Is 11:1-10; Rm
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.”