Keeping the eye on the goal

Homily for 2^nd Sunday of Advent Year A 2013-2014

Isa 11:1-10 • Rom 15:4-9 • Matthew 3:1-12

Introduction

Coaches tell their players to keep their eyes on the ball, as well as keep their eyes on the goal.  A few weeks ago, I saw the movie Forest Gump again.  Those who have seen this movie might remember that as a young man, Forest was a really fast runner.  So he was recruited by the Alabama Football team.  Unfortunately, all Forest knew was how to run fast with the ball; he did not know where to run with the ball.  At one point in the game, after they have shoved the ball into his hands, he runs really fast towards the goal line.  But then, with the defence on his hills, he turns and runs towards the sidelines and is in danger of going out of bounds, until he is directed by the coach to run towards the goal-line.  Thankfully he crosses into the end-zone and makes a touch-down.  But then he doesn’t stop and just keeps running into stadium tunnel; he is completely oblivious to the goal of the game.

Scripture and Theology

The season of Advent is given to us to remind us of the goal, the goal of why we are Christians at all.  Our goal is life with God; Jesus has promised all those who follow him, that he is coming back to take us with him, to live with God the Father for eternity.  We express our faith in this promise, when every Sunday we say in the Creed, that: “He [Jesus] will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.”  These four weeks of Advent are an exercise in waiting, preparing and hoping for that Second Coming of the Lord.

But how do we wait?  How do we prepare?  How do we hope?  Let us look at what our forefathers in the Bible did, as they waited for the First Coming of Jesus.

We heard in the first reading how Isaiah gave hope to the people of Israel, who were waiting to be saved from their exile.  The Lord promised that a Messiah would come, one who would bring justice, faithfulness and peace.  At that time, “the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb” and “The baby shall play by the cobra’s den.”  With these wonderful images of harmony, Isaiah describes to his listeners what life with God is really like, the kind of life that the Messiah will bring. Isaiah tells them that help is on the way! Hope is on the way!

As for John the Baptist, the immediate forerunner of the Messiah, he prepares the people by preaching to them: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”  As a sign that they have repented, the people come to him in droves, asking to be baptized.  But he tells them that the kind of baptism he gives is not the real thing, the baptism that forgives sins.  John’s baptism only prepares the people for the coming of the Lord.  “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,” he says.  “But the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.  I am not worthy to carry his sandals.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”  We can think of John’s baptism as the Hors d'oeuvres, the anti-pasti, the appetizers, preparing for the main course, which is being served by Jesus himself.

Why then does John the Baptist get mad at the Pharisees and Sadducees who come to him for baptism?  We heard that when he saw many of them coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?”  You can tell from his strong language that these religious leaders have really ticked John off.  But then again, in their defence, he had said, “come to me and be baptised as a sign that you are leaving behind your sins, and getting ready for the coming of the Lord.”  And this is what these Pharisees and Sadducees had done.  It is like they have run with the ball and crossed into the end-zone and made a touch-down; but now, John the referee gives them a penalty, telling them to go back to their ten-yard line and start all over.

The reason for this long penalty is that these religious leaders have not run with the ball as they should.  Yes, they came to be baptised, but only because they wanted to be seen by the people.  What would people say, if they stayed back and did not go through this cleansing ritual?  It would be like today, if everybody is coming to Church to say the rosary and the priests and nuns are the ones staying away.  So the Pharisees and Sadducees also came for the baptism of John, but without any internal conversion on their part.  They had not repented of their old ways at all.  They had only been cleaned externally with the water; but their hearts internally were still very dirty.

That is why John the Baptist challenges them: “Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance! . . . [for] every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”  In other words, you cannot prepare for the coming of the Lord merely by observing religious rituals; you must prepare for the coming of the Lord by living a life of virtue and charity.  John teaches these leaders and us, that the way to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord, is by participating in both kinds of services: religious services and service to each other.  The Pharisees and Sadducees did the first, but had nothing to show for the second.  And that is why he calls them a brood of vipers, who are not ready for the coming of the Lord.

Christian Life

Like the Israelites, like the Pharisees and Sadducees waited for the Lord to come the first time, we wait for the Lord to come the second time.  That coming of the Lord will find some of us already dead and others still living: both will then be judged and if found worthy, admitted into God’s presence forever.

Can we take some lessons from our forefathers in how to wait?  Can we learn from Isaiah in how to hope for that great banquet, which the Lord has prepared for us when we return to him?

John the Baptist tells us that the best way to wait has three parts: we have to listen to the Word of God which says, “Repent, for the Lord is coming back.”  Then we have participate in a religious ritual which is a sign of that interior repentance in our hearts.  And then thirdly, we have to live out that new life every day of our lives, in charity and virtue.  How well do we wait?

Do we listen to the Word of God, which is read to us and preached to us at Mass?  During this Advent season, perhaps we could read a little more Scripture, especially the Book of Revelation that speaks to us about the Second Coming of the Lord.

After listening to that Word, do we wait by going to John for baptism, which for us means, coming to Mass and regularly celebrating the sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Penance?  These religious services are not empty signs.  They are the means through which God gives us his divine help; they are also the means through which we tell God that we are committed to being faithful to him.

The third step in our waiting is by going forth to produce the good fruit, which the Pharisees and Sadducees woefully lacked.  At the end of Mass, the priest sends us forth saying: “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.”  In other words, now that you have heard the Word of God, now that you have celebrated the religious ritual, go and live out what you have heard and celebrated in your everyday life.

Conclusion

These three ways of attentive listening, reverent celebrating and fruitful living are the ways through which the people of Israel were taught to wait, to expect and to hope for the coming of the Lord, which we celebrate at Christmas.  But the same tools can help us keep our eye on the goal as we journey towards heaven, our eternal home, as we wait for the Lord to come back for us.

We cannot wait in complacency; for if we are complacent, the other side, the Evil One will take the ball from us and we shall lose the goal and the game.  Our goal is heaven; let this Advent season help us to never take our eyes off that goal.