The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

December 8, 2024 – Second Sunday of Advent - Luke 3:1-6

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
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I love visiting art museums. I have been blessed with opportunities to view the collections of many of the great museums both in the United States and Europe. One thing I noticed was that many museums feature religious paintings. But they are not scenes of churches or portrayals of God’s astounding creation, but of people. Especially three.

Jesus (certainly to be expected), his mother Mary (also no surprise there) and then a third person which made me wonder. Why so much attention on him? He is hardly mentioned in the Bible and only early on in the life of Christ.

Of course, I am referring to John the Baptist, that wily character who spent most of his time in the desert, feasting on its delicacies of various insects and for seasoning, he used wild honey. Eventually he made it to the Jordan River and began a solo preaching career, calling people to be repentant in their lives.

And, as a sign of being reborn into goodness with God, he dunked them in the river and pulled them forth into what was thought of as a new life. They called this water ritual “baptism,” which also brings us to think of him as “the Baptist.” He engaged in this ministry even before Jesus began his public life. His role was to prepare people for the coming of the Messiah, the one sent from God to initiate a new era in God’s good creation.

And Jesus would be the first to say that he would not accomplish this alone. Others would be directly involved. Thus, the presence of his mother, Mary, and his cousin, John the Baptist. From this, we learn that even the mission of Jesus was not intended to be a solo project. He wanted to involve others. First, Mary. And later, John the Baptist. You will find this scenario immortalized in the many paintings, mentioned above.

God, creator of all that is, entered our time and space in the Incarnation to begin a new chapter in human history. For thousands of years now, God’s entry in Christ remains the most important event in the history of our world. He came to give a fuller life to us. More abundantly, as he said.

But the communication of that life, the actual living of that life is a social reality. To learn of its presence and possibility among us requires the passing along of that truth. It requires human assistance. This was given first by Mary his mom and then by John his cousin. Today it is given by you and me.   

David M. Thomas, PhD