First Reading: Bar 5:1-9; Psalm: 126. R. v. 3; Second Reading: Phil 1:4-6.8-11; Gospel: Lk 3:1-6
THE BAPTIST’S ADVENT CALL
BY FR VALENTINE NNAMDI EGBUONU, MSP
It feels like Advent just began today. Because it is only today that we get to hear for the first time the voice of the great advent prophet – John the Baptist. But prior to the voice of this great herald, our gospel of today preludes his appearing with the mention of some political and religious leaders who reigned and ministered at his time: Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herold Antipas, Philip the Tetrarch, and the high priests Annas and Caiaphas. But of what use are these names to us on this Second Sunday of Advent?
Firstly, the mention of these names goes to show that the story of John the Baptist and the historical Jesus is not a mere fable or fiction but has traceable historical evidence. We can trace the time, place, and the powers that reigned at that time. Secondly, the identification of these religious and political leaders underscores the need to understand that the appearing of John the Baptist came at a time when the religious and the political ambience of Judea lacks moral rectitude and stability.
The political instability of Judea at that time was as a result of the foreign leadership of the Romans over them. Tiberius Caesar was the Emperor of Rome who appointed Pontius Pilate to reign as the governor of Judea, a place volatile and infamous for insurrection. In the trial of Jesus, Pilate would rather give Jesus out to be crucified than disrupt the cool he tried to establish in the land. The bid to maintain stability was that serious. At this same time, Herold Antipas was the king of Judea but under the authority of Pilate. Herold lacks moral rectitude. He was known for his life of debauchery to the point of forcefully coveting the wife of his brother, Philip the tetrarch. John would berate him for doing so (Mt 14:4); and Jesus would call him a fox (Lk 13:32). Annas and Caiaphas the high priests were ungodly men. They would conspire with the Jews to have Jesus condemned and crucified (Mk 14:53-65). This was the state of affairs in the land of Judea when God raised the great prophet John the Baptist to preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
John’s appearing in the middle of these living conditions of the Judean people was very apt. If the religious and the political leaderships of the land are corrupt, the people of the land would easily be influenced. Hence, there was a need to have a moral voice to admonish and to sweep away the structure of sin and injustice in the land so as to pave way for the coming of the Messiah. And so John arose and went into every region about the Jordon crying out: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (v 4). This was a call for a metanoia, for a complete change in the people’s way of life.
So, on this Second Sunday of advent, the gospel calls us to trust in the divine timing and to respond to God’s call of salvation. God’s mission of conversion and salvation is ongoing. Though the socio-political and the religious life of our country at the moment may look bleak and despairing but God’s mission of salvation is still under way. It could be that the better life we hoped for in our country is still far from being realised because of the misdeeds of bad leadership. Perhaps we want a country with good leaders, improved social amenities and a stable economy. A country free from corruption, racism, favouritism, xenophobic tendencies and poor standard of living. More often than not, we are inclined to think that these changes are exclusively the responsibilities of our political and religious leaders. But the truth is that creating a better world is a collective journey.
Leaders do not work independent of the people. If our socio-political and religious life is nothing to write home about, it is because we the people are not doing enough. There is no corruption without connivance. There will be no racism or xenophobic tendencies unless someone chooses to hate. Our standard of living would improve if we learned generosity and selfless service. Bad leadership would cease if we collectively stood for justice and truth. This is why we need to carry the voice of John wherever we go. And the time is now. But first, we individually need a change of heart so as to have the moral authority to carry out this advent mission successfully. For if we succeed in this mission, we pave way for Christ to come in and reign in our lives and in our world.
Also, on some occasions our religious leaders have failed us in their duties to speak truth to power, defend the poor and the vulnerable, and propagate the gospel of Christ in words and deeds. This can be so discouraging and detrimental to the faith of God’s people. But we should never be blind to the fact that despite their spate of silence, God can raise our voices to challenge and rebuke their negligence to the divine call to serve. Our voices could be the voice of the Baptist crying out today.
The sound of the Baptist’s voice in the midst of the evil and misdeeds of his people challenges us today to repent from the undue influence of societal evil. We can always choose to be different irrespective of the moral decay in the land. We can as well become that voice of rectitude that our society needs to hear so that Christ may reign in the heart of those who encounter us. As we light today the Second Advent candle – the candle of love, may the love of Christ fill our hearts and propel us to stand against every evil and witness to Christ’s gospel of truth. Amen.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Lord Jesus, instil in us the prophetic spirit of the Baptist, so that every moment of the day we may be courageous to combat the evil of sin and propagate your gospel of truth and justice. Amen.
