HOMILY
FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A
Rev.
Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi
The woman said to him:
I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will
tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am He (John 4:25).
All of us at one time
or another has had one expectation or another from the Lord. Some of us have
really felt great disappointments when our expectations are not met. Some have
lost the love and friendship they had with some others due to series of disappointments.
Some have also felt scandalized about the actions of people they hold at great
esteem. Some have actually felt displeasure concerning the dispassionate
attitudes many people they expected fine treatment from have shown them. These
are the kinds of thought that may come into the mind of a Christian who
encounters today’s Gospel message. Some Christians tend to interpret the
question of John the Baptist as a question of an unbeliever or someone who is
unsure of Christ. Some commentators have also backed this kind of idea with the
response of Christ about John when he said that he is the least in the kingdom
of heaven, advocating that it was a message that portrayed Christ disappointment
with John. But I tell you, the passage was mainly about the Messiahship of
Christ and not about John’s question. The goal of the question is to lead the
reader to the discovery of the mission of Christ and thereupon to unequivocally
believe that Jesus is the Messiah. This is the intention of the Matthew. Yes,
Jesus is the Messiah.
In the Gospel Reading
of today (Mtt.11:2-11), we encounter in the very first sentence this question
from John though his disciples to Jesus: are you he who is to come, or shall we look
for another? John was in the prison and already was a dying man. There would
be nothing to make his happiness greater than confirming that the person he
introduced as the Messiah (Mtt. 3:1-17) was at his best. The Messiahship of
Jesus would render the most ample meaning to the forerunning of John. If Jesus
were not to be the Messiah, then John’s forerunning would have been in vain. If
Jesus were not to be the Messiah, then John’s imprisonment and death would be
very frustrating to John Himself. John needed to confirm his mission; for in
confirming his mission can he be more formidable and decisive with his message
for repentance which actually sent him to jail. If Jesus had answered John that
he was not the Messiah, John would have immediately rushed to Herod to plead
for mercy, because nwa o biara iku
anwuola (i.e, if the goal is shattered, the work is frustrated). Hey! Who really knew the happiness in
John for such answer that was given by Jesus? Many times, we need the
confirmation about the mission of others to render our own mission meaningful. We
need the knowledge of others to acquire more solid and formidable knowledge. The
questions that we ought to ask God and the Church must have the sole intention
of an increment in faith and the solidification of our Christian lifestyle here
on earth.
It is best to inquire
about any person from the particular person about which the inquiry is made. To
inquire about Jesus, go to Jesus. To inquire about Christianity, become a Christian.
Asking another person can make or mar the intention for which you inquire. When
someone offends you as a Christian, do not go around telling everyone you see. Learn
to go to that particular person whose acts offended you and ask for an explanation.
Yes, it is a really hard thing to do, but wise men do it. You run away from
gossip, from rancour, from acrimony and from hatred. You will be clarified and
will be far from frustration and disappointments. When you think the owner of
your destiny (God) has disappointed, why not go to him; and not to places that
may not provide you with the most credible answer? Yes, Jesus is the Messiah.
A trial will convince
you. The question of John too, as some have argued may not be for the sake of
John himself but for the sake of his disciples. It is very probable that when
John and his disciples talked in the prison, the disciples questioned whether
Jesus was really the Messiah. John’s answer could have been: if any of you has
doubts, let him go and ask Jesus himself. This means that if anyone begins to
argue with us about Jesus, and to question his kingship, the best of all
answers is to say: give your life to Jesus, and see what he can do with it. The
supreme argument for Christ is not intellectual debate but an experience of his
changing power.
Jesus’ answer confirmed
his mission. He outlines the liberating works of the Messiah as foretold by the
prophets. There is liberation for those who are captives of one natural or
physical ailment. God himself is the saviour. Indeed, this is the message of
the First Reading of today from the oracle of Isaiah 35:1-6a.10. When the king
comes, there must be liberation, testimonies, happiness, joy, thanksgiving, and
their likes. Yes, Jesus is He who comes.
Action speaks louder
than words. Jesus’ answer goes straight to his action and not his words. To be
candid, the world today needs more doers of the Gospel message than preachers. Our
actions confirm our Christianity, not merely our words. In this case, Jesus
demands that he be judged by his deeds. Can you be judged by your deeds? Can you
leave the comfort of your home and help the struggling brethren out there? It is
in our sacrifices that we are edified.
Jesus spoke about John
with a high sense of admiration. His questions portrayed John as an
extra-ordinary man who was sought after for the rare gift he possessed, as a
spiritual man who was neither materialistic nor moved by the things of this
world, as a preacher of the word who was solely interested in the repentance of
the people, as more than a prophet who showed the people the God-man. John was
more than a prophet about whom other prophets spoke of (cf. Mal. 4:5, Behold, I
will send you Elijah the Prophet, before the great and terrible day of the
Lord.); and no man could have a greater task than this. John was a herald of
God. He is indeed the greatest of all the prophets. Little wonder Jesus states
that among those born of women, John was the greatest. But why is the least in
the kingdom of heaven greater than John?
Jesus is the kingdom of
God Himself. In him is the kingdom of heaven. He is the auto-basileia.to experience Christ is to experience the kingdom of
heaven. To be with Christ is to be with the kingdom. To know Christ is to know
the kingdom. To preach Christ is to preach the kingdom. This is exactly what
Christians have that John never had. He pointed Jesus to the people as the
Messiah but never did he experience and knew Christ very closely while on earth.
He was like a sign post pointing towards the destination (Christ). Hence, it is
logical that those who enter the destination have more knowledge and experience
than the person who points to the destination. The signpost does its work so
well. That is why it can be regarded as the best leader towards the
destination. However, its destiny to be the signpost has rendered its
experience of the destination insufficient, whereby the persons who enter come
out with a greater knowledge. John sowed Jesus to the world, but could not
experience his Messiahship and his redemptive acts on earth. The apostles and
the Christians were privileged to experience Christ, and to see and hear what
the prophets all dreamt to have but never had. In other words, Jesus may have
been inadvertently saying: John could have prophesied about my coming and
pointed me as the messiah, but there are those who will preach me to the whole
world, make converts, live holy lives for my sake and die for me. These people
are greater than John even though John is the greatest of the prophets before
him.
We have all been giving
this opportunity to be great in heaven and to proclaim the king who is coming. As
a Christian, grab the opportunity now, and never be weighed down by troubles
and tribulations. I thus conclude with the admonition of James to all
Christians (James 5:7-11, the Second Reading): Be patient and wait until the
Lord comes. Do not be worried by the uncertainties of this life. Do not grumble
at your various disappointments in life. Be patient just like the farmer who
waits until the crop is fully watered by the rains of heaven. Yes, He is
coming. Jesus is the Messiah that comes. We shall not wait for another. I wish
you a blessed week ahead. God bless you.
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