These readings in early Advent are perfect for the season. I am to take time during the season to sit back and reflect on the coming Messiah. The passage from Isaiah is clear, God teaches and we follow As Isaiah states if we follow God good prosperity follows. Yet, in Matthew’s gospel, the people at the time had a hard time hearing and discerning even from Jesus. When John the Baptist preached, many at the time claimed he was possessed “by a demon.” Christ was accused of being a drunkard, a glutton in addition to a lover of sinners and tax collectors. How confused the people of that time were on who the messiah would be and what his earthly mission was. Little did they know that loving sinners was exactly one of his purposes.

As we fast forward today, there is the same confusion at times even among Christians. There is the historical Jesus, revolutionary Jesus, social justice Jesus and other various conceptions of him. I need to keep in mind why He came, and what the ultimate goal was. That goal was to bring redemption to all mankind. As I pray and meditate throughout Advent, the necessity of understanding that Christ is my Lord and Savior should not get lost. With the comfort of knowing why He came and his immense love for me, and all of mankind, I can continue to pursue my personal relationship with Christ. Through this relationship, I certainly will find great rewards that have eternal consequences.