In the famous Christmas Carol, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel pleads to “ransom captive Israel.” When I think of ransoming someone, there must be money involved. While the Merriam-Webster Dictionary does include the idea of a monetary payment in one of the definitions when used as a noun, utilizing the word as a verb explicitly states the definition as “to deliver, especially from sin or its penalty. To free from captivity or punishment by paying a price.”

     I see Jesus’ mission both as a deliverer and the one who paid the ultimate price to free me from the things that keep me in bondage. The great deliverer rescued us from the cell of sorrow, shame, and heartbreak. He restores our souls. Maybe the song should contain the words, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and restore captive Israel.” Freedom becomes the eventual outcome of joy as we experience a transformation out of captivity and into pleasure.

     This Advent, we explore ways throughout our spiritual houses that we clear out the things that hold us back. We clean our homes with a desire to make new a willing spirit within us. We must do the work so that Jesus can do his. Our final act of preparation is to invite the Savior into our homes, and once he is in, we ask him to make us whole. We cry, “Transform us into your image, Oh God.”

     So far, on my journey through this season of Advent, I continue to find things lying throughout my spiritual home and remove them before I can spiritually mature into the person God calls me to be. May grace guide us through the rest of our journey through the season of Advent, and when all is said and done, we may discover God working a miracle in us for the world.