One of the central figures in the Advent Gospels is John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus. And he has been given the calling to prepare minds and hearts for the coming of the Son of God.
After his speech was restored following John’s birth, John’s father Zechariah said, “And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give His people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins” (Lk 1: 76-77).
John the Baptist’s task was not that of a public relations executive, making his client known and appreciated within the culture of his day. It was, rather, to purify and prepare souls who are soon to meet their Creator and Savior. John’s role was to ensure that, “Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth” (Lk 3: 5).
The image, which comes from the Prophet Isaiah, is that of preparing a worthy pathway for the sacred feet of God coming to us. He should not be subjected to cracks, uneven terrain, or potential stumbling blocks, resulting from sinful and rebellious hearts. Such a failure to prepare would be unworthy of the coming of the King.
That message was true at the time of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, and it applies to our own hearts and consciences even today. That’s why John the Baptist is both interesting and relevant. He reminds us of the constant struggle that we must engage in to repent of our sinfulness and so change our hearts.
We live in a time that is characterized by feel-good messages that are soft and even ambiguous about our responsibility of living in a manner that is disciplined and committed to seeking what is both good and true. John’s message was anything but.
The Gospel record of John’s preaching begins in a startling way. He tells those who have come to hear him in the desert, “Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance … every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Lk 3: 8,9). He presents to them a clear standard of God’s justice. We can and must turn away from our sins before it is too late.
Rather than walk away from such clarity, the crowd stays and asks John’s advice on how to fulfill what he is urging. He tells the people to care for the poor and hungry, giving away their extra clothes and sharing their food with the needy. He tells the tax collectors to embrace honesty in their dealings with others. And to the soldiers he urged them to be satisfied with their wages.
John’s message is timely today as well. Even in our materially well-off society, there is poverty. Our hearts cannot be allowed to grow insensitive to the need to help the poor by our contributions of money and food and clothing. We must also desire to address the root causes of poverty by supporting Catholic education and marriage and family unity.
The tax collectors were greedy and dishonest, hiding behind the power of government in the form of the Romans who authorized their work. What would things be like if our families, our work and our neighborhoods were characterized by unassailable honesty in words and actions?
And John’s advice to the soldiers — be satisfied with what you have — is a call to simplicity. There is a peace of heart that comes when we stop looking at and comparing ourselves to others. We truly open our hearts to God when we trust Him to give us our daily bread, that is what we need.
We are not so different from the crowds who followed John the Baptist and listened to him. Advent reminds us that Jesus has already come in the flesh. He will come again. We need to be prepared.
