Become the One we are Waiting For!

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year A

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Brooklyn Center, MN

Sunday, December 15, 2019

John the Baptist began his ministry by urging people to prepare for the arrival of God’s final rule, which he described as “the coming wrath.” With the message, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” John called for a radical change of heart, mind, attitude, and lifestyle. He challenged the people to prepare for this emerging kingdom. He also created awareness that he himself was not the expected Messiah, rather, his forerunner. Now, John’s message has got him into trouble. He was in prison over his refusal to sanction the marriage of King Herod Antipas to Herodias, the wife of his own brother. In prison, John heard about the activities of Jesus throughout Galilee. He had earlier described the one coming after him in graphic imagery: “His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor  and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire” (Mt. 3:12). His expectation of the coming one as a strict and stringent judge did not tally with what he was hearing about Jesus. While John emphasized divine wrath and judgement with unquenchable fire, Jesus’ ministry was an outpouring of grace, mercy and healing. While the tone of John’s message was harsh, that of Jesus was more friendly and lenient. This obvious difference made John to send his disciples to Jesus with this question: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” 

Without giving John’s disciples a yes or a no answer, Jesus referred to the Old Testament Scriptures— prophecies from Isaiah to be precise— that predicted the future salvation as a time of mercy, healing, wholeness, recreation and renewal of all things: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them.” Jesus was simply pointing to John that the prophecy of the prophets especially the one we read today in Isaiah is being fulfilled: “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 the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be cleared. Then will the lame leap like a stag, and then the tongue of the mute will sing” (Isaiah 35:4-6). Jesus did not say yes or no, he let his actions speak for themselves. He also advised that no one should take offense at his ministerial activity. 

Despite his mild rebuke of John, Jesus taught his audience of John’s important role in the unfolding of God’s plan of salvation: “What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind…someone dressed in fine clothing…a prophet?” To Jesus, John the Baptist was more than a prophet. He was a messenger of God sent to announce the arrival of the Messiah. 

Dearest beloved, Jesus has fulfilled the Messianic prophecies. He has left the remaining task to us. We are his hands, voice, and body. He has called us to be his love and mercy today. But are we? When others encounter us, will they see Jesus in us  or are they going to still be looking for him? A good Christian is a Bible. A good Christian is Jesus to others. A good Christian is the one the world is waiting for. He makes others want to believe in him. She makes belief in God meaningful and relevant. Let’s always strive to become the good we seek, the love we seek, the peace we seek, the common good we seek, the respect we seek, the dignity we seek, the peace we seek, the generosity we seek, the healing we seek, the mercy we seek, and the justice we seek