(Isaiah 45:6C-8, 18, 21C-25; Psalm 85:9AB and 10, 11-12, 13-14; Luke 7:18B-23)
God gave us many precious gifts that stretch back to the Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Our lives, our souls, each other . . . but there’s one gift that it’s easy to overlook. He gave us free will.
Why did the notion of free will come to mind as I reflected upon today’s readings? During the season of Advent, our hearts are supposed to be turning in anticipation toward the arrival of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and our daily and Sunday readings in Church have reflected this season of contemplation.
Today’s first reading from Isaiah is all about the unique power, majesty, and magnificence of the Lord. It begins, “I am the LORD, there is no other; I form the light, and create the darkness, I make well-being and create woe; I, the LORD, do all these things.”
It continues, talking about God, “. . . the designer and maker of the earth who established it, not creating it to be a waste, but designing it be lived in . . .”
The rest of the first reading from Isaiah is all a persuasive piece, attempting to sway the reader into fully understanding and accepting the goodness and power of God.
The Gospel selection from Luke tells about two of John the Baptist’s disciples, who were instructed to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus replied, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
Jesus answers their question, but he does so in a persuasive fashion. In this instance, the Son of Man is laying out his case similarly to how the evidence was presented in Isaiah: factually, appealing to logic and observation.
Now, a question you might not have thought of is: Why does God in both instances need to persuade us?
I mean, if He’s God, he certainly has the power to snap His fingers and make us believe, right? He could force our minds into acceptance, force our hearts into compliance, force our bodies into submission.
Of course God has the power to do that! But He doesn’t. The only reason the Fall of Humanity in the Garden of Eden was possible was because God allowed us to make our own mistakes. And the reason He gave us the capacity to make our own mistakes is because He loves us so much that He wanted our hearts to be one with God by our own choice.
Advent could be one of the easiest holidays ever, if God willed it. Poof! Your heart and mind belongs to Him! The fact that He doesn’t do that – that He wants us to come to Him willingly, with the effort, patience, and humility that entails – says so much about His love for us.
There’s a point where the English language breaks down a bit, and it’s with the idea of “must.” I must believe in gravity, because I’ve seen irrefutable proof of its existence on a daily basis; I could choose not to believe in gravity, but it’d be pretty foolish. Conversely, I also “must” breathe air, or else I will die; unlike whether I believe in gravity, I don’t have a lot of choice whether I breathe.
Like Advent itself, today’s readings deal with the notion of how we must turn our hearts and minds to God. But we “must” do so because of the proof we’ve seen, the feelings in our hearts, the irrefutable proof that we’re presented with. The Book of Isaiah presents powerful evidence, and Jesus encouraged the disciples of John the Baptist to witness the truth with their own eyes.
However, we ideally don’t want people to believe because they literally have no choice. God ensured we had free will from the moment of our creation, and taking that free will away goes against God’s plans.
So, when we talk to others about the faith – or when we explore our spiritual selves – we navigate the tricky waters of “must.” We want those who don’t yet believe to turn their hearts to Christ because they’re swayed as we are by the evidence, by the arguments. We want our own hearts to be ever expanded by the evidence we consider, by the Spirit touching us and others (and touching others through us). But we don’t want God to snap His fingers and compel us to be obedient. We don’t want to force others to follow Christ by withholding aid or making threats.
Feel the calmness of Christ in today’s Gospel selection from Luke: Go and tell what you have seen and heard . . . and blessed is the one who takes no offense at me. He’s calling us to present our evidence to others – and our own hearts, if needed – and follow him.
Advent could be the easiest holiday, but the fact that it isn’t says so much about God’s love, and our place in Heaven we wish to secure. If your heart already accepts Christ as it would gravity, then thank God for the firmness of your faith, and do what you can to persuade others as today’s readings did. This Advent, use your free will to do God’s will with more determination than ever before!
And if you find you yet have a way to go, take heart. Any doubt you have is just a sign of God’s great gift bestowed at creation. The evidence is before you . . . in today’s readings, throughout the Bible, in our Sacraments, and among our Traditions. As Isaiah says, God created the Earth not to be a waste, but designed it be lived in. You are alive, and part of the Earth, and part of God’s plan. Use God’s gift of free will to accept the evidence, and bring yourself closer to Him this season.
