Advent Sunday III – Year B
In Christian theology Jesus – the Christ, the Messiah – was and is the personification of God’s Salvation in every important way. From the healthy Christian historical perspective, he has already come into the world. He has already proclaimed his Gospel of peace, justice, love, and truth. He was crucified once for all, and has Risen from the dead, never to die again! He is still here. He is now. He is everywhere. His much-talked-about future “Second Coming” attracts a great deal of attention among some, but in reality, that apocalyptic expectation has receded into a kind of intelligent and practical insignificance because we know much, much more about the cosmological reality of the universe than did ancient believers. The apocalyptic imagery always was a metaphor for our own personal, individual death, in addition to have been a hoped-for saving end to violent persecution. Catholics (and other sophisticated, scientifically educated Christians) have evolved beyond mere apocalyptic Christianity and have grown into much more reasonable eschatological Christians. In other words, because we possess an ever-evolving critical, scientific, and well-informed understanding of the created universe, we look forward to our own death after lives well-lived in faith and hope. Ancient Christians expected and even hoped for an arbitrary, terrifying, destructive day of wrath and judgment, both as a practical remedy for religious persecution against them, as well as a permanent transfer into the kingdom of God in Heaven. Since we generally do not experience violent religious persecution, the “apocalyptic” or “revelatory” consolation of such imagery really does not attract us much today. A “Day of Wrath” scenario seems to contradict our professed faith in a Supreme, All-Loving, All-Merciful, All-Forgiving, and All-Compassionate God! Some still, however, over-focus on a so-called second coming or the “rapture” or the “End Times.” In many important ways, they neglect to live the larger Gospel message of engaging life to the fullest in the here and now out of a kind of simplistic religious faith, even employing a serious denial of reality. They’ve missed the point of a mature and intelligent Gospel message. To reiterate, a healthy Gospel vocation is to live as good citizens of God’s kingdom now! Today’s reading from 3rd Isaiah conveys just such a message as befits a messiah (i.e., an “anointed one” or one chosen by God) which is what that prophet was at his moment in time. The “glad tidings to the lowly” was, in the day of that prophet, the good news was that the Jewish captives had been freed from Babylonian captivity by the conquering Persians, and that their liberty was meant to be permanent. The anonymous prophet preached encouragement as a reminder that the “liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners” was describing them, the Jews! The second and third generations of the freed Jews had already begun to forget, or at least had begun to take for granted, their liberty. Such lack of appreciation diminished their gratitude for salvation. The response 3rd Isaiah tried to engender was that sense of being “wrapped in a mantle of justice” which meant to feel the very power and security of doing right. The strength that came with the conscientious engagement of life at one’s best was a sense of God’s power flowing through their lives and hearts. In our modern liturgical Advent season, this is precisely the kind of power for which Christians pray. It is through gratitude for the Mystery of the Incarnation, for the person and message of Christ among us here and now, that our Gospel lives make the greatest sense and do the greatest good. 3rd Isaiah was an anonymous prophet from our perspective twenty-five centuries after his ministry. He gave the glory for Salvation to the God who had saved. He pointed the way. He reminded, encouraged, teased, cajoled, and otherwise provoked his Jewish community to make their religious faith deliberate, thoughtful, intelligent, and thankful in every way possible.
John the Baptizer served much the same purpose in the Gospel text for today. He gave witness to the coming Savior, testified “to the light,” i.e., to the person and the message of the real messiah, Jesus. He had a candor and a truthfulness which was at once attractive yet challenging. He told the truth in unvarnished and blunt fashion. He knew that his audience hungered for something profound and he knew that he was being lead by God’s powerful Spirit to direct the audience to another whom they had not as yet come to recognize. But, his task was to prepare them, to stoke their expectations, to give them hope that genuine Salvation was actually near at hand. He was charismatic (literally “gifted”) in the best sense. People heard him well, even in his somewhat counter-cultural style. He was aggressive yet humble. He was rather harsh, but truthful. His life was believable; he did not profit from his proclamation in any inappropriate manner; indeed, he would eventually be killed for his forceful truthfulness. He would certainly not be a successful television or radio preacher today, particularly of that type which frequently solicits financial contributions from the audience. Rather, he spoke directly to the heart and conscience. He persuaded listeners to rethink their lives, and then to bring about radical and fundamental personal changes. He helped his hearers create space in their hearts and minds for God’s powerful Spirit, especially as it would come through the preaching and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth and his Gospel message.
Our liturgical season of Advent celebrates the realized coming of Jesus the Messiah and Savior. He has already come to our lives. He is already in our world. His Gospel is already on our minds and in our hearts. We need only to embrace it ever more thoughtfully, energetically, and completely. We need not look forward to any future coming, even though we still make use of apocalyptic language in our liturgical prayers. We use apocalyptic words and concepts as metaphors for meeting our loving and wise God at our own deaths. But, we celebrate the divine Mystery of the Incarnation and the Paschal Event fully here and now, well before we meet that inevitable and necessary end of our earthly lives.
Today’s second reading is the effective conclusion of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. He had explained that none would be left behind when Jesus calls everyone to the kingdom at their lives’ ends. He had comforted those still alive with the firm conviction that even the dead would rise to be with the Christ. So, in light of that full and complete hope, he encouraged and even demanded that the Thessalonian Christians be actively and enthusiastically engaged in mutual edification and support. He sought respect for effective preachers and evangelists. He commended each to pray for the other. He conveyed to them his absolute confidence in God’s saving goodness. He spoke from experience. He knew how much God had done in his own life. He expected, hoped for, and was convinced of the same consoling Salvation for each and every other believer.
Christ has died! Christ is Risen! Christ will come again!