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3rd Sunday in Advent
Because we are waiting for the dawn we are a people who have lived in darkness. Hiding in the dark means that we are not able to see the terrible state we are in. With the dawn comes dramatic change. Light enters the world of darkness. Light is a transforming thing. We witness the effect of light on the plant kingdom. Having bathed in the sun the plant kingdom bursts forth with life. “The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom.” There will be abundant flowers and joyful song. All will be glory and splendor. We don’t have to be afraid of the dark anymore. The eyes of the blind will be opened. The deaf will hear, the lame will walk and the mute will sing. Those who have been held captive will be freed by ransom and they will sing rejoicing. Waiting for Santa Claus is nothing compared to this.
John becomes aware of the presence of Jesus but as yet he doesn’t recognize Him as the Messiah. That recognition comes at the Jordan river. John sends his people to go and enquire after this profound prophet who works miracles. Jesus asks them a lovely question, “What did you go out to the desert to see?” There is a wonderful question for us to ponder. What did you go out to the desert to see? The desert is a hostile place where it is hard to survive. Living in the desert you have to reduce your requirements to very little things. You need water, shelter and a little bit of food. The desert brings brutal clarity to the lives we live. We gaze into the mirrors of the desert and we see that we are full of nonsense, too much, complaining all the time, little patience, expecting everything, giving nothing back. The mirror of the desert shows us what we look like. You went to the desert searching for a prophet with a message. The message is hidden. Wait on the Lord. He comes with power but you have to wait.
Jesus applauds John the Baptist as the greatest of the Messianic prophets. He certainly earned his money getting his head chopped off for his trouble. Don’t kill the messenger we say. They killed him because the message is too powerful. We are threatened by it. Huge change is coming and we are not sure we can handle it.