Jesus Is There

A Reflection on the Second Reading for November 28th, 2021:
First Sunday of Advent

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1 Thessalonians
3.12 – 4.2

Brothers and sisters: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God, as, in fact, you are doing, you should do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians is widely considered to be one of his earliest writings, probably written around AD 52. He had been preaching in Thessalonica while on his second missionary journey and after leaving under duress (1Thess.2:2), he sent Timothy back to serve and minister to the new believers there. Upon receiving a good report from Timothy (1Thess. 3:6), Paul penned this letter of encouragement in reply.

Paul knew that the new Christians in Thessalonica, a Greek cosmopolitan city, would be exposed to plenty of errant teachings and immoral behaviour. This letter is to inspire them to continue to strive to grow in holiness and love for one another so that this new church would be strengthened in their faith.

When I read this letter and consider the circumstances it was written under, I think about the similarities I see in our world today. In the western world, at least, we are living in a post-Christian era where the majority of people don’t believe in Jesus or the teachings of the Church. We are being inundated with messages that say it’s ok to act however we please regardless of the consequences to our hearts, our families, or our communities. We see more and more people we love rejecting Jesus and accepting the “gospel of self”. I recently read this quote, “The shift in commitment is never from Christ to evil, it is from Christ to self.” (Dennis Kinlaw)
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So how can we be encouraged by Paul’s letter? Paul says, “May He strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father…” (1Thess.3:13) We don’t have to take the weight of the world on our shoulders. Jesus is there to strengthen us. He is the One who will make us blameless before God the Father. Jesus says, “... on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt.16:17) When you are discouraged by what you see happening in the world around you, remember these words and put your faith in the One who has the victory.




Maxine Brown

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