Upsetting The Apple Cart

First reading	Isaiah 35:1-10

The return of the redeemed through the desert

Let the wilderness and the dry-lands exult,

let the wasteland rejoice and bloom,

let it bring forth flowers like the jonquil,

let it rejoice and sing for joy.

The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it,

the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;

they shall see the glory of the Lord,

the splendor of our God.

Strengthen all weary hands,

steady all trembling knees

and say to all faint hearts,

‘Courage! Do not be afraid.

‘Look, your God is coming,

vengeance is coming,

the retribution of God;

he is coming to save you.’

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

the ears of the deaf unsealed,

then the lame shall leap like a deer

and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy;

for water gushes in the desert,

streams in the wasteland,

the scorched earth becomes a lake,

the parched land springs of water.

The lairs where the jackals used to live

become thickets of reed and papyrus...

And through it will run a highway undefiled

which shall be called the Sacred Way;

the unclean may not travel by it,

nor fools stray along it.

No lion will be there

nor any fierce beast roam about it,

but the redeemed will walk there,

for those the Lord has ransomed shall return.

They will come to Zion shouting for joy,

everlasting joy on their faces;

joy and gladness will go with them

and sorrow and lament be ended.

The Hebrews expected a lot from the Messiah when He came. There are more extravagant claims than the ones in our reading from Isiah today found in writings from the time. For example, when the Messiah came, all Jews would return to their homeland.  Notice I said all Jews. This meant that the living and the dead would return.  The dead would rise from their graves or some said roll underground and awake on the streets of the new Jerusalem. In any event, things would change when the Messiah came.  Did Jesus deliver?

Well, when we look at the world of yesterday and the world of today, we still have deaf people, blind people, lame people, dry dusty deserts, fierce beasts still populate our jungles and things are pretty much as they were before Jesus came.  What is going on here?  Did He fail in His mission? 

The answer to that question, of course, is no.  Jesus conquered the two greatest problems on earth that of sin and death. He truly upset the apple cart of the natural world where death was forever and sinfulness the natural state of man.  He truly upset the apple cart of the world.  In the end, we will have eternal life with God in heaven.  His sacrifice on the cross made this possible.  But, had he only died, there would have been little proof that He was anyone special.  On the third day after his messy and painful death, he conquered death and rose from the grave, vanquishing the foes of mankind forever and securing the ultimate victory. 

This advent season is given to us as a gift.  It is a time for us to use to prepare to welcome the Savior into our hearts.  At this time of year, we await the little child and God does not disappoint us. He gives us Jesus in all his glory, a small, vulnerable, poor child, wrapped in rags and lying in a manger.  He upset the apple cart once again.  He came to us meek and humble and full of love for all that He had created.  Prepare your heart in the coming two weeks to receive the Child into your heart and allow this babe to make your deserts places of life and to tame the wild animals that haunt your dreams.  Let Him open your ears, your eyes, your mouth, and let Him restore the strength to your legs so that you may sing His praises and bring the story of your redemption to others. 

A hauntingly beautiful Advent hymn for you. ( 1 min 42 sec)

Please remember the Poor Souls in Purgatory this week.  They need your prayers.