A DEEP MYSTERY OF GOD


 24 DECEMBER

2 Sam 7:1-5,8-12m14,16; Ps 89:2-5,27,29; Lk 1:67-79

The Coming of the King of Glory

We have come to the eve of the solemnity of Christmas. What we celebrate at Christmas is not a sudden realisation of God’s plan, but a well-planned, prepared, and announced coming of God to his people. We have understood, through the reflections, that the mystery we celebrate at Christmas has its origin in the time of creation. The Incarnation is a key component in God’s plan and operations to make us like himself. Because the original sin caused a rift in human trust in God due to the doubt and division planted by the evil one in human awareness, God planned to take our human nature to demonstrate his goodwill towards us and the plan he has for us from all eternity. The persistence of doubt in human minds about God and his will for us prompted God to proclaim his good intentions for us through the prophet Jeremiah. “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place form which I sent you into exile.” Jer 29:11-14. God’s plan to win human trust after the disaster of the original fall involves the Word of God taking our human nature to dwell among us.

The plan entails a mystery that is so deep that not even the angels have an understanding of it, not to mention humans. Saint Paul refers to this in Col 1:26, and understood his vocation as a call to reveal “the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now made manifest to his saints.” The mystery formed the core content of God’s promise to our fallen nature, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to Israel his people, and to David. He fulfilled the physical part of the promise to Abraham in the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt and in establishing them as a nation and his people. Subsequently, he started preparing them to serve the fulfilment of the spiritual part of the promise. David was a major piece in the commencement of the fulfilment of the spiritual part of the promise. David’s desire to build a house for God revealed, in a practical manner, man’s deepest desire to commune with God eternally. This is the desire God would want to see in every man. Therefore, God responded to the desire immediately through Nathan. “Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be the leader of my people, Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth…”” God went on and on, implying that God is the one who builds a house for us.

God built Israel as a house of God and handed it over to David to watch over it as his own house, but for God. At the same time, the house of Israel belongs to every Israelite who worships God faithfully, for they became a prophetic, royal, and priestly people to God and to the nations. The Old Israel served as a Sacrament and means of fulfilling the formation of the New Israel of God, the Church Christ our Lord. The birth of John the Baptist marked an important passage from the Old to the New. Zechariah prophesied to that effect. “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel for he has visited his people, he has come to their rescue and he has raised up for us a power for salvation in the House of his servant David, even as he proclaimed, by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times, that he would save us from our enemies and form the hands of all who hate us.” God made this promise for the first time when he revealed his intention to create enmity between the woman and the serpent, between her offspring and the offspring of the serpent. Through the woman, God builds another House, a spiritual one, and sets up his Son to rule over it. Never will any evil be found there, for the King of Glory reigns perpetually over the mystical City of God. The name of the City and its King is Immanuel, God-is-with-us. No iota of doubt is found in the minds of the citizens of God’s love for them. Hence, they sing forever of God’s love. “I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord; through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth. Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever, that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.”

When the sun rises in the heavens you will see the king of kings. He comes forth from the Father like a bridegroom coming in splendour from his wedding chamber.

Let us pray: Come quickly, we pray, Lord Jesus, and do not delay, that those who trust in your compassion may find solace and relief in your coming. Who live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.     

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