Third Sunday of Advent - Cycle A (December 15, 2013)

First reading: Is. 35: 1-6a, 10

“The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom.  They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song.  The glory of Lebanon will be given to them, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.  Strengthen the hands that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!  Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you.  Then will the eyes of the blind be opened the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the dumb will sing.

Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.”
 

Second reading: Jas. 5: 7-10

“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.  You too must be patient.  Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand.  Do not complain, brothers, about one another, that you may not be judged.  Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.  Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers, the prophets who spoke on the name of the Lord.”
 

Gospel reading: Mt. 11: 2-11

“When John heard in prison of the works of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to him with this question, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’  Jesus said to them in reply, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleaned, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.  And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.’

As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, ‘What did you go out to the desert to see?  A reed swayed by the wind?  Then what did you go out to see?  Someone dressed in fine clothing?  Those who wear fine clothing are in royal places.  Then why did you go out?  To see a prophet?  Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.  This is the one about who it is written: ‘Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.’ 

Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

 
Introductory theme summary:

The theme common to all three readings this week addresses three different perspectives of the people of God.  The Old Testament reading, surprisingly, addresses the inclusion of the then Gentile people when they too become included among God’s people.  The second reading addresses what would appear to be a persistent problem for us former Gentiles; even till this day.  And finally, the Gospel points to a surprising distinction of the unforeseen dignity to be enjoyed exclusively by all those future people of God.
  

Reflection:

To the ancient Jews, the Gentiles were completely barren regarding faith in the One True God, much like the metaphor of a desert.  When considering this correlation, the meaning of the first reading takes on a strikingly different significance, truly opening the passage for us.  Since our inclusion into the People of God, Christianity has yielded a fertility previously unknown to the ancient world.  During the ancient times the People of God, the Jews, didn’t seek out the conversion of Gentiles to the ways of the Israelites.  Since the resurrection of Christ, however, we who have joined the People of God, the Christians, are converting the world to an unprecedented belief in God.  As a direct result of that we are transforming the entire world.  The beginnings of the new world can presently be seen clearly emerging from our Christian beliefs. 

In the second reading, we are reminded to not be critical of others, but interestingly, as a necessity to avoiding our own judgment.  Even to this day, those of us who fully accept the appropriate response to God’s unmerited gift of salvation, by repenting our sins and sinfulness, are tempted to be critical of those who don’t seem to understand this requirement.  This is a tremendous temptation for all of us, myself included.  We must persevere in our resolve to avoid this trapping, lest, as the passage cites, we provoke God’s judgment upon ourselves for our self-righteous presumptions, and failure to practice brotherly love.  Instead, as discussed in the first week of advent, it would be considerably more appropriate for us to pray for the neglects of our brothers and sisters with the hope of facilitating their eventual conversion to accepting this condition of holiness.  Appropriately, the second reading gives us the sufferings of the prophets as an example for our encouragement, because it is as those prophets suffered that our sufferings in this circumstance is likened.

Finally, the most interesting line of the Gospel reading is the last one.  It’s a bit of a puzzle, really, the statement that the one who prepared the way for the Lord is less than the least in the kingdom of heaven.  How could such a thing be true?  And, yet it is, if for no other reason that the Lord said it.  There is more to the reason than that however. 

To explain: We know that John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit, even while in his mother’s womb.  This clearly accomplished a sanctification for John the Baptist, likely similar to the baptism that he preached to his contemporaries, which is how he came to understand his ministry in preparing the way for the Lord.  However, John’s question indicates he wasn’t uncertain of knowing if Jesus was the Messiah.  Because John suffered this uncertainty suggests, though John was sanctified he lacked the knowledge of Christ’s presence by which we all come to know Jesus as the Messiah.  That knowledge comes from Christ’s spirit, which was willed to us by Christ from the Cross; but the crucifixion hadn’t yet been fulfilled.  As a consequence of his place in the order of God’s accomplishment of Salvation, John the Baptist never had the opportunity to receive Christ’s own spirit and therefore never knew Jesus as we who have now know Him. 

To follow this train of thought even further, Jesus makes the reference to a person’s greatness as a direct result from this knowledge of Christ.  Contrary to attitudes of many present day theologian’s, there are differing measures of greatness in the kingdom.  By the analogy of John’s only difference from the least of us Christians, it is by the presence of Christ that all souls will be measured.  Therefore, a soul will only be as great in the kingdom as that person has converted to the likeness of Christ, regardless of that person’s vocation in life.

This is a very sobering reality that equalizes everyone’s chances for greatness.  It is only by likeness to Christ that we will all be measured.  Whether, pope, cardinal, bishop, priest, deacon, lay, religious, doctor, lawyer, plumber, electrician, athlete, artist, home-maker, or whatever… it doesn’t matter.  Likeness to Christ is equally available to all souls. 

Are you willing to do all that it takes to become like Christ?