Seeking Prophets

Advent Day 19

Third Thursday in Advent

December 15, 2011

Reading: Luke 7:24–28 (NRSV)

²⁴ When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵ What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces. ²⁶ What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷ This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ ²⁸ I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

Theme: Seeking Prophets

Reflection:

Jesus asks the people why they have been going into the wilderness seeking John the Baptist. For millennia, people have been attracted to prophets. People today still seek prophets. What is our fascination with prophets? What is it we hope to learn? Most of us are uncomfortable with uncertainty. We would rather deal with any defined situation, even one that is uncomfortable or unpleasant, rather than wallow in uncertainty. Uncertainty has a way of driving us nuts. For instances, the time spent waiting for results from medical tests is an extremely painful time for most of us, because we just want to know! If we know, then we will figure out a way to deal with the diagnosis.

One of the reasons we seek prophets is that we hope that they will help us understand the future. We sense their connection to God, and we believe they speak God’s word to us. Many times we go into our own version of the wilderness looking for someone who will help us see what is to come. Our own dilemma is to discern who is a prophet of God and who is a false prophet.

Unfortunately for us, the prophets who offer the most certain answers, a certainty that we would like to hear, are the ones who are most likely to be false prophets. Think of the several “prophets” in the past couple of years, who have predicted, with certainty, the date of the end of the world. Jesus told us that we could not know the time or place that the end would occur. Consequently, anyone who claims to have this inside information must be a false prophet.

The people who sought future certainty by following John were not given that certainty. All John could promise was that there was one greater than him who would follow, who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. Those of us who seek future certainty by following prophets will also be disappointed. The only certainty that we are given is found in the love of God through Jesus Christ. God does not promise us any particular future, what God promises is that God will not abandon us. The one whom John prophesied has come--born in the manger, does come daily into our lives--as our Savior, and will come again in the final days. Emmanuel, “God with us”, fulfills God’s promise of accompanying us.

Prayer: Come, Lord, Jesus Come! Be with us. Walk alongside of us. Come into our lives, daily, to give us the strength and wisdom that lets us deal with the uncertainty with which we live. Amen

Messengers

Advent Day 12

Second Thursday in Advent

December 8, 2011

Reading: Matthew 11:7–11 (NRSV)

⁷ As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. ⁹ What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ ¹¹ Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Theme: Messengers

Reflection:

What is the role of a messenger? He or she is someone who spreads the word that something has happened or is about to happen. Being a messenger is not always an easy job. We have often heard the expression: “Don’t shoot the messenger.”

When I was still working at AT&T, if someone walked into my office and started the discussion with “I’m here to tell you something, but please don’t shoot the messenger”, I knew that what I was going to hear was not good news—but usually word of some disaster that would shake up my week or even my month.

In the case of John, who is the messenger, come to prepare the way for the Lord, the message that he brings is good news for most people, but is still earth shattering news. It is news that the old order is going away and new order will emerge. As Mary sang in her song, “(The Lord) will fill the hungry with good things and the rich will be sent away empty handed.” This is good news if you are the hungry, but not so good news if you are the established order, otherwise known as the rich. John was so threatening that the established order, e.g. Herod, killed John.

We hear a lot about John during the season of Advent. It is easier for us to think about him preparing the way for Christ than it is to think of him as someone who shakes up the established order of our lives or changes our priorities. Preparing the way of the Lord is not a smooth process, but one that involves tearing down obstacles and raising up valleys.

In this Advent season, some of us are also called to be messengers and prophets. We are called to spread the good news that God came to earth and continues to come among us. We are called to spread this news to a world that is increasingly suspicious of anything divine. No one said being a messenger was easy.

Prayer: Incarnate God. You come among us and dwell with us. You call some of us to be messengers of the good news of your presence. Give us courage and strength to do this job. Help us to learn what it means to prepare your way. Amen