Isaiah 35:1-6a10
James 5:7-10
Matthew 11:2-11
Bishop Untener's Homily
John's Expectations of Jesus
John the Baptist was a fiery preacher. And he said that "the one to come after him" would be more severe and more powerful than he. I suppose it's something like - probably more so in the old days - a mother would say to a disobedient child, "You just wait till your father comes home." John says that when Jesus comes he will take care of things. He'll sort out the wheat from the chaff, and throw all the chaff into the fire, and everything will be set right.
But now, John is in prison. Jesus has begun his ministry, and John has heard about what he was doing, and John is beginning to wonder what's going on. Jesus doesn't fit John's profile. He's busy curing the blind, lepers, the lame, the deaf, but this isn't producing anything worthwhile. John was looking for a great reform, a revolution, and all this "soft stuff" is going nowhere.
But Jesus sends John's disciples back saying that this is how God brings about the new heaven and new earth. It may seem a lot slower, but this is God's way, and Jesus makes it clear that he intends to live up to God's expectations, not John's expectations . . . to live up to God's dreams, not John's dreams.
Now all of this sets me thinking two thoughts that we all might do well to turn over a few times in our minds.
Whose Expectations Do I Try To Fulfill?
The first is this. Whose dreams am I trying to fulfill? I look at little Brendan over there in his mother's arms, about to be baptized, and I wonder: Whose dreams should a child try to fulfill? We would all agree that good parents don't try to make a child fulfill their own dreams. Then we might say that the child should fulfill his own dreams.
Well, let's think about that. God has some dreams for Brendan. God has some dreams for me, for you, whatever age we are.
I've begun to wonder how often God's dreams and God's expectations ever really enter into our thinking. Think about that. Think about young people in high school, in college . . . and their hopes and dreams. Where do God's dreams fit in? I'm beginning to think that it seldom occurs to us to think about God's dreams for us. I wonder if in living our lives we spend all our energy trying to fulfill our own dreams for ourselves, without any reference to what God's dreams for us are.
Jesus, in his life, had one thing in mind: What God wanted him to do. He knew that this was the path to happiness, peace, and life. So he didn't worry about John's expectations. And he didn't get sidetracked in his own expectations.
I hope that Brendan's family will teach him from his earliest years, not simply "Whatever you want to be is just fine," but "Whatever God wants you to be is the happiest life you could ever have."
And I hope that you and I, at whatever age, will make God's expectations of us part of our planning.
What Will I Live To See?
My second thought is this. Again I think of little Brendan over there. When grandparents hold a little baby they sometimes think about all the things that child will be part of in years and years to come, things that the grandparents know they'll never live to see.
John the Baptist did what God wanted him to do - he prepared the way for Jesus. But John never lived to see the results. It wasn't long after this incident in today's Gospel that John was killed. You know the story. Herod had him beheaded for the price of a dance. John never lived to see very much of what Jesus did, or hear very much of what he said.
That set me thinking about Joseph too - the father of Jesus. He did what God had wanted him to do, but he never lived to see his son heal one blind man, or one leper, or do anything wondrous.
Now here's my thought. Am I willing to be part of something, invest myself in something that I'll never live to see fully accomplished? Think about that.
Some of those great cathedrals in Europe took over a hundred years to build. People could work on one all their lives knowing they'd never live to see it finished.
Well, God's plans for this world are far greater than our minds can grasp. God's dream is a big dream. It includes all of creation. There will come a time when there is peace, and wholeness, and truth and love. But I doubt that anyone here, including Brendan, will live to see it. So, do I throw up my hands and give up? Do I just try to get out of life what I can in the few years I've got? That's the question: Am I willing to invest myself in a great work, God's work, that I'll never live to see finished? Am I willing to try to bring a tiny bit more peace, more love, more truth to this world?
We can apply this not only to the world but also to the Church. There are so many things I want for this Church that I love. I want people to know more fully the great truths God has entrusted to the Church to teach. I want liturgies everywhere to be celebrations that are full and strong. I want the Church to stand before the world as a sign of peace and forgiveness. I want more people to be drawn to the Church and be nurtured by all it has to offer.
Well, I don't expect that you or I will live to see a perfect Church. Which brings the question back: Am I willing to invest myself in something that I'll never live to see fully accomplished. It makes me so sad to see people drop out of the Church because it isn't what they want it to be - right now.
Close
There you have my two thoughts, and I think they're worth thinking about during Advent - and also at a Baptism. They are happy thoughts and should bring joy to our hearts. With a smile on our face we say, "Lord, I want to part of your great work, your vast enterprise, and I'll do my part even if I won't live to see it all come about. Because one day we'll all celebrate it together, and I can say, ‘I was part of it.’”
Originally given on December 16, 2001