Lk 3:1-6
1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. 3He went throughout [the] whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one crying out in the desert:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
5Every 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,
6and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”
Prepare for the God of all ages!
New things usually excite us. As we prepare for Christmas, however, our joy and anticipation come from old and familiar things: Yuletide colors and decors, Christmas tunes and carols, and the figure of the first nativity scene—the Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the magi and the shepherds. Added to this is John the Baptist who is the prophet of the preparatory time called Advent.
The hustle and bustle that accompany our unique Filipino way of celebrating Christmas often deprive us of a sober Advent. We tend to clip this liturgical season into a much anticipated and prolonged Christmas. If we take the time to reflect and pray, however, we realize how the liturgy of the Word invites us to consider God coming to us in the here and now. For instance, our Gospel on the preaching of John the Baptist makes us realize that:
God is not frozen in history. The Gospel quotes Isaiah who lived in Israel around the second half of the eighth century before Christ. The preaching of John the Baptist is presented as a continuation of the mission of Isaiah who rallied the people of his time to turn away from sin to receive him whom the prophet called “Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace” (Is 9:5). This connection of John the Baptist to Isaiah underlines for us what the prophets were for: they were not just the mouthpieces of God; their mission was to prepare the people for the way of the Lord. And God is not the God of an era. In every age—in Isaiah’s world, in John’s milieu, and in our own time—God prepares the hearts of people for his saving work.
Jesus’ coming must ignite our hopes in hard times. By mentioning personalities like Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod, Philip, Lysanias, the high priests Annas and Caiaphas, the evangelist Luke portrays the world of John the Baptist as one filled with suffering, resentment, and despair. Israel was then occupied by the Romans. Greek language and culture were being imposed. Even Israel’s revered religious tradition was being corrupted by ambitious leaders. Against all these, John, “a voice of one crying out in the desert” proclaims: “All flesh shall see the salvation of God.” Mightier than the sword and the chains is the hope that Jesus’ coming brings. Even the prophet Isaiah, in his time, comforted the people with these words of hope—“Thus says the Lord: In a time of favor I answer you, on the day of salvation I help you, to restore the land and allot the desolate heritages” (Is 49:8). Oppression will give way to salvation.
Jesus’ coming must bring us to turning points. If God, in Jesus, is about to do new and unexpected things for men and women of every age, a baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be preached. Life cannot continue as in the past. Uniquely, Luke writes: those who sit on mighty thrones (like Herod) and those who occupy seats of honor in the temple and in the synagogues (like Annas and Caiaphas) must do one thing—REPENT! Old routines must be set aside.