3rd Sunday of Advent – John the Baptist’s Testimony (Jn 1:6-8)

John the Baptist - a ‘disturbance’ in the society

Introduction

- ‘Disturbance’ is a common word that we use in our daily language. It can be weather disturbance, political disturbance, social or any other.

- Disturbance leads to change and newness.

- For example - without disturbance there would not have a new born baby (mother’s birth pain and the actions thereafter bring forth the baby), there would not be rain (the disturbances in the cloud is the reason for rain), and there would not be any newness on earth.

- Prophets are considered as the disturbance makers in a society. They disturb the regular rhythm of the society/individual and call for a change. John the Baptist was the last among the Old Testament prophets who disturbed the Jewish community.

Body

- There can be two responses to the disturbances, negative and positive.

o Negative response would be reacting to the situation and destroying the agent that is the cause of disturbance.

o Positive response would be change in to goodness because of the disturbance.

- In the case of John the Baptist there were these two kinds of responses

o Positive response was – people came forth and asked him “what shall we do” (Jn 3:10). They were ready to receive the baptism of repentance.

o The negative response was – King Herod imprisoned John the Baptist (Mt 14:3). Herod and his followers tried to annihilate John.

- In the positive response, the disturbance would lead to self reflection and change. In the negative response, the disturbance would lead to resistance and destruction.

Conclusion

- Today John the Baptist points his finger towards us and deliver the same disturbing message “Prepare the way of the Lord” (Mk 1:2-3). When we close our eyes in front of God and ask Him, “Lord, what shall I do to receive you wholeheartedly?” he would answer us. The answer would be a disturbing one that will affect our ordinary rhythm of life.

- The message from the Lord might be - to reconcile with our brothers and sisters, or to be more punctual with our spiritual exercises, or to stop some of the bad habits like smoking and the use of drugs, or to abstain from our sins, or to be more generous in charity, etc. These kinds of messages are disturbing in nature since it calls for action that is painful.

- How we are responding to this disturbing message?

- We can either ignore the message and become like anyone lived at the time of Jesus who never listened to him or experienced him, or listen to the message and respond (positive) / react (negative).

- Let us be the people who positively respond to the message of God self reflection and change.

Peter’s Confession – Messiah of God (Lk 9:18-22)

Peter declared that Jesus is the Messiah of God in answering the question of Jesus. Messiah (in Greek Christos) has the meaning the anointed. In the Old Testament the anointing was done for Kings, Priests and Prophets. The anointing shows that they have a special role in the society. Jesus is the Messiah, the Ultimate King, Ultimate Priest and Ultimate Prophet.

By the sacrament of baptism all the Christians partake in the messianic mission of Jesus Christ by becoming king, prophet and priest. It is a sharing in the three functions of Jesus. We are kings, prophets and priests in Jesus Christ. What does it mean? Is it to rule the world or to condemn others or do offering for others?

I would rather think of our role as priest, prophet and king in a different way, a role to be accomplished towards myself. I should be a king to myself – knowing how to control me. I should be a prophet to myself – giving warning to myself when I go wrong and correct myself to the ways of God. I should be a priest to myself – to sanctify myself through my prayers and sacrifices. Let us be king, priest and prophet to ourselves before entering to the universal dimension of the call of Jesus to be the messiahs of the world.