Reading 1
Is 26:1-6
On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah:
“A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you.”
Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.
Gospel
Mt 7:21, 24-27
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
Meditation: Isaiah 26:1-6
He humbles those in high places. (Isaiah 26:5)
The liturgical readings during Advent are chosen not only to remind us of Jesus’ humble beginnings in Bethlehem but also to point us toward his glorious return. Today’s passage from Isaiah, for example, sings of the triumph of the poor. While we see here the promise of justice in ancient Israel, we can also see Jesus vindicating such a faith-filled people in the new heavens and new earth.
Isaiah depicts a “lofty city” that will be brought so low that the needy will trample it underfoot. It’s not that the poor will bring down this city through a rebellious uprising. No, somehow justice will be meted out on Jerusalem’s corrupted power brokers without the poor having to resort to violence or injustice themselves. They will “trample” the lofty city not out of spite or vindication but simply because they are still walking forward in the will of God while their oppressors have fallen.
Most of us are in a position of both wealth and poverty. There are always those who have more than us as well as those who have less. Today’s passage challenges us to be sure that where we are “wealthy”—whether it be materially, intellectually, or socially—we never lord it over anyone else. After all, our fortunes can change in an instant. And where we are “poor,” we should be on guard against envy or resentment of those who have more.
That’s what we should not do. But what should we do? First and foremost, stay on the path God has laid out for you. Keep moving forward, and let the Lord—your just judge—sort out the self-sufficient from the needy, both around you and within your own heart. You may find yourself walking over some ruins, but don’t let that become an occasion for boasting. Rather, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, pray for the unjust, and keep walking humbly with your God. As you do, you will be building the city of God here on earth, inviting the just and the unjust to join you.
“Jesus, mold my heart in all humility so that I will hear the cry of the poor and tend to their needs. May you find me on the just path when you return in glory!”
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