Second Sunday of Advent: Prepare the Way for the Real Jesus

Today's Scripture Readings

Isaiah 11:1-10  (NRSV)

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him,

the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

the spirit of counsel and might,

the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

or decide by what his ears hear;

but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,

and faithfulness the belt around his loins.

The wolf shall live with the lamb,

the leopard shall lie down with the kid,

the calf and the lion and the fatling together,

and a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze,

their young shall lie down together;

and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,

and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den.

They will not hurt or destroy

on all my holy mountain;

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD

as the waters cover the sea.

On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

Psalm 72 (BCP., p.685)


Romans 15: 4-13 (NRSV)

Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

"Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles,
and sing praises to your name";
and again he says,

"Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people";
and again,

"Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples praise him";

and again Isaiah says,

"The root of Jesse shall come,
the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles shall hope."

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 3:1-12 (NRSV)

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
`Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.'"

Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

"I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

Blog Reflection

There are many problems with the readings and the meaning of the 2nd Sunday of Advent. 

The problems come from interpreting the Hebrew Scriptures in such a way, that their meaning within the context of the Jewish Faith is to be dismissed because of Antisemitism on the one hand.  On the other hand, Jesus Himself throughout the Gospels identifies Himself with the prophesies in the Hebrew Scriptures. 

The other problem that cannot be too easily dismissed is that the figure of St. John the Baptist is all too often used to prepare for the coming of the judgmental and superficial Jesus who supposedly condemns abortion, same-gender marriages, wipes out entire areas by tsunami's and tornadoes because of a change from super conservative to progressive liberalism.

Another image that is also quite troubling as these Scriptures are interpreted comes from those of us who are progressive Christians, that might lead many of us to dismiss what Advent and Christmas are really about.   During Advent we recall the events that led up to that first coming of Christ at Christmas to help us remember and celebrate that Christ will come again, and in fact, is already here.  But, not yet.   Rev. Susan Russell likes to remind us this time of the year, that these seasons are a matter of both/and as opposed to either/or.  

The real Jesus who came as God's perfect revelation of Self, came to bring real change.   It was the difference that gave hope where all hope seemed lost.  He came at a time when God's people were in need of a revelation of God in a way that was not just written in the tablets of the Law, but became an imprint of God's footprints on the human soul.  Those who were considered as lost, would at last be shown the Way to friendship with God.  Where religious authority had become an excuse for excluding people, Jesus was God's reason why every person was already counted as God's own.   Where oppression and injustice caused people to question what God was really doing, Jesus came and told us to deny ourselves, pick up our Cross and follow Him to give our lives for the sake of the Gospel.  To live in humility, through being a servant to one another.

St. John the Baptist, the prophet that prepared the way for Christ is placed in each of the Gospels after Jesus had already been born.   St. John the Baptist lays out the path to the real Jesus.  The Jesus who changes the real lives of real people, by affirming God's unconditional love for all of us, without distinction.   If God can use a simple prophet who lived in the wilderness, ate locusts and drank honey, dressed in camel's hair to prepare the way for Jesus to change the history of the world as the Word made flesh; imagine how God can change the world through us.  Imagine how God can use us to prepare the way for the real Jesus here and now.

Yesterday, December 7th, 2013 was seventy two years since the disastrous attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.  It changed the United States at a profound moment in our Nation's history.  Many of the things that were taken for granted were shaken to their foundations.  Lives were lost, a sense of the security of the nation was completely devastated.  Yet, out of that tragedy, a new one began.  Instead of just responding with military action which was bad enough, the US began internment camps for Japanese Americans.   An entire race of people were targeted for discrimination and the worst kind of social and political violence.  How dare anyone celebrate the horrific attack and our nation's response by way of internment camps as being "heroic" or even "necessary." When racism is the response after a horrific act, the horror continues and we become part of the continuation of the horrific action.

This past week, we heard about the death of former President Nelson Mandela of South Africa.  A man who was already in the thick of apartheid, of prejudice and violence of horrific proportion.  Yet, he was willing to go to jail, and he did to speak and act against the discrimination.  At that time, Nelson Mandela was perceived by many here in the U.S. with amazing hate and denounced as a terrorist.   Yet, this amazing man in peaceful protest worked for a new order in South Africa, not only ending apartheid, but also the affects of homophobia so that marriage equality has been the law there for many years.   Nelson Mandela was a prophetic witness that prepared the way for the real Jesus in his corner of the world.

William Stringfellow in his writing entitled The Penitential Seasons in the book Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas wrote best what will be the conclusion of this blog post.

The depletion of a contemporary recognition of the radically and political character of Advent is in large a measure occasioned by the illiteracy of Church folk about the Second Advent and, in the mainline churches, the persistent quietism of pastors, preachers, and teachers about the Second Coming.  That topic has been allowed to be preempted and usurped by astrologers, sectarian quacks and multifarious hucksters   Yet it is impossible to apprehend either Advent except through the relationship of both Advents.  The pioneer Christians, beleaguered as they were because of their insight, knew that the message of both Advents is political.  The message is that in the coming of Jesus Christ, the nations and the principalities and the rulers of the world are judged in the Word of God.  In the lordship of Christ they are rendered accountable to human life and, indeed, to all created life.  Hence, the response of John the Baptist when he is pressed to show the meaning of repentance he preaches is, "Bear fruits that befit repentance" (p.105).

Amen.

Prayers

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to
preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation:
Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins,
that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our
Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p.211).

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.  (Prayer for the Human Family, Book of Common Prayer, p.815).

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn
but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the
strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that
all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of
Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and
glory, now and for ever. Amen.  (Prayer for Peace, Book of Common Prayer, p.815).