Advent: God’s Chosen People and God’s Gentile Pagans

Staff Writer

In Christ, Jesus is the reconciliation of the idea of God’s Chosen People and God’s Gentile Pagans. This is the general theme of this Second Sunday’s readings of Advent.

Before Christ, there was this separation between the two. But it is not godly to suggest that between the chosen people and gentile pagans God had favourites. Of course, in different contexts, such as the Virgin Mary found favour in God’s eye does suggest that she was favoured by God among other women. In her case, she was prepared from time to play the mediatrix, and to be the mother of the ‘Son of God’. According to Saint Paul:

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified (Romans 8:29-30).

We see such favour in the case of Abraham whom God called out from his home, from among his people and land and asked to go to an unknown land where God wished to show him. With such a leap of faith, Abraham left everything and became the founder and father of God’s Chosen People through faith. The irony here is that though they were the chosen of God, they were to live and suffer in alien lands among the pagan nations for many years.

While in alien lands and among pagan nations, God did not abandon them. He continually sent them kings after his heart and some who took matters into their own hands; he sent them prophets and judges up until he finally sent his only Son. He is the true image of God, the true prince, who will reign not only on God’s favourites but also on gentile pagans as he sets up a kingdom of peace.

To ensure that this dichotomy between God’s chosen people and gentile pagans is breached, God prepared a precursor, a forerunner in the person of John the Baptist to prepare the minds of both God’s favourites and the gentile pagans.

God prepared John in a style beyond human comprehension. His aged parents were to conceive him. His father was made dumb at the thought of his having a baby. While in the womb, John leapt for joy when his mother, Elizabeth heard the greetings of Mary. And his name, John was given by an angel.

John became that voice that cries in the wilderness and drew many, God’s favourites as well as the pagans to himself for baptism of repentance.  

While Abraham prepared God’s beloved people to expect for a messiah many years before his coming, John also prepared both God’s beloved people and gentiles for the same Messiah. The only difference between Abraham and John is that Abraham did not know or see him. John knew and saw him. Abraham knew only God’s chosen people. John knew and saw both God’s beloved people and gentile pagans.   

Almost 2000 years since Jesus died 33 A.D, and we expect his Second Coming, the division in our world is beyond the God’s chosen people and gentile pagans divide. There are divisions in every aspect of human society. I do not write about the natural divisions that make our world beautiful, such as the contraries: white/black, left/right, up/down, low/high, night/day and so on. These divisions are like spices that jazz up our world. The division that has engulfed our world is tied to hatred, intolerance, bigotry, injustice, opposition to God, indifference, and greed.  

Thus, on this Advent period whether you see yourself as God’s favourite or a gentile pagan remember that everything is reconciled in Christ Jesus. Consider yourself as an instrument of love, where hatred has taken root; wield the mace of forbearance where prejudice reigns; be ready to tear down the walls of bigotry with appeals of clemency; be the ‘lady’ justice of hope to all wallowing in unjust treatments; become a soldier of truth as opposed to violence in the name of God; prevent cruelty and share with the poor and needy.  

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