WAITING AMIDST CONFUSION Mother Joyce Locht, December 15, 2013.
It is the season of Advent – we are in a period of waiting. A time of waiting for something supernatural to appear. What is it we are really waiting for? Where do we look for what we seek? In the gospel reading set for today, we see John the Baptist in prison, where he is waiting. Waiting and not knowing what King Herod will decide about his future. Would he be released and continue his mission? Or be executed? He had another burning question: It had to do with Jesus, whom John had preached so forcefully and confidently. Questions and rumours were everywhere. Who was Jesus really? Was Jesus truly the Messiah? The one John the Baptist and generations before him had waited for so fervently and with such hope. They had deep yearnings and hopes for a Messiah, a savior who would usher in a new and better life. Was Jesus the one to accomplish this? Or should he, John the Baptist, and the others wait for another? Jesus and John were very different from one another, although both worked to bring in the kingdom of God. John lived a life of extreme simplicity – eating little and spending much time alone in the desert seeking a deeper relationship with God. About John people said, “He came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’.” And then there was Jesus. While imprisoned, John heard that Jesus was eating and drinking with all sorts of people. Outcasts with diseases – unclean people to be avoided so as not to become sick yourself. People labeled a burden. Immoral people. About Jesus, people said, “he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” Many had doubts and questions about Jesus and perhaps John had some as well. Was Jesus the Messiah the Jewish people were waiting for and the prophets had spoken of? And if so, what kind of Messiah was this? To overthrow oppressors and restore justice, most expected a Messiah with might and strength. Jesus did not fit this image. Even though John was in prison waiting to hear what King Herod would do with him, John wanted to clear up the confusion and rumours about Jesus. He sent his friends on an urgent mission to ask Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”
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And the reply? Jesus answered the friends, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the lepers are healed, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” What should we here make of this reply? Jesus’s reply contains no reference to his identity. Instead, he invites John’s friends to observe the things Jesus is doing and to decide for themselves who Jesus is. After witnessing the work of Jesus each of John’s friends must decide whether Jesus is indeed the Son of God – the Messiah. What does this mean for us when we experience confusion about life? Especially when life becomes hard and we suffer. Where do we take our questions? Questions like - Is God real? Does God care? Where is God in this? For one, if the immediate challenge is that we are too caught up in the distractions of consumerism and frantic busyness of this Advent season, we need to look inside and ask what is it I am looking for? What am I waiting for? We need to listen patiently for the response that comes from deep within us. There is a still small voice within each of us longing to be heard. To hear it requires patience and quiet. If the challenges are weightier than being lost in busyness, for example when we struggle with illness, loneliness, despair, grief or overwhelming worry and anxiety – we may well ask: How will I get through this? How will I endure the waiting for this trial to pass? To whom will I look for help? John the Baptist sent his questions directly to Jesus. He wanted an answer that would satisfy his friends and himself. They longed for a Messiah to come and make their lives a lot better. We can take encouragement from John, to take our questions directly to Jesus. James wrote encouragement to the early church, which was experiencing hostility from the people around them. He encouraged the early Christians to remain faithful to the joy that waits beyond present suffering. “Be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” He encouraged them to consider the prophets of earlier times. Prophets like Job and Jeremiah, who showed endurance and patience knowing somehow deep within that the purpose of the Lord is to be compassionate and merciful. This truth also resides deep within us and we can ask for grace saying: I believe, help my unbelief. The advent and Christmas season is not joyful for everyone. The heart’s deepest desires and hopes, so easily stirred up in this season, can be painful reminders of what is missing in life. To endure suffering, we need patience and strength. And we receive patience and endurance when we turn our gaze to the face of
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God and hear the words the Lord God spoke to Jeremiah: I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. In the embrace of this everlasting love we will receive patience and endurance to wait for the joy that lies beyond our suffering. May we encourage one another to return to the words of the baptismal rite - to renew our commitment to Jesus Christ and put our whole trust in his grace and love.
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