Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year A

Back when I was in the Sixth Form, what is now referred to as Years 12 and 13,

I was sat in a science lab at school for a General Studies lesson. I can’t

remember for sure now exactly what the teacher was saying, but one of the lads

next to me said something to the effect of, the teacher’s speaking a whole load

of rubbish. At which point, Sir shouted at him: “That’s a teaching technique,

and you ought to be grateful for it!”, before he then resumed his calm

demeanour and continued with what he was saying. He knew that some of

what he was saying wasn’t quite correct; he was encouraging us to think for

ourselves and for our minds to be engaged, rather than just passively

swallowing everything he said.

So, at the start of today’s Gospel, why does St John the Baptist send his

disciples to Jesus to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for

another?” There are a few theories about this. Some say that John wanted

reassurance that he was doing the right thing. Some think that perhaps he

didn’t have a full understanding of who the Messiah was supposed to be.

Others are of the opinion that it was a teaching technique. John had baptised

Christ in the Jordan. He had heard the voice of the Father proclaiming, “This is

my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Something like that you don’t

forget, especially when others standing around the River Jordan must have

heard it as well. But perhaps some of John’s disciples weren’t convinced.

Maybe their ideas of what the Messiah should be like were still half-baked. So

he sends them to Our Lord Himself.

“Go and tell John what you hear and see”. As Christ describes the miracles he

is working His listeners will realise they are a fulfilment of the Old Testament

prophecies, such as the one we heard in the first reading: “Then the eyes of the

blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped” and so on. God is

doing something amazing. But the awaited Messiah is not going to be a

warrior king who flattens the Romans and re-establishes a new kingdom of

David. “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me”, because He

doesn’t conform to their misguided expectations. Sometimes we can have

ideas of how God should be or what we think would be His best course of

action. But God knows better. Have you ever heard the saying that God made

us in His own image, and ever since, we have been trying to repay the

compliment? Blessed are those who are not offended by what God is really

like.

As John’s disciples leave, Our Lord gives John a great compliment: “Truly, I

say to you, [and when He uses this phrase, we know something important is

coming up] among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than

John the Baptist”. John is the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets,

paving the way now for the Lord. He’s not someone living a comfortable, rich

life in a palace, wearing the “soft” clothes of luxury, but rather than the coarse

garments of those who are of poor means. He’s not a reed blown in the wind,

someone of no consequence, accommodating himself to the spirit of the age,

following this trend, then that. There was a scene in Spitting Image many years

ago, where Tony Blair was playing Moses in a film. Tony Blair comes down

from the mountain with the Ten Commandments in his hands, and he

encounters the people worshipping the golden calf. Tony finds out what they

are doing, and then he takes the stone tablets and starts chipping away at them.

Someone asks him for an explanation. He replies that we must adapt ourselves

to the new political situation. Moses, of course, instead took the golden calf,

ground it to fine dust and made the people drink it. That’s the end of your silly,

man-made god. Now serve the real one!

By this point, John the Baptist himself has faced the consequences for

enforcing the Ten Commandments. Everyone is under God’s authority,

including those in power. He has rebuked King Herod for taking his brother

Philip’s wife, technically both a form of incest and adultery, and John has been

thrown into prison. John is not someone with no “backbone”. But he is

executed before Christ’s Death and Resurrection, so he doesn’t see the

beginning of the Church from this side of the grave.

Blessed are we for being able to be filled with the grace of the Lord, through

baptism, confirmation and the Holy Eucharist. But we have to be upright as

well.

Curious about exploring things further?  If you would like to ask further questions about the topics raised in these homilies (or maybe think it wasn’t explained too well!), please feel free to e-mail Fr Michael at stjoseph.thame@rcaob.org.uk