Isaiah 11:1-1
Romans 15:4-9
Matthew 3:1-12

Bishop Untener's Homily

Comparison of John the Baptist and Jesus

John the Baptist is a very prominent figure in the Advent season. It's interesting to compare John the Baptist and Jesus.

• Both preached a message about the dawn of a new age.
• Because of this, both called people to reform their lives and have a change of heart.
• Both stressed the urgency of this choice.
• Both were "itinerant preachers" rather than someone attached to the Temple or a synagogue.
• Both gathered disciples.

But there were significant differences:

• John had the people come out to him in the wilderness, whereas Jesus went to the people in their towns and villages, and into their homes.
• John's message was a fiery one, threatening dire consequences to those who didn't take it to heart, whereas the message of Jesus was a more joyful announcement of good news.
• Jesus, unlike John, went out of his way to reach out to sinners, even eat and drink with them. He also took the initiative to reach out to people who were poor, on the low end of society.
• No miracles are reported of John, but the ministry of Jesus was filled with miracles, especially healings.

The biggest difference of all is this:

• Although both John and Jesus preached repentance, a change of heart, reform, Jesus was more than a reformer. If I can put it this way, Jesus was a "transformer." Jesus changed the condition of the world by his entry into history. Jesus changed the condition of my life by sending his own Spirit upon me

John the Baptist himself recognized the difference. We heard John say in today's Gospel passage: "I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I... He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire."

Reform: My initiative, or the Lord's? 

We all want to "re-form" ourselves from time to time. New Year's resolutions are an example. Advent is also a time when we think about reform - it's the beginning of a new Church year, and we're coming upon the end of another calendar year. It's a natural time to think of changes we'd like to make in our lives. Then there is Lent, of course, a time of major reform.

What strikes me as I think about reform - and as I think about the difference between John the Baptist and Jesus - what strikes me is that we usually try to reform ourselves by using our own resources. It's sort of a self-help program.

In a way, John the Baptist preached that kind of reform. He spoke forcefully about the need for reform, and then the people had to figure out how to do it.

Jesus spoke differently.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

"I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in them will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing."

"I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me... And I will lay down my life for the sheep."

"This is my body... take and eat... This is my blood... take and drink."

The reform Jesus talks about is never based on our own initiative or our own resources. We turn to him, not to our own self-help plan.

For starters, we need to turn to the Lord to find out what we should reform. Our own list can be a fairly stock one, and fairly superficial. We come up with things like, "I've decided to lose some weight... or stop smoking... or cut down on my drinking." Maybe we should do those things, but maybe that isn't where we should start.

What would happen if we turned to the Lord first and said, "Lord, what is it that you want me to change in my life?" It might be something we haven't thought much about. The Lord might say something like, "Well, I think it would be good if you and I spent more time together. Like maybe a few minutes every day." Or it might be, "I'd like you to look at your relationships with other people - your family, or the people you work with, or a relationship that isn't so good." 

Or... "The first thing I want you to do is reconcile with your brother, or your sister whom you haven't spoken to in years." Or... "I want you to feed your spirit more. I created you for more than the superficial things that you entertain yourself with most every day."

I don't know what the Lord would say, but I do know that we ought to give the Lord a chance to say it. 

Think of the difference it would make if I realized that something I need to reform in my life, isn't my idea. It's the Lord's idea. It's what the Lord is calling me to do. That's when I start taking it seriously, very seriously. It is the Lord who is calling me to do this, or stop doing this. It might be the same thing I was thinking about, but now I realize that it comes from the Lord. It's a whole different story. And it's no longer simply a matter of doing it by the sheer force of my own will power. It's a matter of God's grace. That's a major difference.

The source of true reform isn't our own initiative or our own resources. The source of true reform is the Lord, who shapes us in his own image.

Advent isn't a self-help program. It's a time when we try to open ourselves more fully to the Lord. The opening prayer of today's Mass is one we can take to heart - because it speaks of the heart:

"God of power and mercy, open our hearts in welcome. Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy, so that we may share his wisdom, and become one with him."

That sounds like a pretty good plan.