As we enter the Second Sunday of Advent, the Gospel reading from St. Luke presents us with a detailed historical background of the time of Jesus’ public ministry (Lk. 3: 1-6). The Evangelist wants to tell us that Jesus of Nazareth is not a legend or a story created by someone but a historical person. Even now, we can verify these historical facts St. Luke is describing and can believe that the Gospel is true. But for us even without verifying any historical records, Jesus is a living reality, and he is the Lord of our life. He is the one who gives meaning to our Christian life.
John the Baptist is the main character in today’s Gospel as he announces the imminent coming of the Messiah. St. Luke writes: “…the word of God came upon John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness” (Lk. 3: 1-2). Now John is inviting the people to meet Jesus personally to receive the blessings. But they need to prepare their hearts and minds to have a personal and living relationship with him.
Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist, belonged to the priestly family. Priesthood in the Old Testament was originally reserved for the firstborn sons of Israel. But, when the Jewish people participated in the worship of the golden calf at Mount Sinai, God took away this right from the firstborn sons. Then he gave the priestly work to the tribe of Levi, who did not worship the idol (Numbers 8:16-18). It was to teach them about their special call as God’s people and the need to respond to it with responsibility. Here, John the Baptist also represents all those who worshiped the true God of Israel. At the same time, he is chosen to lead the people to Jesus, who would inaugurate a new Kingdom based on the New Covenant of love. So, John can be called the last prophet of the Old Testament and the first prophet of the New Testament.
The mission of John the Baptist was to direct people’s attention to Christ. He invited them to a life of conversion and to accept Christ. He was direct in announcing the imminent judgment: “Every tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Mt. 3: 10). Likewise, he radiated a special joy coming from his intense prayer life, which made him closer to God. His sanctity was irresistible, and the people listened to his words and followed his directions.
Here, John the Baptist is a great model for us to present Jesus to the world. Our Church is in dire need of prophets who could courageously preach the Gospel. The mission of every Christian in every age is to live a life worthy of the Kingdom of God. We need to convert our hearts and minds to receive Christ. The family which we live should be a place prepared for Jesus to enter and stay. John the Baptist challenges us to go into our own deserts of prayer life to develop our closeness to Christ. Advent is a time of preparation, and we should travel to the wilderness to deepen our relationship with God.
John the Baptist received the meaning of his life and mission in relation to the life and mission of Christ. We should also follow his model in finding the true meaning of our lives. We should all have a clean heart and mind to welcome Christ during this Christmas. Let us prepare ourselves to have a deep friendship with Jesus and to have a life of holiness to welcome Christ during this Christmas. Then, let us go out to the world to witness Christ through our words and deeds.
Rev. Dr. Mathew Charthakuzhiyil