God Hero: God Comes to Save Us
By John Jelinek
My oldest son has begun to read Greek literature in school. It is full of great heroes and their epic quests to get a glimpse of the divine. It is also plagued with numerous petty and indifferent gods.
The gods of the pagan religions often had little concern for mankind. Their motives were selfish and more like a self-aggrandizing politician than the benevolent God we know.
It is easy for us, who have grown up with a Judeo-Christian religious view, to miss the novelty of Advent and Christmas. In this Sunday’s readings, Isaiah proclaims “Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, He comes with vindication; with divine recompense He comes to save you” (Is 35:4).
What a marvel the Hebrew God must have been for the ancient world — a God that cares for and comes to His people.
The epic story we retrace during Advent is not to celebrate the heroics of men, but that of God’s selfless love. The readings describe His fatherly care for His wayward children over thousands of years. In anticipation, God’s chosen people sang the psalms which are filled with petitions to God for salvation, mercy, and justice.
The Jewish people knew they were lost and broken. They knew they needed to be saved, and of their own efforts, they were powerless to save themselves.
In the responsorial Psalm this Sunday we sing, “Lord, come and save us.” We have no less need of the Messiah. We too are broken and lost in sin. Reflecting on our lives, we can see how we have repeatedly failed ourselves, those we love, and God.
Where we should find defeat and despair, God offers victory and new life. The Advent season is full of genuine hope because our trust is in our unfailing God. He hears the cry of His people and does the unthinkable: He gives us nothing less than Himself. Our God comes to save us.
We do not have a distant God that lives on a high mountain — one that can only be reached by a select few. Our God is among us and ever approachable.
In the Incarnation, God intimately binds Himself to humanity for all eternity. Through His humble birth, simple life, and ministry to the most vulnerable, He makes Himself near to all people. After His ascension, He does not leave us orphans. For the last two millennia, He has remained ever-present, ever accessible to us in the tabernacles and confessionals of our local parishes.
For generation upon generation, God’s chosen people awaited the promised messiah. How blessed are we to know that Messiah, to live in a time when the Lord’s salvation has been accomplished.
Jesus said to His disciples, “Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (Mt 13:17). May God make us worthy of such a glorious gift.
The rose candle is lit; we are almost there. Amidst the celebration and festivity of the season, let our greatest joy be the anticipation of salvation. May this week of Advent be a time to prepare your heart to receive our glorious God and savior.