Reflection for Sunday December 8, Second Sunday of Advent: Luke 3:1-6

Gospel: Luke 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. 

John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. 

Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

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Reflection:

A powerful and learned man saw a simple and humble man preaching about the teachings of Jesus. The powerful man became curious about what the simple and humble man was saying. Hence, he got out of his car and listened to the simple man's preaching. 

The powerful man was so captivated by the preaching that he listened intently. After the preaching was over, he said to himself, “I wish God had also given me the same gift of preaching.” 

In the Gospel for this Second Sunday of Advent, Saint Luke presents us with the names of powerful people, such as Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, and many other figures who ruled over their respective kingdoms. 

However, Luke also mentions the name of John, a simple man chosen by God to be the herald for Jesus. God did not choose any of the powerful figures mentioned in the Gospel to prepare the way for Jesus. Despite their influence, God could have easily selected any of them. Instead, He chose John, the humble man from the desert, to be the precursor of Jesus. 

What is the message for us in God’s anointing of John? It tells us that God comes to those who are simple and humble—those who do not allow themselves to be consumed by the trappings and influences of this world. Such as, riches, power, influence, social media and so on. 

John is also preaching to us about repentance and abhorrence of our many sins. In addition, John is preaching to us that we need to lead and live simple lives. For it’s only in the simplicity of our lifestyle that we would be able to hear the voice of God. – Marino J. Dasmarinas