Today in the first reading, we hear the oracle of Balaam, on the future of Israel, on the coming of the Messiah.
“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near — a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” Balaam predicts the glorious future, the Age of the Messiah. Balaam, a foreign prophet was hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse Israel. Notwithstanding Balak’s messengers persuasion, they could not get Balaam to act against the Lord’s will. Balaam replied: “Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not act contrary to the command of the Lord, my God. But wait until I learn what else the Lord may tell me” (Num 22:18-19).
Balaam waited for guidance from the Lord. Balaam says “Wait overnight….and maybe tomorrow I will learn something else from the Lord!” God did respond outside human expectation. There were series of encounter between Balaam, his donkey and the angel of God. The donkey on which he was riding went off the road …….and talked back to its master. When Balaam tries to beat the donkey into submission, the animal answers back: “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” The rest of the story is in the Book of Numbers chapter 22.
In the First Reading for Monday of the 3rd Week of Advent, Balaam speaks of the blessings that God has in store for Israel. He sees how God is protecting and guiding His people, even when others may wish them harm. God’s blessings are not just for a moment but are promises of His care and favor over time. Balaam’s words show us that God’s plans for His people are always good.
This reading reminds us that God watches over us just as He watched over Israel. Sometimes we may not see or feel His blessings right away, but we are invited to trust that He is working for our good. Just like Israel, we are on a journey where God leads us step by step. In this journey, Advent reminds us to open our eyes to the blessings already present in our lives.
Once can learn that God is faithful in all his ways and promise. Humans lie, twist and turn the truth, as we say today, be politically correct. We see a practical example in today’s Gospel reading, when the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, challenged Jesus’ authority to heal and to teach, Jesus replied: I too will ask a question [of you]. If you answer it for me, then I will tell you on what authority I do the things I do. What was the origin of John’s baptism? Was it divine or merely human?
The leaders feared the people’s wrath and would not dare to say that John the Baptist was a fake. Yet they refused to acknowledge that John the Baptist the forerunner to Jesus could ever have spoken with divine authority.
Truth is meant to challenge us to our face. The Scripture says the Truth shall set you free.
As we are draw closer to the birthday of our Emmanuel, let’s pray that God will continue to open our hearts and minds to know and accept His truth.
Have a wonderful Week
