Advent – from adventus, which means coming – we are preparing for the coming of Christ – and that is precisely what John the Baptist’s job is– to announce that Christ is coming – and to prepare the way for the Lord. Christ came just over two thousand years ago, and John’s mission was the forerunner – to announce his coming.
Going to see John the Baptist must have been an experience – He was by the Jordan river – about 20 miles from Jerusalem, there in the desert, nothing else around - And John must have been a sight – not a clean sight or a beautiful sight – wearing camel’s hair and only eating honey and wild locusts – Further, the Jordan is a dirty river, with lots of sediment – I am not sure how clean he ever would be.
Yet people would go out to the desert to in droves see John – crowds - to see him – or to hear him - preach – for he was crying out about the one to come – calling to make ready – If you want some fire and brimstone preaching – John the Baptist is your preacher – Calling out the “brood of vipers” – calling to make straight the ways of the Lord – a call to repentance – For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Of course, the Jews were looking for the Messiah – the Anointed one – the Christ – The Romans had conquered the Judea – For centuries, it had been one conquering empire after another. The temple had been desecrated multiple times – from when the first temple was destroyed, to Antiochus IV of the Seleucid empire – who took treasures from the temple and set it up for pagan worship – to Pompey, the Roman general, who marched in out pure curiosity, desecrating again.
But what kind of Messiah were they looking for? – It depends on the group – Some expected a political messiah – One that would lead a military rebellion – and throw out the Romans – Re-establishing the Davidic line of kings in a Jewish kingdom – Others looked for a more religious messiah, one in the line of prophets, a new Moses. Others still looked for a messiah that would be both, a prophet who would be a king.
None were looking for a messiah that looked like Jesus. In all those descriptions from Isaiah, Christ was not what was envisioned or wanted – The Pharisees and Sadducees, they wanted a Messiah on their terms – They wished for the Messiah to come, as long as they stayed maintained power - it was on their terms –pushing their agenda. – The Pharisees and Sadducees? They were not making the Lord’s way straight - they did not want God on God’s terms - they wanted the Lord to bend to their way – and repentance? That was not the goal of the Pharisees or Sadducees – what do they have to repent? They think they are good. – Jesus – coming according to MY will.
According to John the Baptist, those that repent, looking for the Lord on his terms – those that make straight the ways of the Lord? “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” – They will be gathered into the kingdom. - Those that do not? – “the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” – A harrowing warning.
It is the advent season – we are preparing for the celebration of Christmas – Christ’s coming in history, but also preparing for when Christ will come again in glory. For both of these, the call of John the Baptist is a call we should all heed in our preparations. - “Make straight his paths” – Do we make straight the paths of the Lord? Setting aside things to focus on God? Or do we make the Lord go around our obstacles to reach us?
I am ready for the Lord at any moment – except for Sunday afternoon – There is a football game I need to watch – and not Tuesday or Thursday Evening – that is soccer practice. – Wednesday night is band rehearsal - Saturday evening is busy; I need to go out with some friends to the bar. Sunday morning? – sorry, I need to sleep in after the night at the bar. Friday? Need to work so I can get that next promotion – Monday? That is the special-priced lift ticket in the afternoon - God? How does Monday morning, 10-11 am work? That is what works with my schedule - …- Excepting God to come on our terms – in our timing, working around what we want entirely on our terms - asking God to change for us – and fit what we think we want - sometimes it is tempting to not be that different from the Pharisees.
Yet we can listen to the Call of John – “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” – we can repent of our wrongs – Advent is a great time for the sacrament of penance, and clear out the schedule, make time – time for prayer, time to meet God, even in unexpected ways. God did not come as expected 2000 years ago –he will not come as expected when he comes again – Let us make strait his paths, and be ready to welcome him when he comes
And he does not come as we expected today – And Jesus does not just come in history, or will come in glory – but he comes to us now, in Mystery – in our neighbor, the poor, the suffering, homeless – but clearly here in the Mass, where we receive him, body, blood, soul, and divinity – let us welcome Christ and make straight his paths now, even as we prepare to celebrate his coming in history at Christmas and look to him to come in glory.
John the Baptist warns those who do not prepare the way of the Lord – “the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” – but he also gives a promise to those who turn to him. - Make straight the way of the Lord – For “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn” – Christ does not come to bring damnation – but to bring salvation and the forgiveness of sins - but we must be ready to receive him when he comes. – Let us prepare the way of the Lord coming to us, make straight his paths – that we might receive Christ.