When, in Matthew’s Gospel, John the Baptist preaches in the desert of Judea, he
attracts all kinds of interest, even though his message is not an easy
one: repent,
for the kingdom of God is at hand!, he cries. In biblical texts, the desert is often a
place of transformation, barren, yet open to new life coming forth, a place
where metanoia (conversion) is possible.
To repent – as those coming for baptism must learn – is to see with
clear vision the sins of the past, to
acknowledge the divisions one has created, to mourn them and then rise from
them: only then can new life come forth
from that which has been barren.
This world in which what seemed dead will bear fruit is clear
in the beautiful poetry of the prophet Isaiah, who foretells that a shoot will sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots, a bud shall blossom -- Jesus, the Son of God. In this description of the Messianic promise, Isaiah describes a remarkable
transformation, a new world where justice and faithfulness trump wickedness,
and enemies can come together in peace – wolf
and lamb, leopard and kid – for there shall be no harm or ruin on this holy mountain, God says.
Isaiah’s message of new life is echoed in Psalm 72: Justice
shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.
Yet this transformed world is still not ours. Paul tells the Romans that by endurance and by the encouragement of the
Scriptures we might have hope, fostering the kind of harmony that Isaiah describes, where all can glorify God with one accord. For harmony refers, musically, to two notes
sung at the same time that resonate with one another. Likewise, our reading of the Scriptures
teaches us that all we do affects those around us: Welcome
one another, then, Paul says, as
Christ welcomed you. In our quest
for new life, may we strive above all for harmony, remaining open to the
transformation to which we are called during this season of Advent, heeding
John’s call to repent, turning from
sin to love, letting that love circumscribe our existence, and glorifying
God as we do.
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: Wordle
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