Word to the Wise
Saturday, December 10, 2011 - 2nd Week of Advent - Sat
[Sir 48:1-4, 9-11 and Matt 17:9a, 10-13,272]You were destined, it is written, in time to come to put an end to wrath before the day of the Lord, to turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons, and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob. Blessed is he who shall have seen you and who falls asleep in your friendship. [Sirach]
The figure of John the Baptist is a major feature of the Advent season. The story of his conception and birth are part of the great "infancy narrative" in the Gospel of Luke. He appears in all four gospels as the herald of the Messiah, and is referred to in very important ways in the early preaching of the church. That preaching makes sure that John's status as herald and not as Messiah is clearly understood!
In our own times, that confusion of roles is not likely to be an issue. But Jesus points out something that he and John have in common. They are not recognized for who they are, and they will suffer from the opposition. John the Baptist did not arrive in a fiery chariot, but wearing camel skin and eating honey and locusts! Jesus is born in a stable in a small town and grows up as a carpenter before assuming his ministry, possibly as a disciple of John the Baptist!
Occasionally I see a figure in a manger scene that looks like John the Baptist, but he would be a bit age-inappropriate because supposedly he was only 6 months older than Jesus! However, he IS part of the story and could be the one who reminds us to "prepare the way of the Lord" in this season. AMEN