Mass readings for the 2nd Sunday of Advent:
Isaiah 11.1-10 Psalm 72.1-2,7-8, 12-13, 17 Romans 15.4-9 Matthew 3.1-12
The prophet Isaiah, in the passage we heard, tells us the Messiah, coming as judge, will not judge by what he sees, or by what he hears! And that strikes one as ridiculous. What kind of judge does not look at the physical evidence and hear the testimony, to then weigh what he has seen and heard? But that, we know, is not what the prophet is saying, but rather, our Lord does not judge on the basis of the mere appearance of things. Appearances, we all know, can be deceiving. Christmas lights on a house doesn’t mean Christian faith within.
He does not discern according to what he hears in popular opinion, or elite opinion, or in the rumours that circulate. Opinions are often specious, ill informed, and rumours untrue. How often are the comments of his Holiness the Pope misrepresented in the media?!
By righteousness he will judge, that is, by an absolute commitment to the truth of things that may well be hidden. He will decide with equity – the popularity of an idea, the novelty of a notion, these things count for nothing when weighing up whether we have done good or evil. It does not matter how popular we are, or if we have the approval of the powerful. God is our only judge.
And we hear the Lord’s forerunner, John the Baptist exhibit this righteous judgement when he surveys the crowds that have come to hear him preach, and perhaps, be baptized. He sees the Pharisees and the Sadducees, contingents of the two great parties at the heart of Judean politics and religion. These are the opposing factions of their day, who cannot grasp that they have more in common than ever they could realize. They’re the Republicans and Democrats, the Tories and the Grits, the left and the right of ancient times… at least for the purposes of my comments. That is, the ideologies and policies change down through the ages, but there are always contestants for power. And as it is with today’s politicians, so it was with these men coming out from Jerusalem to see John by the Jordan, to check out the latest enthusiasm of the people. They are clever enough to see that spirituality, religion, it matters as it is a force that can propel them into power if they can position themselves well. That is, they aren’t there seeking spiritual renewal. John the Baptist sees this and calls them out – they are vipers, poisonous creatures, they poison the people against authentic change because by their attempts to manipulate what is going on, their attempts to insinuate themselves into the movement, they make people cynical. That’s why it was important for John to call them out, and so disassociate himself from them. It’s not dissimilar from what we’ll see with Jesus who carefully steers away from politics even as we can see that what he teaches and preaches will have political ramifications. Spiritual renewal, because of its moral dimension, will affect a society also in its economics and its politics. Those things cannot be kept separate. But the teaching of the Church, and even that of secular political philosophers is that change, renewal, revolution, all are at heart spiritual awakenings.
Now, that may well be a matter for the Church as a community to consider and be cautioned in. We must be careful as to how we relate to political processes and the personalities involved in the competition for political power. The Church is the bride of Christ, and we cannot be wed to any other.
But what about us as individuals? – the warning is the same: we are called to authenticity in our confession, and not to be “putting on” faith to fulfil other wants and desires. Our motive must be rooted in the understanding of what we’re being called to by John, and ultimately Jesus: to be sanctified and so be in communion with God forever.
And while we might sneer at the politician who is looking for votes among the faithful through an insincere show of faith, we need to ask, why have I come? Am I looking for something other than this relationship with God?
This isn’t to dismiss what often brings people into a church: they are lonely and wanting friendship, they are poor and looking for material help, they are guilty and want absolution, they are sick and they want health. And, of course, God offers all that will remedy these situations, but as the truly faithful all know, not as one would expect. Jesus heals, forgives, and feeds people, we know that from the stories of the gospels we’ve heard, and will hear again in the coming year. But all of those worldly needs obscure the essential need for a relationship with God, and that is what we in this Advent are looking to repair, to renew, to deepen. We need to chase away like poisonous snakes those desires we too often conflate with faith and confuse with ideas we get from the world. Seek first the kingdom of God, and all else will be added for you.
What so often happens, and I know this from my own experience, is that when those more immediate needs and wants are not satisfied quickly, not only do people walk away disappointed, but they grow cynical, and even hostile toward those of faith who have discerned what’s really on offer. The Pharisees and Sadducees become Christ’s fiercest opponents.
We need to know what we’re looking for, if we are to find it. As with the parable of the man who found the great treasure in the field, and then went and bought it – we must know what true treasure is so as to recognize it before we go “all in” and buy.
By worldly sight, what is truly treasure is not going to be found in a manger, in a stable, in a small town in Judea.
And in worldly hearing, it’s not going to be in the words of a wild man, dressed in camel skins, emerging from the Judean hills, as he dunks people in the River Jordan, shouting, “repent!”
In Christ, we will not judge by worldly appearance, or hear as the world would have us listen.
We know, at least in retrospect, that John’s call to repentance was about something more than a short-lived religious fad in 1st century Judea; that the humble beginnings of Jesus were no indication of who he is.
So, our prayer in this season of Advent, at least in part, must be for clarity of sight and hearing, a true discerning heart that can be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit who is leading us toward God’s kingdom, and his peace.
Amen.