There are people who desire to hear what they want to hear. Imagine that. The last thing they would want of church is to be given a message which challenges them and their desires. On this Second Sunday of Advent we are given a glimpse into Saint John the Baptist who is the forbearer to Christ. He brings with him a message of conversion and repentance by calling people to make straight the path of their life. Through our encounter with him, his message, and this Advent season may we be stirred out of our slumber and allow our minds and hearts to be taken unto the Lord.
From our encounter with Saint John the Baptist we know that there were those who were drawn to him, but also those who would turn against him when they did not hear what they wanted to hear. Time and time again this was true of the prophets for they were put to death for giving a message that many did not want to hear because it challenged them out of there complacency. As Christ instructed from the Gospel of Saint Mark: “Amen I say to you, that no prophet is accepted in thy own country.” Saint John the Baptist spoke against Herod for having married his brother’s wife and entering into adultery with her and thus he was arrested and eventually beheaded. Likewise, there were those who would not follow Christ and desired to put Him to death. They became offended and filled with fear that He was willing to challenge the conceived status quo.
Saint John the Baptist and his message of repentance are an important model for us as we continue this journey throughout this Advent season. We ought to be preparing for our encounter with Christ which should call us out of our compliancy and towards a spirit of conversion. What we encounter at Christmas is a great light which should illuminate the darkness of sin, doubt, and despair. When we arrive at our celebration of this joyous occasion we should not allow our heart and mind to be left unchanged to the point that it is unable to behold the splendor of this great light.
As our Collect attested: “that through His coming we may deserve to serve Thee with purified minds.” This statement attests to the fact that our interaction with Christ has to change us and thus we cannot be slothful in our pursuit of faith. It is not enough for us to claim to know Christ, but to care less about Him when we it comes to how we choose to order and live our life. Everything that we do must be influenced by our love for Christ. Christ does not always give us the Gospel that we want to hear, but the Gospel that we need to hear. Likewise, the Church challenges us out of attachment to sin and towards the freedom which springs forth from Christ.
Nevertheless, there are those who don’t want to be challenged nor purified for they believe to know better than Christ and the Church. To these people GK Chesterton would instruct: “I don’t need a church to tell me I’m wrong where I already know I’m wrong; I need a Church to tell me I’m wrong where I think I’m right.”
Therefore, may each us remain attentive and on guard during this Advent season. May we allow this Advent season to stir us out of our slumber and move us towards the Lord with spirit of conversion and purification. May we dare to heed the message of Saint John the Baptist and make straight the way of the Lord.
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