IS 40:1-11
PS 96:1-2, 3 AND 10AC, 11-12, 13
MT 18:12-14
It can sometimes be easy to project all
of the spirit of expectation and waiting solely on the coming birth of Jesus
that we appreciate in our Christmas each year. However, so much of those same
sentiments is especially important as we take a look at ourselves as
Christians, individuals preparing for the birth of the Messiah. As followers of
Jesus, we have to look at ourselves, piece by piece, to truly prepare to fully
receive the love and joy that are coming our way.
In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew,
Jesus asks his disciples to consider the profound importance of seeking out the
one sheep from the herd of one hundred that has become lost, regardless of the
fact that the other ninety-nine are still together. As we reflect on this
reading, it is important to think: what are those God-given pieces of ourselves
that have become lost, our sheep that have strayed from the herd? What are
those other pieces of ourselves that we are living out every day, our
ninety-nine sheep still together? How can we allow God to seek out those
“one-sheep” parts of us that he wants us to take care of better? And how can
we, as “ninety-nine sheep” individuals, accept back the “one-sheep” parts of
ourselves that God wants to return to us?
When it comes to the holidays, we tend
to spend time perfecting what parts of our lives are most intact--preparing for
the end of the year with work, school, and family. We take stock of those
ninety-nine, or ninety-eight, or however many pieces of ourselves we’ve felt
like we’ve been able to keep up with this whole year, and we prepare them to be
on display for all to see. When we do this though, we neglect to show
compassion for the other pieces of ourselves that we may have lost on the way
through this year, in our attempts to make it this far. I think that what Jesus
needs us to know in these weeks of Advent is this: there is no piece of
ourselves that we’ve been created with, no single sheep in our herd of one
hundred, that isn’t worth being prepared and celebrated as we await his coming.
When we can allow every part of
ourselves, no matter how markedly small or confusing or insignificant, to be
honored in this Advent season, we more effectively allow all of who we are to
be filled with the joy that comes with the birth of our Savior.
Kaitlin Duffner is a junior in the College of Public Health and Social Justice.
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