Week of Advent

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/120911.cfm

I, the LORD, your God,
teach you what is for your good,
and lead you on the way you should go.

In today’s gospel we hear Jesus’ frustration with his contemporaries: “What does it take to move these people to repentance?” If he fasts with John the Baptist they think he’s possessed; if he laughs and sings with them they think he’s a glutton and a drunkard.

Today they might say he’s a fanatic when they see him fasting, praying or giving alms. And God save us from religious fanatics! Or they might say he panders to our weakness when they see him eating and drinking and sharing the pleasure of human companionship.

But what he actually does is “...teach you what is for your good.” We must regard Jesus as the model for our own behavior, rather than suppose he models his behavior after ours. It can be no surprise that Jesus enjoys food and drink, singing and dancing, companionship and solitude. These are God-given privileges for our human nature. 

Nor should we be surprised to find him intensely focused and even ascetic. We are not made for ourselves but for God. No one finds satisfaction in pleasing only oneself. Jesus might say, “My life is not about me nor is your life about you.”

Both of today’s readings mention vindication, a very important theme in the scriptures:

If you would hearken to my commandments,your prosperity would be like a river,and your vindication like the waves of the sea;

          *

But wisdom is vindicated by her works.

It doesn’t usually take very long for Jesus’ good life to be proven (vindicated) as the right way for us. We need only stand out of the way to watch the fool stumble and fall. As they say on the Net, “There is no cure for stupid.” Rather:

Blessed the man who follows notthe counsel of the wickedNor walks in the way of sinners,nor sits in the company of the insolent,But delights in the law of the LORDand meditates on his law day and night.