Day 5 Advent Hour
December 21, 2016
KEY OF DAVID
Fr. Roberto Jorvina
The government tried, through its program in DSWD, to come up with what they call the 4P’s Program. Marahil lingid sa ating kaisipan yon dito sa siyudad dahil sa sophisticated tayo dito pero sa grassroots, that is a very popular program, the 4Ps’. It is the Pantawid ng Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Pantawid, just to get by.
Let me suggest the 4P’s for Advent that will hopefully, not only awaken the grassroots, but all of us. The 4P’s are: Advent portrays Israel’s longing for a Savior. Bakit kailangan nating makita yong pagnanasa ng Israel dahil ganun din dapat ang pagnanasa natin. “Oh come, Oh come, Emmanuel. Nakabihag kami. Palayain niyo kami!” It not only prepares Israel’s longing but it prepares us for the second coming of Jesus Christ in glory and splendor. Then having been prepared, it now persuades us. Hinihimok tayo. Inuudyok tayo to be spiritually vigilant and alert. “Gising na, Pare ko, dahil tayo ngayon ay nakahimlay sa ating spiritual walk.” Then finally, after persuading us, hopefully Advent pushes us (prods us, prompts us) to level up in our Christian walk. Pag hindi po nangyari ito, it is so sad because this is supposed to be what these seven days is about. Na pagkatapos nitong pitong araw, mas ganado na tayo sa ating buhay Kristiyano. Buhay na buhay na ang Panginoong Diyos. Hopefully in some little way that we have levelled up in our walk with God. That is the challenge for us because Advent is a rebirth. Advent is a reawakening of hope. “Pasko na nga Pare ko. Pero sa isang tulad mo, tulad ko, wala nang saysay sa mundo”. Many times, those are the words of many people who are victimized by the evils of society, crying out to be set free.
That is why we come to this fifth day, where we see these antiphons addressing Christ in seven magnificent Messianic titles based on Old Testament prophesies and the types of Jesus Christ. So, the Church recalls the varieties of ills, the problems of man before the coming of the Redeemer. Kaya isa sa mga principal figures ng Advent is the prophet Isaiah because all 66 chapters of the prophet Isaiah show the condition of Israel and yet he does not only show the condition, he gives the hope ”Unto you a child will be born, a son will be given and the government”; ang pangangasiwa ng buhay “will be upon His shoulders”.
So, he now presents us with the Key of David. If you have your handouts, andiyan ang icon ng Key of David, Clavis David. It is a key. What does a key do? A key opens a door. It is a sign of authority. Jesus was questioned in the Gospel today by the Pharisees. “You do all of these things? What authority do you have?” In other words, Jesus has a key yet they could not understand what that key was. Many times, we today also are in the dark, not knowing what is that key that will open the door for my life that I can be set free from this situation that I have? See, the cry of the Clavis David, it says there “Oh Key of David, Oh Royal Power of Israel controlling at Your will the gate of heaven” and so the Psalm today says, “Open wide, Oh Lord”. We see this in that situation.
The prophet Isaiah in our first reading as seen in your handouts also and it says there, “In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim”. Eliakim means God raises up. Binabangon ng Panginoon yong mga taong lugmok, yong mga taong walang pag asa sa buhay. Eliakim was the chief steward of King Hezekiah. Siya ang pinagkakatiwalaang mayordomo ni Hezekiah upang buksan ang mga pintuan ng mga taong nabibihag. And it says there, “I will clothe him (Eliakim) with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and the people of Judah and I will place on his shoulders the key to the house of David. What he opens no one can shut and what he shuts no one can open. I will drive him like a peg into a firm place and he will become a seat of honor for the house of his father”. Fast forward many years later, the fulfillment. Eliakim was the symbol or a sign or a foreshadowing of what was to come.
Jesus Christ, in the book of Revelation 3:7-8, says “to the angel of the church in Philadelphia”, write, “These are the words of Him who holds, who is holy and true, who holds the Key of David. What He opens no one can shut and what He shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have set place before you an open door which no one can shut. I know you have little strength yet you have kept My word, and have not denied it”.
That is the reason why I chose to give us handouts. Hopefully maging catalyst po ito, panimulain na muling bumalik tayo sa Salita ng Diyos dahil hindi po tayo pwedeng mag level up sa buhay Kristiyano natin kung hindi natin bibigyan ng oras ang Salita ng Panginoong Diyos. This is one of the most important things in the life of a Christian. The sacrament, the Word, and prayer that we can seek so that we can hold on now to the Key of David. Ano ba ang binubuksan ng isang susi? Pintuan. Pintuan ng ano? The first door that opens is the door to God’s presence. When we have the Key of David, we can come boldly before the throne of grace. Sabi sa Revelations 4:1, “after this, I looked and there was before me (John) a door. May pintuan, standing open in the heaven. Bukas na, binuksan na. Iyong pintuang iyon nakapinid dati. “And the voice I first heard speaking to me was like a trumpet, “Come up here and I would show you what must take place.”
Napakaraming tao ngayon ang tumitingin sa buhay, sa kanilang sariling antas. Gusto ng Panginoon na tumaas tayo at maglevel up tayo. “Come up here”. Lift up your hearts, Church, para makita niyo ang buhay the way God intended it to be, not the way we want it or we think it is. “Come up here,” is the word. The door is open. And that key has opened that door. It is now in your hands. Will you open that door and come in His presence? But the next door that opens is only not that door. It opens the doors of those who want to be set free. Para palayain natin yong mga tao. Yong mga mahihirap; Yong mga api; Yong mga victims of injustice. Yong kapitnahay niyo na matagal nang maraming problema sa buhay. Sabi nga sa Psalm 107:10, 14, “Some stand in darkness, in utter darkness. Prisoners suffering in iron chains”.
Then in verse 14, it says, “He brought them out of the utter darkness and broke away their chains.“ Alam niyo ba noong panahon nina Paul and Silas, do you remember that kwento sa Philippian jail? They were singing songs and suddenly nagkaroon ng lindol and then biglang bumukas yong mga pinto! Paul and Silas did not go out. I mean, after suffering, napakagandang oportunidad para lumaya. You’re set free eh. Bakit hindi umalis sina Paul, Silas at yong mga kasama nila? Dahil meron pang ibang nakabihag eh. It was a way para sabihin ni Paul, “what must you do to be saved? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ” dahil gusto kong hindi lang kami ang malaya, pati kayo, gustong kong palayain. Pati kayo, gusto kong maranasan ang buhay. Si Jesus Christ, this is what He did and now He is passing that to Eliakim. You and I are the Eliakim. Tayo na ngayon ang katiwala Niya upang palayain yong mga nabibihag. Huwag tayong lumabas lang ng pinto dahil tayo lamang ang makikinabang. God wants us to bring the people out of prison and out of darkness. That’s the door you have there.
Finally, we have one familiar verse from Isaiah Chapter 61. I hope you can meditate upon this. Spend time, just even a few minutes. Pag-ukulan natin ng oras. Pagbulay-bulayan natin ang mga salitang ito. “The spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon Me because the Lord has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness the prisoners. To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor”.
This is the word God wants us to realize. The key of David is a key not just for us into the presence of God. It is the key to set free those who are and to shut that door of despair in people’s lives.
To shut the door of hopelessness so that the people will not say, “Pasko na nga, Pare pero sa isang tulad mo, tulad ko, wala ng saysay sa mundong ito. Limot na tayo ng lipunan. Itinuring na tayong patay” Hindi po. Pasko na nga Pare ko kaya may pag-asa. may bagong buhay. Mag le-level up tayo. Dahil nandito na ang Panginon sa ating piling. Amen.