Who's Baking the Cake?

It’s Advent, and a time when we begin thinking about celebrating Jesus’ birthday.  Unfortunately, we usually start by thinking of what we can/must do for ourselves or for others --- not a bad thing, but in doing so we sometimes forget the basics of the celebration, like who’s baking the birthday cake?  We get hung up on the party, and forget Who it’s for.  And as with any birthday, I think we usually forget to ask ourselves a most key birthday question:  When He blows out the candles, I wonder what He is wishing for?

If we truly loved the One whose birthday we are celebrating, we’d think on that particular question and how we might surprise Him by making His wish come true.

Last week, I was reading my Reading Prayers in my breviary prayer book, and I read words from 2Peter 2.  And when finished I picked up my New Testament book, the other book I use for my morning prayers, and I opened the bookmark to the next chapter to be read, and saw the bookmark was at 2Peter 2!!  Having just read it, it seemed quite fresh in my memory --- and to be an obvious re-iteration, as in: “Do you get what I am saying here, or do you have to read it again?”  So, I read, and pondered, the words slowly.  The chapter talks about man’s lust for the world, sexual lust in particular.  “They themselves are slaves of corruption, for whatever overcomes a man, to that he is enslaved.  For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first.”  And He mentions Sodom and Gomorrah.

I thought of all the things which enslave men today, distractions from God --- even if we know Him well.  The world seems to pride itself in sexual lust --- there are even brothels now which offer robots for your sexual pleasure, the epitome of using someone or something as an object of our desires.  And if you don’t agree with all this sexual freedom, why, the culture says you must be prejudiced or hateful.  It says you are wrong because you don’t celebrate sin!  I guess I would not be at all surprised if some city re-named itself Sodom and celebrated its re-appearance: “Come, arise from the ashes with us.”  And many WOULD go, and celebrate Sodom.  The world is that alluring, and that far gone.  This world largely once came to know Jesus Christ, and so sadly the present falling “has become worse than the first.”

And all these thoughts bring me to today’s Gospel, on this first Sunday of Advent.  Here Jesus again talks about sin and end-times, but He adds a parable: “Think of the fig tree (Lk 21:29),” and He notes that “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away (Lk21:33).”  Jesus is promising with these words the destruction of Jerusalem for its sins (which would come in 70AD), just like Sodom and Gomorrah, but His words afterwards would still apply to the world, which would not end.  Even after destruction there would come renewal --- there will be a fig tree in the Springtime after the Winter.  But, just like Sodom and The Great Flood, there would always be other apocalypses before He finally comes a second time.  Man is a fallen creature, and despite all God’s blessings man may (will?) still bring destruction upon himself --- and perhaps it may be coming to us soon, in one form or another.  This doesn’t necessarily mean the Second Coming --- only the Father knows that day --- but it does mean we need to stand strong against the world, and repent as He instructed us, because He does promise destruction due to sin. 

But He also said that He’d always be with us, and that He loves us

Who’s baking the cake?  What do we think He’d wish for His birthday?  What could we do to surprise Him?  These are good Advent thoughts, as we try to break our concentration on the world around us and think --- again --- about His coming.  For He is coming, one way or another.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could give Him a happy surprise?

- - - - - - - - - -

I walked into the chapel the other night, knelt down and began to pray silently: “Thank You so much, dear Lord, for the blessings of this day.  You are so good to me.  And thank You that I could come to visit You here in Your house; You are always waiting for me to visit here.  You are such a good host.”

And then I suddenly realized what I had just said, and I laughed out loud --- and others present in the chapel frowned at me.  But that was okay, because I know our God has a sense of humor, and He loves me.  I look forward to celebrating His birthday later this month.  I would love to give Him something He wishes for.