Second Sunday of Advent (A)

 Second Sunday of Advent (A) [Mt 3:1-12]

04.12.2022

The Proclamation of John the Baptist

Readings: (1) Is 11:1-10 (2) Rom 15:4-9

1.    Theme in brief

Bearing fruits worthy of repentance

2.  Focus Statement

Preparing ourselves to welcome Jesus at Christmas means this: undergoing a change of mind or attitude, straightening our crooked paths and producing fruits of good deeds.

3.  Explanation of the text

Matthew’s gospel presents John the Baptist as a prophetic figure whose dress resembles Elijah, and whose message sounds like Isaiah or Amos.  As the forerunner of Jesus, he prepares Israel to receive the more powerful Person coming after him, namely, Christ the Lord (3:11). He prepares them by foreshadowing the main theme of Jesus’ own preaching in his public ministry: “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven has come near” (3:2). In Matthew’s gospel, this is a statement made by Jesus also later (in 4:17). In plain language, John’s main message implies this: in order to experience God’s total love or governance (technically called the Kingdom of heaven or God) over their lives, people must take a new direction contrary to the one they have taken and change their attitudes radically.

Repentance preached by John and Jesus is more than being or saying sorry for one’s past sins. It refers to a turning away from the past way of life and beginning a new one with the initiation of baptism in Jordan. In other words, John insists on the necessity of undergoing a radical change of heart to experience God’s rule of love over their lives.

John the Baptist’s second message is about preparing the way for the Lord, and amending the crooked paths that   are an obstacle to receive him (3:3). He considers his preaching as the voice of a prophet (like Elijah) crying in the ‘wilderness’ (that symbolizes a meeting place with God).   

In his third message John the Baptist urges Israel to consider seriously the urgency of a decisive action that proves their repentance (3:10), or the necessity of bearing fruits of good deeds (3:8, 10). He confronts people with the last opportunity to repent and bear fruits worthy of repentance very urgently (3:8). He has harsh words (such as “brood of vipers”) and a stern warning for Pharisees and Sadducees, who believe that they have nothing to change in their lives. He affirms that merely being descendants of Abraham or being pious persons in itself does not exempt them from the coming judgment, if they do not change their ways. As they cling proudly to their ethnic purity because of their descent from Abraham, they remain unchanged.

If they do not reform their lives, John insists that they cannot escape from “the wrath to come” (3:4), that is, God’s definite intervention. The time left for a radical change is short, since the axe is already laid to the trees' roots (3:10). Every tree that does not bear fruit in good deeds will be cut down and burnt (3:12). At the end there will be a radical separation between the ‘wheat’ (that is, those who bear fruits) and the ‘chaff’ (that is, those who are barren or unproductive), when the final judgement comes (3:12).

John sets a personal example of asceticism and humility. He renounces worldly comforts by wearing clothing of camel’s hair and eating locusts and wild honey (3:4). He humbly admits that “the Coming One” (Jesus) is mightier than him. He is not even worthy to become the Mightier One’s slave by carrying his sandals. He contrasts his baptism by water with the much more powerful and life changing baptism of Holy Spirit and fire to be administered by the Coming One (3:11).

4. Application to life 

On the second Sunday of Advent, the Church, through the teaching and personal example of John the Baptist, invites us to take the following three decisions:

(1) Changing our minds or attitudes in order to experience the nearness of the Kingdom of ‘heaven’ (or God): God’s loving rule comes near to us or in our midst in a renewed manner at Christmas through the Person of Jesus Christ. Hence, as we prepare ourselves to welcome Jesus at Christmas, we should heed to John the Baptist’s call for repentance – a firm decision to change the direction of our life. Yes, a direction contrary to the one we have taken now. In the context of Advent Season, for us accepting Jesus as our Saviour and Lord is the same as accepting the Kingdom of God. It implies, making Christ (or God) as the Centre of our life. As long as sin reigns over our lives, or long as we do not turn away from sins and selfish behaviour, and turn towards God’s love, the Kingdom of God cannot come near to us; that is to say, we cannot experience God’s total love or governance over our lives.

Just like the people went to John to confess their sins and be baptized by him in Jordan, Advent invites us to  renew our baptismal grace by putting to death our old way of life and taking a rebirth to a new way of life (Rom 6:3). Jesus one’s again comes to offer us his gift of salivation from sins. We need him more than before to save us from sins. But if somebody says there is no such thing as sin, where is the need for Jesus and his salvation? Modern people seem to be more interested in salvation from illness, unemployment, poverty, terrorism, environmental disaster and natural calamities than from sin. If this is true of us, we may be looking forward to celebrate Christmas only socially without Christ and keep him out of our lives and hearts. Advent is the appropriate time to reflect on God’s dissatisfaction with the present state of affairs in our world and wants to increase love, compassion, freedom, forgiveness, peace and justice. Now is the time to seriously think how we can bring something of heavily atmosphere here on earth by turning away from values of the world such as corruption, violence, injustice, exploitation, and to turn towards the values of God.

