Is 11:1-10; Rom 15:4-9; Mt 3:1-12
Alexander is one of the most
fascinating personalities in human history. Although he was the son of a king
and inherited an empire that included most of the Greek city-states, he set out
to conquer an empire for himself. From 335 B.C. to 324 B.C., in 11 years,
Alexander and his army battled their way across 22,000 miles; and founded some
70 cities in the lands he conquered and ordered them to be named after him.
He was one of the most successful military
commanders in history, and was undefeated in battle. By the time of his death,
he had conquered most of the world known to the ancient Greeks. He had
conquered the Persian Empire, Anatolia, Syria, Phoenicia, Judea, Gaza,
Egypt, Bactria and Mesopotamia and extended the boundaries of his own empire as
far as the borders of Punjab.
But, the Macedonian empire didn't live
much longer than Alexander. After his death his kingdom was promptly carved up
into three pieces by his generals. The Macedonian people have never seen much
peace or freedom. They've been under the feet of ambitious conquerors from the
Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and the Turkish Empire; and more recently,
the country was affected by the world wars.
Establishing a vast empire with
its frontiers extending up to the oceans had been the great
desire of many emperors. They never lasted beyond a few years after
the death of the founder, because they were founded by shedding blood,
annihilating the opponents and by employing unfair means. Prophet Isaiah
announced the establishment of an empire that is just contrary to
what the world had ever experienced.
“A shoot springs from the stock of
Jesse,
A scion thrust from its roots:
On him the Spirit of the Lord rests,
A spirit of wisdom and insight,
A spirit of counsel and power,
A spirit of knowledge and of the fear
of the Lord.
Prophet Isaiah made this
announcement to a nation that was torn by continuous wars; to a nation
from where almost all the people were carried off as slaves;
to a nation that was plundered and laid waste.
He promised that this saviour will
establish a kingdom founded on peace and harmony. The long lost harmony
would be restored by him. In his kingdom,
“The wolf lives with the lamb
The panther lies down with the kid,
Calf and lion-cub feed together
With a little boy to lead them.
The lion eats straw like the ox.
The infant plays over the cobra’s hole
Into the viper’s lair
The young child puts his hand.
He will be able to re-establish
harmony between God and man; harmony between man and man; and harmony between
man and nature. This extraordinary harmony will be founded on wisdom and
the fear of the Lord. Once men come to know God, sin, the cause of disunion,
will disappear and peace will set in.
The Gospel of today shows John the
Baptist inviting the Jews to “Repent, for the kingdom of God is close at
hand.” The emergence of John was like the sudden sounding of the voice of
God. He fearlessly denounced evil wherever he found it. John Rebuked
Herod; He criticized the Pharisees; He condemned the ways of the Sadducees, and
he challenged the religious leaders. He was well aware that his message
would offend the leaders; his warnings would hurt the public; and his
denunciation would displease the authorities; but he had the courage to condemn
evil. He condemned evil and called the people to repent.
Today we are entrusted with the same
mission. We have to carry out the prophetic warning and denunciation of evil.
As prophets we cannot close our eyes against, corruption, against
injustice, against exploitation and against the evils in the society. When we
tell the truth it may hurt others. “The truth is like the light to
sore yes,” said Diogenes. But for fear of offending others if we keep silence,
it is ignoring our social obligations. When Diogenes criticized the society he
was rejected; when Socrates raised his voice against the authorities he was
silenced by death sentence; when John the Baptist rebuked Herod, he was
beheaded; when Gandhiji questioned the British in South Africa he
was imprisoned. But their prophetic voice bore fruit. As Diogenes puts it,
“He who never offended anyone never did anyone any good.”
Repentance was the very centre of
the Jewish Faith. All the prophets called people to repent. But John’s
call to repent was combined with a promise... The coming of the Messiah and the
establishment of a kingdom of peace and harmony.
In the season of Advent the message of
the church, too, is “Repent, and turn away from evil.”
[(Joke) The children were lined up in
the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the
table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple
tray:
"Take only ONE. God is watching."
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child posted a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples. ]
The essence of repentance lay in a
thorough change of mind that will bring about a change of life and a change of
conduct. Then like John we will become the heralds of a Kingdom that will
be established on love and understanding; and will wipe away hatred, disunity
and selfishness.
Often we are pushed into passivism and
take refuge in the attitude that our actions are insignificant and we cannot
effect any positive change.
Once a little girl was on the beach one
day after the tide had rolled out. Hundreds of starfish washed up on the shore.
The little girl picked them up one by one and threw them back in the sea. “You
can’t make a difference, for there are thousands on the beach,” said an
onlooker. She looked at him as she threw another one in the sea and said: “It
made a difference to that one.”
Even the smallest effort is not lost;
each wavelet on the ocean lost, aids in the ebb-tide or the flow; each raindrop
makes some flowers grow; each struggle lessens human woe. Each action of ours
can make a difference. God never intended for an individual to solve all of
life’s problems. But he did intend for each one of us to use whatever resources
and gifts He gave us to make a difference where we are. Then unlike the world empires, the kingdom that prophets
dreamed, the kingdom that John announced, the kingdom that Jesus came
to establish, the kingdom to which we are invited will last for ever, and we
can sing with the Psalmist:
“In his days justice shall flourish
and peace till the moon fails.”
Satish