Homily
2nd Sunday of Advent A
8 December 2013
Daily Readings
We're in Jesus' way. John the Baptist, the greatest prophet who ever lived, couldn't be any clearer. We're the problem. Our egos. Our plans. Our stuff. Our sins. It's all in the way. We're in the way.
John the Baptist is the greatest prophet that ever lived because he paved the way for more than a message from God, he paved the way for THE message. He announced not a word, but the coming of THE WORD, after which none other need ever be spoken. He prophesies not just a word a person - THE person foretold by every other prophet - the person who alone can set things aright, the person who alone can heal a broken world from the inside out - the person who alone can strike the ruthless with the rod of the mouth, AND at the same time make the baby play by the cobra's den. John the Baptist thus appears as a crazy man, eating locusts - screaming like an idiot in the middle of nowhere, being more dramatic than any other prophet, doing anything he can to break through our deafness and complacency - because his message is the most urgent and most important of any message ever spoken. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight his paths.
John the Baptist in calling out the scribes and Pharisees calls out any of us who translate the Lord's coming into something manageable for ourselves. He calls out any of us who might let this Christmas go by without a radical change taking place within us, for the Lord's coming can never mean anything else, never mean anything less, than letting ourselves be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and with fire. The Lord's coming can only mean radical self-conversion. It is either him or us - there is no compromise. The Lord is not someone we can fit into our lives. The Lord is not coming to improve our lives, like a new diet, or a workout plan, or an investment strategy, or the perfect gift at the perfect price. No, the Lord's coming cannot be watered down or equivocated or translated into a chance to tinker with our lives. The Lord's coming is not another special offer like the thousands of others we are bombarded with at every turn. Preparing for the Lord's coming can only mean a complete re-orientation of our lives. Making room for him means our life is no longer about us. John the Baptist couldn't be clearer. It is either about him, or about us. We either make room for him, or we don't. There is no happy medium. It cannot be both. For the Lord baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire, and whatever is not worthy or ready for him, will be like chaff that is burned.
Repentance, then, is key to the prophecy of John. Specifically, during this season of consumerism, and its promises of fulfillment through buying the perfect gift, the prophecy of John reminds us that we will not allow Christ to come into our lives if our lives are already too full, too full of our our pride and our own stuff. If we are focused on a new toy, then we won't receive him. If Christ is to move in, then everything else has to move out. Our gift-giving during Christmas, then, must not be a distraction or replacement for welcoming Christ, but must be an expression of making room for him. The goal is to be as generous as we can be and to give as much as we can without expecting anything in return, so as to make room for the one gift that matters, the coming of Christ himself into our lives. There can be no replacement in Advent for making room for the coming of the Lord, no excuses for not being able to receive him with empty and clean hearts on Christmas Eve. Our practices of giving our stuff and our money away in this holy season, alongside a good confession, are the sure spiritual practices that help us to get ready.
The preaching of John the Baptist asks us to look forward to the coming of the Lord on Christmas Eve, and to ask ourselves most honestly what would have to happen between now and then for me to make the most room I have ever made for the coming of the Lord. When I receive the Eucharist on Christmas Eve, will I allow myself to be visited in a more powerful way than I've ever allowed myself to be touched by the Lord before? What has to happen in Advent for me to allow myself to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and with fire? Amen.
2nd Sunday of Advent A
8 December 2013
Daily Readings
We're in Jesus' way. John the Baptist, the greatest prophet who ever lived, couldn't be any clearer. We're the problem. Our egos. Our plans. Our stuff. Our sins. It's all in the way. We're in the way.
John the Baptist is the greatest prophet that ever lived because he paved the way for more than a message from God, he paved the way for THE message. He announced not a word, but the coming of THE WORD, after which none other need ever be spoken. He prophesies not just a word a person - THE person foretold by every other prophet - the person who alone can set things aright, the person who alone can heal a broken world from the inside out - the person who alone can strike the ruthless with the rod of the mouth, AND at the same time make the baby play by the cobra's den. John the Baptist thus appears as a crazy man, eating locusts - screaming like an idiot in the middle of nowhere, being more dramatic than any other prophet, doing anything he can to break through our deafness and complacency - because his message is the most urgent and most important of any message ever spoken. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight his paths.John the Baptist in calling out the scribes and Pharisees calls out any of us who translate the Lord's coming into something manageable for ourselves. He calls out any of us who might let this Christmas go by without a radical change taking place within us, for the Lord's coming can never mean anything else, never mean anything less, than letting ourselves be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and with fire. The Lord's coming can only mean radical self-conversion. It is either him or us - there is no compromise. The Lord is not someone we can fit into our lives. The Lord is not coming to improve our lives, like a new diet, or a workout plan, or an investment strategy, or the perfect gift at the perfect price. No, the Lord's coming cannot be watered down or equivocated or translated into a chance to tinker with our lives. The Lord's coming is not another special offer like the thousands of others we are bombarded with at every turn. Preparing for the Lord's coming can only mean a complete re-orientation of our lives. Making room for him means our life is no longer about us. John the Baptist couldn't be clearer. It is either about him, or about us. We either make room for him, or we don't. There is no happy medium. It cannot be both. For the Lord baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire, and whatever is not worthy or ready for him, will be like chaff that is burned.
Repentance, then, is key to the prophecy of John. Specifically, during this season of consumerism, and its promises of fulfillment through buying the perfect gift, the prophecy of John reminds us that we will not allow Christ to come into our lives if our lives are already too full, too full of our our pride and our own stuff. If we are focused on a new toy, then we won't receive him. If Christ is to move in, then everything else has to move out. Our gift-giving during Christmas, then, must not be a distraction or replacement for welcoming Christ, but must be an expression of making room for him. The goal is to be as generous as we can be and to give as much as we can without expecting anything in return, so as to make room for the one gift that matters, the coming of Christ himself into our lives. There can be no replacement in Advent for making room for the coming of the Lord, no excuses for not being able to receive him with empty and clean hearts on Christmas Eve. Our practices of giving our stuff and our money away in this holy season, alongside a good confession, are the sure spiritual practices that help us to get ready.
The preaching of John the Baptist asks us to look forward to the coming of the Lord on Christmas Eve, and to ask ourselves most honestly what would have to happen between now and then for me to make the most room I have ever made for the coming of the Lord. When I receive the Eucharist on Christmas Eve, will I allow myself to be visited in a more powerful way than I've ever allowed myself to be touched by the Lord before? What has to happen in Advent for me to allow myself to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and with fire? Amen.
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