(2) Listening to the Baptist’s prophetic voice that resounds before us and urges us to prepare the way of the Lord by straightening our paths: It means turning away from crooked ways of the world and returning to God’s ways. We need to prepare our hearts to receive Jesus by straightening of the crooked paths we are walking, so that he may enter. We have to examine whether there are symptoms of any crookedness in our behaviour, action, dealings or attitudes that are contrary to God’s path. We often hear people speaking about “dirty politics” and “dirty business” to refer to crookedness of some people in public places and posts/ positions. The former word is used to refer to not only political circles, but also to any crooked or dishonest behaviour or double-dealing found within families, neighbourhoods, villages, religious/ social institutes and the Church. The latter word is used for any business that uses corrupt or dishonest means. How can the Lord enter if our way is so crooked or “dirty” (as people say)? In what way are we preparing the way of the Lord, and making straight a path for our God in our own and other's lives?

(3) Examining ourselves whether we are like fruit-bearing trees or not: Repentance is not only turning away from sin but also a turning towards a fruitful life. It means not only thinking differently but also acting differently. We need to show evidence of our conversion (repentance) in our action or behaviour. In other words, if our repentance is sincere and genuine, it should be visible in our action (termed as “fruits” in today’s gospel). The good fruits are our good deeds such as proactive service to the needy, joyful sacrifice of quality time for the good of others, a spirit of reconciliation with our offenders, overcoming evil by doing good, upholding spiritual and moral values at any cost, etc. Parents and teachers should bear fruits before their children and students by matching their words with their good example; service-holders by upholding principles of honesty and dedication to duty; priests and religious by using all their energies, talents and training to the maximum.

Experts say that 60 to 70% of our everyday thoughts are negative because of which a major portion of our vital energy is lost. They also say that most people do not use all of their potential or energies to the fullest extent. Many of us are satisfied by doing the minimum required when we are placed in leadership roles in social or religious organizations. If we could use a portion of our free time for productive purposes (such as a community service that is not ordered or assigned by anybody), instead of using it for useless gossiping, loitering around, extensively watching T.V. and making/ receiving too lengthy fun-calls in our cell-phones, we could become better fruit-bearing or productive trees. If we are living an unproductive life, our claim of belonging to a Christian ancestry or family will not save us. God does not show any ethnic partiality and his salvation is not hereditary (as the Baptist reminded). Since we need to be always prepared to face God’s judgement, there is an urgency or shortness of time left to be productive. So we have to decide urgently to bring forth good fruits before the final judgement comes suddenly.

Those who think like the Pharisees and Sadducees that they have nothing to change are like empty and useless chaff. Following John the Baptist’s appeal, we need to change soon from ‘chaff’ into ‘wheat’ before God’s judgement comes. Coming of Christ involves a separation between ‘wheat’ (those who yield fruit) and ‘chaff’ (or those who are empty/ sterile/ fruitless/ unproductive). Like the Pharisees and Sadducees, it is easy for us Christians to take pride in our long-standing Christian traditions and heritage. This does not excuse any of us for not changing our selfish and worldly ways. John the Baptist tells us in clear terms that such tags as belongingness to a community of “old Christians,” “established Church,” or to a family of priests and nuns, etc., will not save us, if we do not take care to renew ourselves regularly.

Today, the Church presents to us the personal and striking example of John the Baptist to imitate. His spirit of asceticism and humility can assist us greatly to make all the above-mentioned decisions. John’s ascetic lifestyle and detachment from the comforts of this world is a silent protest against comfort culture and self-indulgence of modern people and the false security they tend to place in worldly possessions. His spirit of humility is necessary for admitting our own sins and our own need of salvation. It is an antidote for our own attitudes of self-sufficiency, arrogance and a life independence from God’s total dominion over our lives.

5.  Response to God's Word

As Christmas is approaching, what is our main focus? Is it on new clothes, party, decoration, dance, eating and drinking, or change of our wrong/negative attitudes that will lead to change of our behaviour? What efforts are we going to turn away from self-centredness in our behaviour in families and communities that leads us to dishonesty, abusive language, regular quarrel over the same issues, slander, aggressiveness and violence? What are the spiritual means we plan to use in order to turn towards God? What are the crooked paths we are walking that need to be straightened? Are we like productive or unproductive ‘trees’? Are we wheat or chaff? How can we imitate the spirit of renunciation and humility followed by John the Baptist in order to be productive?

6.    A prayer

Merciful God, as we prepare ourselves to welcome your Son Jesus at Christmas, grant that we may heed to John the Baptist’s call for a firm decision to change the direction of our life so that you, and not sin, may rule over us. Give us the strength to straighten our crooked ways. May our repentance be genuine so that it yields to visible action. Make us realize the urgency of bringing forth good fruits before it is too late. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.