Homily for 3 Advent A, December 12, 2010

John and Jesus, James and the prophets all did their parts for the union of heaven and earth, we must continue doing our part as well.

Our first reading today is part of a hymn of praise to God for Zion’s restoration. The Lord will lead the people in a new exodus out of captivity in Babylon, through the wilderness. This time, the desert will not be a place of trial and suffering but a paradise. The Lord’s coming will bring salvation and wholeness, especially to those who suffer in body or spirit. They will all be restored to Zion and worship there as the culminating act of God’s redemptive work.

Unfortunately, the return from Babylon had many disappointments; subsequently they viewed this passage as a description of the Messiah’s coming.

In our lesson from James, we see a glimpse of the early Christian’s attempts to deal with disappointment and confusion of their own. They expected that Jesus would return to judge the earth during their lifetime. As it became obvious this was not going to happen some began to loose heart and give up on Christ. In our lesson today, James is trying to encourage people to stick it out and keep the faith. Despite how long it takes, or of the hardships we must endure, the promise of God is faithful and worthy of trust.

In the Gospel lesson we just heard, John requests confirmation from Jesus, if he is the one. His response to John’s disciples is to report what they saw for themselves. Jesus is fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy of healing the infirmed. Jesus then testifies to John’s authenticity. He is the greatest of prophets, but the coming Kingdom is even greater! Matthew is trying to convey his conviction that Jesus is the authentic Messiah and that the events of his life fulfill the prophecies about the Messiah’s coming. For the reader, the point is simple: do you believe Jesus is the one? Or are you still waiting?

Jesus and John, his herald, each had their part in fulfilling the messianic prophecies. Jesus the Christ did establish the Kingdom of God in a new and vibrant way. James and his generation of Christian’s had their role to play in the growth of that Kingdom. You and I, in our turn, have an important role. As we reflect together during Advent looking at the milestones, we see in today’s readings is valuable.

The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the poor have good news brought to them. We of St. Stephen’s have been involved in supporting many healing and emergency aid ministries: Salvation Army, St. Andrew’s Clinic, Forgash House, the Chaplain’s Foot Locker, etc. We are doing our part to keep these visible signs of God’s work vibrant and noticeable. Surly we must continue this good work. We have even embraced the call to further the Kingdom by launching new ministries with Young Adults and the Military. Let us put our efforts into these new ministries and share God’s grace with the people we touch through all our efforts.