Mt.11: 2-11
We are in the third week of the advent, preparing ourselves for the coming of the Lord with true repentance. One of the virtues that we need to cultivate in our spiritual journey is that of patience. I agree that it is not easy to be patient because all of us are competing with time and we are living in a quick-fix culture wherein a few minutes of internet interruption can disturb the whole day. However, in our spiritual life there are no short cuts; we need to wait for the Lord with patience. It is not about waiting for December 25. We are certain that it will come in a couple of weeks, but what about the spiritual transformation that we intend? It will not happen all of a sudden on one fine morning. At times, we want to have revolutionary changes in our spiritual life over night. Yes I agree, it is possible for God, nevertheless, change happens little by little in God’s time.
In today’s gospel, we see a John the Baptist in a dilemma, sending his disciples to enquire if Jesus is the expected Messiah or to wait for someone else? The Jewish Messianic image, as we know was that of a Davidic King, a military leader, who would destroy the enemies of Israel forever and reestablish the throne of David. It is unsure if John sought the same in Christ – a political revival. However there were spiritual transformations such as the blind seeing, the lame walking, the deaf hearing, the sick being healed, the dead raised to life etc. Jesus tells the disciples of John to indicate that these are the signs of the coming of the kingdom that John himself preached. Nevertheless, the coming of the kingdom of God in its full stature happens in Kairos that is in God’s time.
In today’s first reading we see, Isaiah’s prophecy about the advent of the kingdom of God. Jesus says: “I have come to give life, life in all its abundance” (Jn. 10: 10). The life giving presence of Jesus is the greatest sign that kingdom of God is amidst us. Anyhow, we need to be patient to receive this inner transformation. In the second reading John the evangelist exhorted the faithful: “you too must be patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord’s coming will be soon.”
The words that Jesus sent to John the Baptist caused an inner transformation in Him that he accepts Jesus as the Messiah and his mission is to be a witness of this truth by shedding his blood. Jesus said about John: “In truth I tell you, of all the children born to woman, there has never been anyone greater than John the Baptist.
“ As we are intensely preparing to receive Jesus, let us imitate the example of John the Baptist. His spiritual journey too was not smooth, he had struggles like us especially when he could not perceive any visible revolutionary changes that was kind of the expectation. Yet, when he received the word sent by Jesus, he accepts it whole heartedly and experiences the inner transformation and he becomes the greatest of all men born of a woman. Let us accept the Good News whole heartedly and abide by it that slowly we too may experience the inner transformation and remain as his faithful witnessess.