Gospel Reflections: Third Sunday of Advent (A)

   Third Sunday of Advent [Mt 11:2-11]

11.12.2022

John the Baptist’s Messengers and Jesus’ Testimony about Him

Readings: (1) Is 35:1-6.10 (2) Jas 5:7-10

1.  Theme in brief

Jesus’ continual Advent through our deeds of mercy

2.  Focus Statement

We can make the doubting world believe that the Messiah has really come, not by our religious discourse or intellectual arguments, but by our deeds of mercy towards the suffering and service to the poor.

3.  Explanation of the text

Whereas last Sunday’s gospel spoke about John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus, today’s gospel gives Jesus’ testimony about John. It is surprising to read while Jesus lavishly praises the Baptist by stating that no one who is born of women is greater than him (11:11), the latter seems to doubt about Jesus’ real identity. This text contrasts the Baptist’s expectations of Jesus with his real identity and ministry.

The background of John’s doubt is this: He had prepared the way of the Messiah very fervently. Now, with a shaken faith, he wonders whether all that he did was worth the trouble. We come to know from Matthew’s gospel later on (14:1-12) that he was imprisoned by Herod for opposing his immoral behaviour. While undergoing the agony of prison, he doubts whether Jesus is really the awaited Messiah. To clarify his doubt he sends his disciples to Jesus with this question: “Are you the one who is to come or are we to wait for another” (11:3)? We can only guess some probable reasons for John’s grave doubt:

(1) As per his expectations, Jesus is not a triumphant and avenging type of Messiah who is supposed to pronounce severe judgment on evil-doers like Herod and purge the chaff from the wheat (Mt 3:12). Instead of that, he announces good news to the poor. (2) John is waiting for a Messiah who will severely condemn sins and sinners in order to uphold God’s strict justice, and not a Messiah who is compassionate towards sinners and proclaims salvation to the lost, the least and the last. Jesus appears to be too meek and tolerant. (3) Instead of living an austere and ascetical life befitting a prophet, Jesus eats and drinks with sinners and tax collectors. (4) Instead of using his power to overthrow Roman rule through violent means, he speaks about non-violence, non-resistance and sacrificial love. Nor is he powerful enough to get him released from prison and teach Herod a lesson.

Jesus does not answer the above-mentioned question (11:3) of John’s disciples directly through a debate. Instead, he draws their attention to his ministry of alleviating the suffering of the sick and the poor (11:4). His deeds prove his identity as the Messiah for those who have eyes of faith. Jesus does not say that he is healing the blind the lame, the lepers and the deaf…. (11:5). Instead, he says that the blind, receive their sight….the lepers are cleansed…. Receive sight from whom and cleansed by whom? Of course, from and by God. It is left to the observers to decide whether to take his miracles as signs of God’s presence or as signs of Satan’s power in him (Mt 12:24). The message which Jesus wants to give to John is clear: as God’s messenger he has come not to be a triumphant king, but to do deeds of compassion and love by becoming a healer of the sick, forgiver of sinners, consoler of the suffering and liberator of the poor.

Far from pronouncing judgement, Jesus comes to pronounce blessing to the suffering humanity. He also calls “blessed” or pronounces blessing on anyone who does not “take offence” (11:6) by his new model of love which does not conform to popular expectations. [The words “taking offence” are also translated as “getting scandalized” or “becoming a stumbling block.”] Many people with preconceived ideas about the role of the Messiah, including the Baptist, find Jesus a scandal or stumbling block.

The second part of today’s gospel speaks about Jesus' testimony to John by showering lavish praises on him: (1) he is greater than a prophet, nay, greater than any one born of women (11:11), because he is the messenger who goes before the Coming One and prepares the way for him (11:9-10); (2) considering his ascetic life, he is not like those who enjoy comforts of royal palaces (such as Herod) and dress in soft robes; instead he is model of renunciation and detachment (11:8); and (3) he is firm on moral standards and not like a soft reed that bends wherever the wind blows (11:5). In spite of his high esteem for the Baptist, Jesus considers the least person in the New Age (the Age of the Kingdom of Heaven or God) ushered in by him greater than John. The simple reason is that unlike us John never lived to experience the boundless love and compassion of God towards sinners flowing from the cross of Christ, which is quite different from his idea of a severe Judge who separates the chaff from the wheat.

4.  Application to life 

John the Baptist’s question is really a question asked by people of every age. Like him, sometimes we too are disillusioned with God and doubt his presence and power. We expect him to act on our behalf and do our will. We want him to show his almighty powers and punish our enemies. When God does not act as we wish, we get disappointed with him. He seems to be a powerless God to teach sinners and criminals (like Herod) a lesson and majestically uphold the moral order. Then our faith is shaken like that of John.

We must realize that in Advent we are preparing to meet not a triumphant King, but one who comes as a weak, meek, humble and lowly child, the son of an ordinary carpenter of Nazareth. We must not forget that we are preparing to meet Jesus who refused to jump down from the pinnacle of the Temple to gain popularity and public applause (Mt 4:5-7), and who did not come down from the cross to save himself and prove his almighty powers (Mt 27:40-42). Does this type of powerlessness offend our sensibilities? Due to this do we doubt about God’s mysterious presence in all the events – sweet and sour – of our lives?

