Mark 1:1-8
John's proclamation includes his
own lifestyle: he embodies possibility by insisting on living in a new way, one
that disdains the trappings of power and maintains harmony with creation. John
invites people, therefore, to live in a community that calls into question the
whole of society. We prepare for Jesus by the way we live together now. . . .
Pheme Perkins asks: "How can
modern men and women recapture the eager expectation that God will redeem
humanity from the cosmic and human power of suffering, evil, and injustice?"
(New Interpreter's Bible 8 Abingdon,
1995] 529-33.) The answer, she says, lies not in human longings for an end time
that leads to a sectarian isolation from the larger community but by following
Jesus into the real world of human experience.
John cries "in the wilderness,"
she suggests, because that is where the exiles of Isaiah and the Hebrews of the
exodus walked in obedience to God's revelation. In the wilderness God's people
are made receptive to God's grace and respond with hope by building a highway
for the coming of God who has already drawn near to them and turned them toward
the light of God's promise. –– Blair Gilmer Meeks
Isaiah 40:1-11
The people who have suffered from
terror and exile will know God's mighty arm and tender care. God's goodness is
not given because of the people's worthiness––they have, in fact, been
faithless: "surely the people are like grass. The grass withers; the
flower fades" (vv 7-8) –– but the people will be rescued because God is
faithful. . .
The image of the triumphal way
prepared for God's entry contrasts with the splendid processional street,
probably known by the exiles, that was enjoyed by the oppressive kings of
Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar's ornately decorated road to his throne has been partly
reconstructed and, since German reunification, is easily accessible to visitors
in Berlin's Pergamon Museum. Modern viewers cannot fail to be impressed with
the symbols of power and astounding display of wealth represented by this
ancient road.
God's triumphal way, on the other
hand, is the way home for God's people and is built with the cooperation of
creation. God intends to restore the people and all the earth.
God's coming will display power. .
. but will also demonstrate God's tender care: the shepherd (or mother) feeds
the flock, cradles the lambs in her bosom and gently leads the sheep (v 11). –– Blair Gilmer Meeks
2 Peter 3:8-15a
2 Peter raises the question of how
our Advent hope––our eschatological expectation––affects our present behavior.
This issue, addressed in several epistles, was troubling to preachers and
teachers who had observed a thoughtless attitude among some members of the
community.
Why bother about everyday matters
if the parousia is almost here? Our
contemporary tendency to focus on Advent as a time of "spiritual" preparation
for individuals may produce a similar predisposition, leading to a neglect of
acts of justice and compassion.
There is, in other words, a social
dimension to Advent waiting. To prepare for citizenship in God's resurrection
household means living holy and just lives now. . . to participate in new life
today. –– Blair Gilmer Meeks
Homily Service 36, no. 1 (2002): 17-26.
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