Homily (Reflection) for
the Second Sunday of Advent, (A) (08th December, 2019) on the Gospel
Is 11:1-10;Ps 72:1-2.7-8.12-13.17. (R. v.7);
Rom 15:4-9;
Matt 3:1-12.
Topic: Repentance bears fruits.
The Jews had seen a good number of
prophets before the time of John the Baptist. So his appearance in the
wilderness could be seen by some as one of those things that take place and
therefore paid little or no attention to his message. In line with this,
hearing the word of God is so much common today that sometimes we do not pay
attention to the message.
In today’s gospel, John queried the Pharisees and Sadducees:
“…You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Sin
begets death, cf. Rom 6:23. The
Pharisees and Sadducees are the leaders. People ought to emulate them, cf. Jn 7:48. They suffered so much to
convert people only to make them candidates of hell, cf. Matt 23:15. Again, they neglected the most important religious
duties like “justice and mercy and faith” for the things that will attract
people’s attention and praise, cf. Matt
23:23. They were full of extortion, rapacity and wickedness, cf. Lk 11:39; Matt 23:25. Jesus likened
them to whitewashed tombs because although they parade themselves as the best
but they were full of evil, cf. Matt
23:27. They were not comfortable seeing people going to God, may be they
thought that the keys were in their hands, Mk
2:16, Lk 15:2. They ought to be avoided, Lk 12:1.
Truly, we are all called to true repentance because our
lives like that of the Pharisees and Sadducees are not good enough. True
repentance is not barren. Hence John went on: “Bear fruit worthy of repentance”.
Such fruits must be evident in our relationship with God and our brothers and
sisters. God expects fruits, cf. Mk
11:13; Matt 21:19. It is not enough to parade oneself as a born again.
Repentance is central not just in John’s teaching but in
Jesus’ as well, cf. Mk 1:14-15.
However, despite the importance of repentance, no explanation was offered
because their original hearers knew what they were talking about. Repentance
for the Jews according to William Barclay in his work The daily study bible, 1,
“was central to all religious faith and to all relationship with God”. And for
the Rabbis, repentance brings healing upon the world, the great mediatorial
bond between God and man, cf. p.52. Repentance for them is the gateway back to
God:
‘Who is like God a teacher of sinners
that they may repent?’ They asked Wisdom, ‘What shall be the punishment of the
sinner?’ Wisdom answered: ‘Misfortune pursues sinners’ (Proverbs 13:21). They asked Prophecy. It replied: ‘The soul that
sins shall die’ (Ezekiel 18: 4).
They asked the Law. It replied: ‘Let him bring a sacrifice’ (Leviticus 1: 4). They asked God, and he
replied: ‘Let him repent and obtain his atonement. My children, what do I ask
of you? Seek me and live.’ p.52. [cf. Am 5:4].
Repentance in Hebrew (Jewish) is teshubah from the noun shub
meaning to turn. Therefore, “Repentance is a turning away from evil and turning
towards God,” p. 52. In Greek, it is metanoia
which means a change of heart.
The Jews have nine conditions for true repentance; they are
based on Isaiah 1:16. “1. Wash
yourselves; 2. make yourselves clean; 3. remove the evil of your doings from
before my eyes, 4. cease to do evil, 5. learn to do good, 6. seek justice, 7. correct
oppression; 8. defend the fatherless, 9. plead for the widow.” p.54.
The question now is whether we still consider repentance
important. Sometimes our church or the group/s we belong to in the church or
even the position we occupy either in the church or in the society seem to be
more important to us than God. The advice of John is still as important today
as ever: “Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our
ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to
Abraham”.
The period of Advent is a period of turning back to God from
the various directions that we have turned, cf. Is 53:6. We are called to repent from our evil ways. The people who
came to John confessed their sins. Do you remember the last time you made a good
confession? As we repent, the teaching of the rabbis that if one has something
unclean in his or her hands, even if he or she washes his or her hands in all
the rivers in the world, they remain dirty because the source of its dirtiness
is still there is very much true. God wants us to part with not just sin but
also with whatever that leads us into sin so that there will be enough space
for the King of kings and Lord of lords in our lives.
John the Baptist went on to warn, “...the ax is lying at the
root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut
down and thrown into the fire”. It is left for us to choose whether to bear
fruit or not. This is the right time.
Bible Reading: Ezek 33:10-20; Lk 13:6-9; Hos 14:
1-2; Jer 31: 18-20.
Thought for today: If you have repented, how fruitful are you;
if not, what holds you back?
Let us pray: God our Father, give
us the grace and courage to hearken to the voice of your Son – Amen.
Maranatha!
Come Lord Jesus!
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