Advent 3A - First Thoughts

Third Sunday in Advent, Year B

Upon first reading of this week's texts, it's nearly impossible to not notice this recurring theme from the Old Testament lessons which are echoed in the Gospel text:

Isaiah 35:5-6

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

Psalm 146:7-9

[the LORD] who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow

Matthew 11:4-5

Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: 'the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.'"

In some sense Jesus says, "Go tell John that the prophecies are fulfilled."

What a great knowledge that Jesus is the fulfillment of centuries of hope and anticipation for the long-awaited Messiah. But somehow it appears as though Jesus is not quite what was expected...even by John the Baptist. For some reason, John sends his disciples to go ask Him, "are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"

Perhaps we can never (this side of heaven) know for sure what motivated John's question, but a few options occur to me.

1) Perhaps the "Advent Prophet" we spoke of last week seems to be confused at the apparent fulfillment of his own prophecy. Perhaps it's because he hasn't seen that threshing fork sorting out the wheat from the chaff. Maybe John is longing for some judgment, hellfire, or brimstone.

So often, our expectations of God do not fit the reality of who He is. How often do we attempt to define God instead allowing Him to reveal Himself to us. Maybe John is a not only a prisoner of Herod, but a prisoner of his own faulty expectations.


2) Or maybe we should give John a bit more benefit of the doubt. Perhaps we should see nothing more than a man who gave his entire life preaching that the Kingdom of God was at hand, and now he knows that he may have only days to live...and he's simply asking...hoping...that his entire life was not lived in vain.

Haven't we felt like John the Baptist before? Haven't we given of ourselves to a task or project, only to near the completion of the project wondering if it was worth our time...or if we'd made a difference. If that's the case, he must have been encouraged to hear the reports that Jesus was fulfilling not only his prophecies, but all of the prophecies of old.

3) I suppose that a third possibility exists. John was at the baptism of Jesus, and should have no doubt in his mind that Jesus was the Christ. Perhaps he is asking the question, not for his own benefit, but for the benefit of his disciples, Jesus' disciples, or perhaps the benefit of outside observers.

Regardless of the motivation, Jesus' response is clear...The prophecies are fullfilled, the Kingdom of God is at hand, and all things are becoming new.