May the words that I speak be both spoken and received, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
John the Baptist created excitement among the people when he appeared! He brought a prophetic message, the significance of which was emphasised by his being the first prophetic voice that Jesus had heard for over 300 years! God had finally broken the silence and people’s expectations were high.
John made his appearance at a time when decay had firmly set in, upon both the Jewish religious system and the Jewish nation. The Jewish kingdom had gone, It had kept its unity until the death of Herod the Great, but at his death, the Romans divided it into tetrachies, each with a governor ruling only by the consent of the Roman Emperor.
The sceptre, the power, had finally departed from Israel, the ancient glory of the land of David had gone. The historic kingdom needed resuscitation, or replacement by a new and relivened one. A national leader was looked for, and was essential for the health and glory of the nation. There was a general feeling that the fullness of time had come. Religious life was in great need of reform, for it had become corrupt in both rule and administration.
It was not only John’s words that suggested he was a prophet with an important message. His camel-hair clothing would have reminded the crowds of Elijah, the very prophet that the Jews expected to return one day to herald the coming of the Messiah.
It is plain from the Gospels that John’s ministry was one of preparation for the advent of the Messiah. The long expected, deeply looked for, Prince of Peace must soon come. John’s work was to prepare a smooth path for the Lord. But it was not by force that John’s mission was to be fulfilled. His vocation was to lift up his voice in warning and as a summons to action.
In our first reading of the prophet Isaiah, it says, ‘A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord.”’ And from our gospel reading of Mark it says, ‘As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord”’.
John had to work in the valleys of the depressed and despairing souls, bring down the mountains of conceit and pride, the crooked ways of sin, and the rough, uncouth ways of uncivilised nature. John’s mission was one to all people, to all classes and all types. His preaching was the preaching of penitence; and his baptism was a baptism of repentance.
John’s way of getting people ready, however, was tough. He taught that they needed to repent, a word that in the original language means much more than feeling sorry, or even saying sorry, but involves a turning away from wrongdoing and a radical change of behaviour.
Would we, like the people of his day, greet John with enthusiasm and excitement to hear his message?
Or would we just dismiss his uncomfortable preaching as an outdated remnant of the Old Testament era? Can we grow complacent in our faith and remain open to the voice of the Holy Spirit prompting us to repent, change and lead more fruitful lives?
God sends ordinary people like you, or me, to relate to people by word, or deed. Visiting the sick, or helping a neighbour, or maybe speaking those words to someone, which God wants them to hear. You may find yourself asking someone to do something for Christ, or at least giving them advice.
God may call upon you to serve him in a particular way. If you are not expecting it to happen, you may end up closing the door on God’s Spirit. If a person is not receptive to Christ’s message, or request, then it will fall on ‘deaf ears’, or on ears that don’t want to know.
Each one of us can make a big difference in our lives and during Advent if we expect great things to happen from God, and we wait and watch patiently, then we can truly receive and make good use in our lives of that which we are given. And we are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit in abundance.
We can also fail to recognise the Risen Christ – in an act of kindness, a move towards peace, the settling of a disagreement, forgiveness, or reconciliation. ‘Maranatha’, is a simple prayer which has continued throughout the ages, from the early days of Christianity. Maranatha is Aramaic and means ‘Lord Come’.
The first christians regularly met and shared a meal together. They made their memory vivid by repeating what Jesus had said and done during the Last Supper. But the events of Jesus’ life and death were more than a memory; they were a present experience.
Maranatha (Lord come) bears witness to the spirit of tense expectancy that brought them together. They knew that Christ’s presence was there, unseen and unheard but real. The Lord had come to them: ‘He was in the breaking of the bread’.
We experience Christ’s power in the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are made in God’s likeness; called to be his sons and daughters; chosen to inherit eternal life; commissioned as ambassadors for Christ.
How are we going to share our faith with those who do not care to link Christ with their Christmas celebrations?
Our spiritual lives should send out the message that we will soon celebrate the coming of the Messiah into the world, with joy and an eager expectation.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
St Peter's Church 