3rd Sunday of Advent - Year A THE GLORY OF CARMEL AND SHARON Isaiah had been predicting the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of its people. He closes this section with more positive message about their return. The restoration with be accompanied with an abundance both in nature and the health of the people. The desert will be like Carmel, a mountain range in northern Israel. It was well-watered and flourished. Sharon was also a fertile region that stretched form the Mediterranean to the central mountains of Israel. Both Carmel and Sharon contrast dramatically with desert regions of Judah.

 

A REED SWAYED BY THE WIND

John the Baptist had been expecting a violent judgment day. It would be initiated by the coming Messiah with fire. He must have been amazed and confused when the pacifist Jesus did not match his expectations. After his imprisonment he sent some of his disciples to press the issue. Would Jesus provoke a revolution? Was he the promised agent of divine vengeance?
Jesus may be referring to John's vacillation when he muses about a "reed swayed by the wind." Christ explained to John's followers that his notion of the Messiah was more in line with Isaiah's prophecy of a bringer of peace and healing in the first reading.

Related: Resources on Sunday Readings - Clipart, homelies, articles, coloring pages, music: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

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