Third Sunday of Advent C December 13, 2009

Zephaniah 3:14-18a Psalm: Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6 Phil 4:4-7 Luke 3:10-18

1. Have you ever eaten some Indian food, like a mild curry and then bit into a fiery green chilli pepper? Your mouth is on fire, and a gallon of water will not suffice to quench the flames! The prophet Zephaniah is like that in the reverse. He is basically a “doom and gloom” prophet, predicting judgment. Then there is a small snippet of joy and hope – right in the middle of his “hellfire and brimstone” prophecy. It is precisely this small passage of optimism and excitement that we read today. It is the only reading from Zephaniah that we hear, and it is heard only once in the three years cycle.

Zephaniah is probably prophesying from Jerusalem about 50-60 years before the people are taken into exile. Like Amos, he is warning the People of Israel that they are not walking in the path of the Lord. Now suddenly he invites People of Israel to rejoice because salvation is at hand. The passage is so untypical of Zephaniah’s work. Scholars have thought it is an addition by a later editor. However it fits in beautifully with the sense of excitement and anticipation of the Messiah.

2. One can understand this selection of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, if you have every thrown or attended a “surprise birthday party”. The lights are turned out, the people hide behind sofas, doors, in closets until the birthday person is casually brought in. During that time, there are whispers of “shush” he is coming. There are giggles and warnings not to make a noise. It is that same sense of expectancy we get when Paul tells us, “the Lord is near.” Of course, for the Philippians in Paul’s time, they were waiting for the second Coming of the Lord in judgment, but it is well used here in this third week of Advent.

Advent does not have a penitential and sorrowful aspect as the season of Lent. It is not a sad or gloomy season. It is rather a gradually rising of joy. The spirit of joy that begins this week comes from the words of St. Paul, "The Lord is near."

Advent is not a gloomy season

3. As the Lord comes nearer and nearer, we become more and more excited. The style of the readings change. We move from the prophecies which evoke hope and optimism, to the actual stories of the Infancy from Gospels according to Luke and Matthew. From just hope, they now tell us about what the Life of Jesus will mean and should mean to us. From scenes of difficulties: the census, the journey, the pregnancy, the no-vacancy, the manger -- we have glimpses of fidelity, acceptance – and a realisation that with God, nothing in our life can be labelled “impossible”

A certain Jesuit was sent as a visiting priest to celebrate Mass on Christian Island in the Georgian Bay. The boat, which normally left at 11:00 am, would only leave when the priest got on board. However, this visiting priest was not wearing his clerics and he stood next to the captain. Why are we waiting, he asked the captain? I am waiting for the blankety-blank priest to show up, then we can leave. I am the blankety-blank priest the Jesuit said.

During this Advent season, the prophets, St. Paul, the Gospels of Luke and Matthew all keep on pointing out to the coming of the Messiah– and we are on the look out for “blankety-blank Messiah”. Yet he is right next to us, we have too experience him in the new and unexpected way that he comes into our lives, and gives us a new direction, a new meaning and a new purpose. This is vital especially with the present recession, people loosing their houses because they cannot pay mortgages, people going back to school for retraining, people taking on unfamiliar jobs at the minimum wage just to put food on the table, an increase in the number of people going to the food banks for bare necessities. What is our way of proceeding? Where do we start?

John the Baptist is the herald and he points out the way to us. There are two parts in John’s teaching.

The first is a preaching to his audience, which consists of the general crowd, the tax collectors and the soldiers. The last two are a motley crew of people generally hated and despised by the first group. The tax collectors were scorned for their cheating, greed and extortion. Furthermore they were generally Jews working for the Romans. The soldiers were noted for their random violence and unaccountability for their actions. Yet John does not condemn them nor ask them for a complete change of careers. They can continue their duty, their jobs, - but without violence, without extortion, and by being responsible. Some did precisely that after they encountered Jesus. We have the examples of Matthew and Zaccheus.

The second is a heralding of the Messiah. John was not quite sure if Jesus was the Messiah. He did not quite grasp who the Messiah would be. He thought the Messiah would be one who would bring judgment on those who did not obey the law and the prophets.

Yet Jesus preached mercy and salvation for all – and so when John was in prison, he sent his disciples to ask, “Are you the one, or are we to expect another?” Jesus turned out to be a different Messiah from what John expected.

The question is “Who is the Jesus” – that you expect this Christmas?

In a religion class in the Advent season, the teacher asked the 7 year olds to draw something heavenly. There were pictures of the angels, pictures of stars, pictures of Mary, pictures of the crib. Little Suzy worked feverishly with the tip of her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth. What are you drawing, Suzy, asked her teacher? I am drawing the Face of God, replied the little girl. But no one knows what God looks like, protested the teacher. They will! after I finish drawing, replied Suzy. And so we wait in eager anticipation for the coming of Jesus. Paul tells us that “the Lord is near” – what will the face of Jesus look like, according to you?