The Second Sunday of Advent is reserved for the appearance of John the Baptist, and in in Year C we get Luke’s presentation of St. John set in his historical and political context, having received the word of God in the desert and quoting from the Book of Isaiah (Is 40:3-5).
In the fifteenth year of the reign
of Tiberius Caesar,
when Pontius Pilate was governor of
Judea,
and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,
and his brother Philip tetrarch of
the region
of Ituraea and Trachonitis,
and Lysanias was tetrarch of
Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas
and Caiaphas,
the word of God came to John the son
of Zechariah in the desert.
John went throughout the whole
region of the Jordan,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance
for the forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the book of the
words of the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one crying out in the
desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be
made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of
God.”
~Lk 3:1-6
What is interesting is that what Isaiah actually says in that last line is that “all flesh shall see the glory of God.” I don’t know the original languages, so I don’t know why the distinction between the “glory of God” and “salvation of God.” All the major translations use “glory” in the Isaiah and “salvation” in Luke. Is there an actual distinction? What exactly is Luke referring to when he says all will see the “salvation of God?” So when I go to Bible Reference and I ask about Luke 3:6, it says this:
In this context, "the salvation of God" is a reference to the Messiah, the Promised One, who is Christ. The prediction is that all people will be made aware of this Savior (Romans 1:18–20), not that all people will be saved by Him (John 3:36). The gospel is universal in its availability: any who want to repent and express faith can be saved by doing so (John 6:37; 2 Peter 3:9). Not all will choose that path (John 3:18).
So then, John the Baptist is expanding on Isaiah, not quoting him exactly. I don't think any of the homilies mention that.
This week I’ll come back to Fr. Geoffrey Plant to expound on the passage, and he does a particularly good job on explaining the historical allusions.
Now for a homily
applying it more to one’s life and faith, I turn to Jeff Cavins.
Sunday Meditation: “All flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
Oh, this is such a lovely Christian
contemporary song, “Ready the Way,” by Curtis Stephan.
Make ready the way…
