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SCRIPTURE READINGS

ISAIAH 11:1-10

ROMANS 15:4-13

MATTHEW 3:1-12

SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is Hope for the Lost World. Hope for the lost world means salvation or deliverance for the world. In the season of Advent, we anticipate the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the hope of the lost world. We shall look at the following points:

1. Characteristics of the lost world.
2. Jesus is the hope of the lost world.

Firstly, we shall look at the characteristics of a lost world. A lost world refers to the category of people who are still leaving in sin and have not been saved by our Lord Jesus Christ. The following are characteristics of people who are in the lost world. They lack the wisdom and understanding of God, they do not fear the Lord, there is no justice, equity and righteousness among them, wickedness and corruption abound, there is chaos and oppression of the poor and weak and peace is completely absent. These were the characteristics of the lost world or the nation Isreal when the Prophet Isaiah announced the message of hope and salvation to the nation “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.” (Isaiah 11:1-3). Dear friend, this message is also relevant to our current dispensation or world since all the characteristics mentioned earlier are still prevailing.

Secondly, if we have identified that our world is lost because it has all the characteristics of a lost world then who do we turn to as our hope and salvation? We must turn to Jesus because He is the hope of the Lost world. It was for this reason, John the Baptist warned the Israelites, starting from their leaders, “when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 3:7-10) Beloved in the Lord, this is the time of grace for the lost world, we are being called to repent for the second Advent or the coming of Jesus is imminent, He will return to judge the lost world “he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:12) Those of us who have been saved from the lost world must continue to endure in faith and love one another even as we await the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul inspires us through his letter to the Romans that, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:4-6)

In summary, the theme for our reflection is “Hope for the lost world”. We have discussed the characteristics of a lost world and came to the conclusion that Jesus Christ is the hope of the lost world. May the Holy Spirit strengthen us to continually preach the message of repentance and salvation to the lost world so that many will be saved during the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.