Crisis of Faith

3^rd Sunday of Advent – Cycle A

Isaiah 35: 1-6a, 10; James 5: 7-10; 

Matthew 11: 2-11

I'm a fairly intelligent person. I consider myself well-read. I can understand difficult concepts. I've scored above average on my aptitude tests over the years. But I have one flaw that drives me nuts – sometimes the answer to a puzzle is so blatantly obvious, so straight-forward, that I can't see it. Today's Gospel passage presented just such a dilemma for me.

Matthew describes the scene where John the Baptist has sent his followers to Jesus to ask if he is the “one who is to come.” WHY? Isn't this the same John the Baptist that lept in his mother's womb when the expectant Mary came to visit? Isn't this the same John the Baptist who, on seeing Jesus walk by, proclaimed to his disciples “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world?” Isn't this the same John the Baptist who witnessed at Jesus' baptism, the heavens open up and the spirit of God descending like a dove upon the Christ? So why is John so uncertain now? It didn't make sense to me.

It took a conversation with a parishioner the other evening to make me finally realize what was going on in John's head. Are you ready for this? John was having a crisis of faith! The very idea – even now – boggles the mind, but it's right there for all to see. John the Baptist was having a crisis of faith.

Of all the people who knew Jesus, walked with Jesus, witnessed his marvelous deeds, you would think that John the Baptist would understand. After all, he was the voice crying out from the desert – he was announcing the coming of the Lord. Jesus even said that there had been none greater than John the Baptist. If John could have a crisis of faith, what hope is there for the rest of us?

Remember that John had been imprisoned for speaking out against Herod and his unlawful marriage to his brother's wife. One moment John was the talk of town – everyone was going out to him to be baptized in the Jordan. The next moment, he was locked up – his ministry was over and eventually he would be executed. Any person in his situation might begin to question the truth.

It can be the same with each of us. We sometimes find ourselves in little prisons that are as real and confining as the one that held John the Baptist. The young – you may find yourselves at times confined by the prison of peer pressure, pressure to conform, to be someone other than yourself. Adults – we sometimes find ourselves trapped in a job that offers few challenges and little satisfaction. Mothers and Fathers – do we not at times find ourselves imprisoned by fears and worries about our children? Will they succeed, will they have faith, will they even survive in this hostile world? And as we all inevitably approach old age, our own bodies can become our prisons. Bodies that were once quick and agile become slow and frail. Minds that were once sharp begin to struggle to remember things. As things progress we will be faced with declining health, growing dependence on others, perhaps even confinement in a nursing home or a hospital bed. These are real prisons – we should not pretend that they do not exist.

So it is easy to become depressed – easy to question our faith in God when we find ourselves imprisoned by circumstances. In this part of the world, Advent comes at the beginning of winter. The nights are longer now than at any other time of the year. Cold and darkness envelop us. All of this, combined with our prisons can make life's burdens almost unbearable.

So how do we muddle through? How do we regain our faith – our hope – our perspective?

Jesus said, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.”

The church does not promise us that Advent will tear down our prison walls. It teaches us that the light of Christ will penetrate any darkness. The light of Christ will come to us in any prison where we may find ourselves. No walls, bars or locked doors can keep out the light of Christ. The prisons that held John the Baptist, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. John of the Cross, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, Nelson Mandela – not one of them could keep out the light of Christ. And if Christ can be found in such prisons, surely he will be found in our lives this Advent season, if we let him.

Jesus sent disciples to John in prison to proclaim the good news. Today, each of us are disciples of Christ. Each of us must testify to the light that is Jesus Christ. Each of us must carry that good news to others.

So rejoice this third Sunday of Advent. Light that rose candle and await the dawn. The darkness has forever lost its power. Jesus is with us.

Deacon Darryl J. Diemer
Third Sunday In Advent
December 15, 2013

Painting:

Giovanni de Paolo (c. 1399-1482)

St. John The Baptist In Prison Visited By Two Disciples (1455/60)