Enlarging our hearts

This week we will be celebrating the second Sunday of advent. I have often thought of advent as a mini lent in terms of it being a time to get serious in asking questions of our relationship with God. I was really pleased to come across a quote from Rosalind Brown. She wrote, “Advent’s promise is that God will enlarge our hearts so that, more and more, we can delight to run in the way of God’s commandments.” (Fresh from the Word, pg.5). 

I love that quote with the feeling that in advent we are enlarging our hearts. This sounds absolutely beautiful to me. The readings for this Sunday almost feel quite harsh. In the Old Testament reading (Isaiah 11:1-10) we hear of judgement. There is the idea that God can see past all our good works, He can see past everything that we may think makes us seem good, He just knows if we are good.   This sounds quite scary until we read what will happen when the world is put to right. That is, that when everything is right the seemingly impossible things will make sense. In our world no-one in their right mind would encourage a toddler to play with a snake which is described in the reading.

I love the image in Isaiah, a perfect world but, of course, we need to be ready for this. We are back to our time of growing closer to God. We want to enlarge our hearts so that we will rejoice and delight in what He promises. 

In the gospel reading (Matthew 3:1-12) we are pulled up short again. This time we are introduced to John the Baptist. The kind of man you wouldn’t want to run into on a dark winter’s night. John who was preparing the way for Jesus could sound quite threatening. He was judging people and making sure that they were ready to greet Jesus. Of course, for us with Christmas around the corner, with our wanting to experience and delight in the laws of God this is a challenge. John had a go at those who thought they were doing right. He questioned the religious leaders asking more of them. It reminds me of the reading from Isaiah – God just knows. 

As I am writing this,  I keep singing in my head the song that Santa Claus is coming to town. ‘He’s making a list, he’s making it twice, trying to find out who’s naughty or nice…’ 

I think that the whole thought of advent is having the effect of me not being complacent in thinking that I am good enough. Clearly, the readings are working. In advent, we are getting ready and as we do this, we do it knowing that it will all be worth it. Yes, God knows if we are good. Yes, God does ask us to follow Him. However, when He does this, it is out of love and the promise of something so much better. A relationship with Him. I do want to have my heart enlarged and I do want to keep enjoying following the laws of God.

The final verse of our epistle reading (Romans 15:4-13) sums it all up well. 

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Spirit.”