P ♰ C

~ Jean Allen

John was the last of the Old Testament prophets and his general perception of God was definitely Old Testament based. Therefore, he preached the wrath of God in a way that Jesus, who ushered in the New Testament, did not. John may have even been confused by Jesus’s ways of proclaiming the Kingdom because after his arrest, he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the one who was supposed to come or should they wait for another. “Jesus said, “Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard (the blind see etc.) …and blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” Jesus’s way of gentle and compassionate preaching, teaching and healing could have been a real stumbling block to anyone with an Old Testament mentality. 

Even today we need to search our hearts to see if we are harboring any remnants of an Old Testament mentality. This is a mentality that fears the wrath and judgement of God and then turns around and feels justified in having self-righteous wrath and judging others. Jesus came to disentangle us from that way of living our spirituality, a way that is so easy and satisfying to slip into. But Jesus calls us to flatten those mountains of judgement and wrath. Don’t stumble over the idea that the wrath of God is just waiting to catch us out as if we’re all worthless reprobates. 

Don’t miss the part in today’s Gospel where Jesus says that the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist. John was born of a woman but we, the least in the Kingdom, are born of the Spirit of Christ. John was called to be John but we are called to be other Christs walking in the Spirit and bringing goodness and peace to all we meet, not walking in terror of judgement but in the joy of being loved and sharing love. 

The Advent of our God, indeed!