I’ve never been a huge fan of the readings for the first three Sundays in Advent and the first Sunday may be my least favorite. I want passages that talk about the time before Jesus is born, when the angel visits or when Mary visits Elizabeth, but that is never the case. Instead we get readings that reflect the second coming and a scary second coming at that. How does this reading connect to Advent?

Advent isn’t just about Jesus’ birth, advent is also about Jesus’ return. Now I have been pretty vocal about my dislike for church traditions who present the second coming as something we should be mortally afraid of. For the most part I dont view Jesus as anything to be afraid of but this passage seems to speak of the second coming as something that should be feared. Is that the case?

Would I live my life any different if I knew when Jesus was going to return? Would I indulge in sin? I dont think I would. I think I would continue to live as I currently am but a lack of this information may propel me to greater and deeper faith. Are we more likely to live by faith without knowing the future or knowing when Jesus will return?

How do we balance this need to be alert with the commandment to rest? Can someone be alert all the time or do we also need times to rest and recover?

Lastly, how does this reading reflect the candle for the first Sunday in Advent, hope? Can we see hope in this passage? Would it speak better to someone living through a difficult time vs someone living in times of peace and comfort?