Like John, sometimes we too feel we are in a prison when things go quite contrary to our expectations. In such situations we look for someone to come and save us. Then we are tempted to make Jesus the Messiah of our own liking. When we don’t get what we want or when our desires are not fulfilled we doubt whether he cares. We doubt whether to continue our faith in Jesus or turn to other gurus or things that satisfy our desires. In those moments Jesus looks like a scandalizing Messiah, a stumbling block that knocks us down on the way to our personal ambitions or selfish desires! We are tempted to seek other means of satisfaction like drugs, alcohol, internet and sexual pleasures. But ultimately these things turn out to be our false ‘messiahs’. In this Advent Season, this message asks us whether we too like John and his disciples stumble because of Jesus, or believe in him without dramatic proofs and personal visions.

In his ministry Jesus projected the image of a compassionate Father who sent him to heal the wounds of the broken-hearted and give the message of hope to the poor. That is why Jesus says: “Be merciful just as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36). He was not sent to judge or to condemn the world but to save it (Jn 3:17). Jesus’ liberal mind and attitudes must have shocked the conservative mind of John. When he sent his disciples with his doubt, Jesus didn’t answer his question directly. He invited them to decide for themselves after seeing his miracles. The world we live is a broken world tainted by evil, sin, corruption, injustice and suffering that needs healing and liberation. Though John was greater than a prophet, he failed to see that this ailment of the world cannot be fixed with severe judgement and condemnation as he visualized but with compassion and forgiveness as per Jesus’ vision.

The world continues to ask Christ’s disciples even today whether the Messiah has already come. We cannot prove to a doubting humanity that Jesus is really the Messiah by a religious discourse. Jesus did not enter into any debate with the disciples of John the Baptist or offer any intellectual argument to prove his divine origin. He only pointed at his deeds of mercy. It is up to us to decide whether Jesus is the Messiah or something else or somebody else is the messiah. We become ‘blessed’ if we make him present in the world by continuing his deeds of mercy to the suffering and the deprived – deeds that bring the good news of salvation to them.  As we prepare for Christmas, the question is whether we really want to welcome the Messiah who comes to forgive, to show mercy, to call sinners to repentance, or we want somebody like John who will come with fire and brimstone to clean all the mess in the world. If we decide for the former, we become a blessing to the world; if we decide for the latter Jesus becomes for us a stumbling block and his message becomes offensive. John was not alive to witness the boundless love and mercy of God flowing from the cross of Christ. If we can show to the afflicted and the broken humanity this mercy of God, the least among us can become greater than John, as Jesus says in today’s gospel (11:11). Therefore, instead of only debating whether Jesus is really the Messiah, we are invited to recognize God’s love for the suffering people in the compassionate deeds of Christ, and do the same.

Therefore, the ball is in our court. We are challenged to create situations where people experience the ‘Advent’ of Jesus in the world in a renewed manner by our mercy, service and love towards the sufferers. Where there is real love, there Christ has come, and we must not wait for another. So the real question, as we prepare for Christmas, is not whether the Messiah has already come, but, what are we doing for the suffering humanity, to better their conditions? In other words, “What are we doing so that others may know that Jesus is the Messiah?” If we are not bothered, the world is sure to look for another Messiah. The huge institutions and mighty structures of the Church by themselves cannot show to the world that Christ has really come. If Christ’s disciples in these institutions really exhibit his love and mercy, people will come to know that Christ has come. Our deeds of mercy are our ‘proofs’ that tell the world not to look for another Messiah.

As mentioned in today’s passage, the poor have good news brought to them (11:5) when we enable them to see, walk, hear, be cleansed from evil and be raised to a new life. How many people have we helped to ‘see’/ ‘find’ God, to see the purpose of their lives, to see the truth or to see their faults? How many have we helped to walk in God’s ways, walk out of darkness to light, out of hopelessness to hope? How many have we helped to come out of spiritual leprosy of sins, stains and social stigma, or to purify their attitudes or motives? How many have we helped to hear the voice of God or become docile to the Spirit of God when they become hardhearted? How many people who were spiritually dead and had no life in them have we given a new life; and how many poor people have we lifted up from their fallen state or underdevelopment through our mercy and concern? Our service proclaims louder than our words that the Messiah has already come. We become a ‘stumbling block’ for others to recognize Christ, if we fail to live by his values (that is, fail to do deeds of mercy) mentioned just now. In addition, if we live a pompous or showy life-style, totally contrary to John’s, we will be confined only to ‘royal palaces.’ That too can become a ‘stumbling block’ that prevents us from going out to serve the poor.

5.  Response to God's Word

The world is looking for a ‘Messiah’. Can we show to the world that Christ is the Messiah whom they are looking for by our deeds of mercy and service to the poor? Are we a ‘stumbling block’ (obstacle) for others to recognize the Messiah? If yes, how can Christ’s ‘Advent’ take place in our world, and how will the world recognize him? Let us be sorry for the times we were busy only in ritualism, novenas, observance of religious traditions and external celebrations without lifting a finger to continue Jesus’ deeds of mercy to the needy or have shown no concern for them.

6.  A prayer

Come, Lord Jesus, and increase our faith when our expectations are not met and our will is not done. May we be instruments of bringing good news to the poor and the needy in the world by our deeds of mercy and service to them. Grant that the suffering humanity may recognize the Father’s love in our compassionate deeds, so that all may experience your continual ‘Advent' till you come in glory at the end to fulfil all our hopes and aspirations. Amen.