Breaking Open the Word
3rd Sunday of Advent
December 15, 2024
Introduction
Zephaniah prophesied in the late 7th century BC. Much of what he said was terrifying and gloom and doom. God would punish the people for their idolatry and the punishment would be severe and encompass the entire earth.
However, Zephaniah also prophesied that after God purges the earth of evil, God will bring about a new era. God will dwell among his people, restoring them and protecting them from further harm. This is hope for Zion and freedom from the domination of their enemies. Zion is the name of the hill on which Jerusalem was built. The terms Zion, Israel, and Jerusalem are always referring to God’s chosen people.
For us our hope is different. The threats we face are more subtle: racism, sexism, nationalism, consumerism and they all obstruct the coming of the kingdom. People fear losing their jobs, others in fear from violence in their neighborhoods and others of alcohol and drug addiction. From all these evils, the Lord promises victory in the end. The Lord is on our side, nothing can ultimately triumph over us. That is the joyful message of this reading.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians calls on us to rejoice in the Lord. How fitting for Gaudete Sunday. After the call to joy, the reading urges us to kindness towards others. Then we hear 4 simple words: The Lord is near. When we hear this, we tend to think about the coming of the Lord at the birth of Jesus. Paul, however, was looking toward the second coming of Christ which he expected soon. Anticipation of that second coming, when Christ’s victory over evil will be complete, this leads Paul to urge rejoicing and a way of life according to Christ’s teaching.
Gospel Explained
At first glance, this reading seems to have little in common with the first two readings and their emphasis on rejoicing. The message of John the Baptist is a call to repentance and conversion with warnings about the impending judgement of God. Yet Luke says that John was preaching “good news” to the people.
The key to understanding that statement is that John’s message, like that of Jesus himself, was good news to those who chose to live according to the will of God. The judgement is no threat to the righteous, in fact, it will be a moment of validation for them and their way of life, as evil is destroyed and God’s will triumph.
Luke makes it clear that John is subordinate to Jesus. John baptizes only with water but Jesus will baptize with the holy spirit and fire. John is not even worthy to serve as a slave to Jesus, unfastening his sandals. A slave’s job was to remove his master’s shoes.
In Luke’s Gospel, possessions are something that you should be willing to part with. Those who truly welcome Jesus would give up everything in order to follow him.
Coming of the Messiah: Given the Roman occupation of their land, many Jews were looking for a messiah to liberate them. As John urged people to turn away from their old lives and embrace God’s coming, people hoped that he was God’s chose one. Messiah is a Hebrew word that means anointed one. Christ is the Greek word for Messiah. In the ancient world people were anointed as a sign that God had chosen them for a special purpose.
John then quotes from Malachi 3:19 when he warns that God’s judgment includes a fiery purging. John describes a farmer tossing wheat into the air to separate it from the chaff, the inedible part. It is not clear if the chaff represents people or to whatever is in people that must be purged before they enter God’s kingdom.
Today's Theme
A Savior is Coming
Over the last few thousand years, the Jews were constantly being persecuted by different ruling parties. Whether it was the Babylonians, Assyrians, Greeks or now, right before the birth of Jesus, the Romans, the Jews were looking for a messiah or savior to free their people once and for all from future persecution. This baby that was born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago was not the type of savior that they were expecting. This messiah’s message was one of repentance and to love your neighbors as you would yourself. As the anticipation of this savior’s birth draws closer, we hear of a messenger that will prepare the way for the savior. This messenger is sending a message that is not just meant for the Jews, but for everyone. How prepared are we for the coming of the savior?
Theme in our Life Today
As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, we will go out and purchase gifts, figure out the Christmas food menu, and decorate our houses in festive décor. This is the favorite time of year for most people, even people that are not Christians. But have we lost sight of the true gift of Christmas? This reminds me of the Charlie Brown Christmas show when Charlie Brown asks Linus what Christmas is all about and Linus goes on to quote from the Gospel of Luke to describe the savior that is coming that will save us all. As we prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of a baby in a manager over 2000 years ago, what are we really doing to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus? If we knew Jesus would return tomorrow, what would we do? As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth, let us not forget to prepare ourselves for his second coming. As John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way of the Lord, what are we doing to prepare the coming of Jesus?
Prepare for Sunday
1. If you were to ask John the Baptist this same question today, “What am I to do then? How would you answer?
2. In our personal lives, how can we imitate John the Baptist as we proclaim the Good News?
3. How can we radiate to others the joy of God’s presence within us?
PRAYER
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
ever faithful to your promises
and ever close to your Church:
the earth rejoices in hope of the Savior’s coming and looks forward with longing to his return at the end of time.
Prepare our hearts
and remove the sadness that hinders us from feeling the joy and hope
that his presence will bestow,
for he is Lord for ever and ever. Amen.