HOMILY FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A
Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi
How do you feel whenever a particular expectation of yours is not met? Disappointed? Upset? Fed up? Do you simply put the disappointment behind you and look for another way forward? Do you ask questions in order to discover why you’re so disappointed? Well, these are examples of reactions that we might have. When we consider how John the Baptist might have felt when he was left to rot in prison, it would be a mistake to go along with the notion that his question to Jesus in the Gospel Reading (Mt.11:2-11) arose from a feeling of disappointment – disappointment that his expectations about the Messiah were not being met. We too might feel similarly about being kept waiting for something we are anticipating, about being kept waiting and waiting for something that we expect to happen. Like John, we might feel disappointed that our prayers are not being answered in the way we hoped they would be. Like John, we might feel disappointed that things and events are not playing out the way we want them to. But, by the end of our reflections today, like John we will have discovered that the episode in today’s Gospel goes way beyond a mere expression of disappointment.
Are you the one who is to come, or have we got to wait for someone else? John had been thrown in prison and was already a ‘dead man walking’. Nothing could have made him happier than to die in the knowledge that the man he introduced to the world as the Messiah (Mt. 3:1-17) was actively accomplishing the work that the long-awaited Messiah was prophesied to do. Confirmation of the Messiahship of Jesus would validate John’s own mission as the forerunner of the Messiah. If, however, Jesus was not the Messiah, then John’s message and mission would have been in vain. John’s imprisonment and execution would have been no more than great personal misfortune. John needed to have his own mission affirmed as true; that would give him the strength to go on in the face of death. We can imagine the renewed zeal that energised John upon receiving the positive response of Jesus to his question. Yes, Jesus was indeed the Christ. And we can go on to elicit for ourselves further meanings from this scenario. Reminding ourselves of the work of the Messiah can really refresh us spiritually and enhance our spiritual growth.
Let’s go on to consider this episode from the point of view of the disciples of John the Baptist. It is probable that John’s disciples found themselves wondering whether Jesus really was the Messiah, and questioned John about Jesus’ status when they visited John in prison. In response to the queries raised, John might well have said to them: if any of you has doubts, let him go and ask Jesus himself. The question would then have become a vehicle for redirecting them to the Messiah, which was the objective of John’s mission. The question would serve to open a channel of conversion to those who were having doubts, and to be a platform for the disciples to brainstorm how to react effectively both to critics and to those who were yet to believe in the Christ. The best response to the question of how to discern God - how to get those first fingertips latched onto His existence - is to go to Jesus, to surrender our life to Him, and to wait and see what He will do with us. The supreme argument in favour of Christ is not via intellectual debate but through a personal experience of His life-changing power. Why not try it and see for yourself? I guarantee that it will completely convince you!
Jesus’ response to John the Baptist’s disciples confirmed His mission as that of the Messiah, the Christ. In his reply, Jesus made reference to the messianic passages in the Hebrew Scriptures. For those held captive physically, mentally or spiritually, there is abundant liberation to be had. 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). Jesus is the Saviour. He comes to bring us new life and to infuse us with new zeal. In the First Reading (Isaiah 35:1-6a.10), the prophet sees the desert blooming with new life, as the eyes of the blind are opened and the ears of the deaf unsealed, and everyone returns singing to Zion.
We must not forget that Jesus spoke about John with deep admiration. His comments portrayed John as an extraordinary man who was sought-after for the rare gift he possessed; a spiritual man, who was neither materialistic nor moved by the things of this world; a preacher of the word, who was interested solely in the repentance of the people; a great prophet, who showed the people the Way (for the sole Way is Christ Himself). John the Baptist is the great prophet about whom other prophets spoke: behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord. (cf. Mal. 4:5); He was a special herald of God, the greatest of human beings.
Jesus also said that John was the least in the Kingdom of heaven, and that the least in the Kingdom of heaven was greater than John. But why did Our Lord say that? What a conundrum. Let’s try to unpack it and offer some explanations. Firstly, remember that Jesus is the Kingdom of God Himself. This is key. Jesus 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 what Christians have now. John himself never did. John pointed out Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, but even though he was His cousin, John never experienced a close relationship with the God-man. John was like a signpost pointing the way to the destination, the destination which was the Christ. Of course, those who reach their destination have actual knowledge and experience of it, while the sign or person who merely points the way to it does not. A signpost does its job effectively: it indicates the way to the destination. Its job as a signpost gives it zero experience of the destination itself, while the people who get there do enjoy that experience. John showed Jesus to the world, but personally he witnessed neither Jesus’ mission nor His redemptive acts on earth. The apostles and the disciples of Jesus were privileged to experience the Christ, and to see and hear what the prophets all dreamt about seeing and hearing, but never did John. To paraphrase Jesus’ words: ‘John prophesied about My coming and pointed to Me as the Messiah; but now there are those who live with Me, preach Me to the whole world, make converts to Me, live holy lives for My sake and die for Me. All these people are greater than John, even though John is the greatest of all the prophets before him’.
Now, we have discovered that the question of John to Jesus was all about Jesus’ Messiahship; in no way was it about doubt or feelings of disappointment. Reassured and encouraged by Jesus’ response, John continued his mission as the forerunner while he was in prison. The goal of the conversation reported by the Evangelist, St. Matthew, is to lead us too to the discovery of the nature of the mission of Jesus Christ and to solid faith in Jesus as the Anointed One, the Messiah. During this season of Advent, then, this message is in place to remove any doubts we might harbour within us concerning the Messiahship of Jesus as we prepare for His coming at Christmas. We are called to supersede any feelings of world-weariness or disappointment we might have with deep joy - joy in longing for the arrival of Our Lord. In the Second Reading (James 5:7-10) St. James emphasises the patience that every farmer has, and offers us a way of enhancing our joy by emulating that patience. The farmer plants the seed and waits patiently through the early and late rains for the crops to begin to grow in season. Such patience will be required from us today. Be patient and wait until the Lord comes. May the joy of expectation fill us today and evermore. Amen. God bless you.
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