Fire and water: two compelling, dynamic images linked to communion with God and the salvation of Christ. In today's gospel, John the Baptist famously denies he is Messiah, but rather preaches repentance and conversion to high ethical standards as preparation for Messiah. The two pericopes in Luke fit well into the theme of Advent, as we focus on preparing for God to touch humanity in a new way.
John exhortation to ethical integrity is in response to a disciple asking "Teacher, what should we do?" It seems the fitting question to John's earlier (outside today's reading) proclamation that "Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." When faced with such destructive wrath, the disciples needed to know what to do, because they needed to get started.
What is interesting is John's focus on doing before becoming; he is the quintessential existentialist---existence before essence. You want justice? Become just. You want peace? Become peaceful. You want salvation from the wrath of God? Welcome God into your midst.
The great line from Matthew 25:41-45 resonates with these leading questions:
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
Preparation is awareness of Christ in our midst for the post-Easter church. Some have envisioned the second coming of Christ as dependent on the "right time" that we have control over. When the world has sufficiently become The Kingdom, Christ will come again. A nice sentiment, but such a Kingdom isn't possible without Christ's presence now. Christ comes, Christ is bid, where there is a need for restorative justice and a faithful disciple answers the call by offering her or himself to the cause of helping ex-felons return to society. Christ is bid in the heart of an older, retired woman who runs a simple soup kitchen that feeds the local homeless. Christ shows up, Messiah comes, the Reign of God has begun in the presence of the graced relationship between ex-felon and justice worker, and between the retiree and those who are hungry for food and human companionship. We aren't preparing for Christ to return in loving the poor and the marginalized, we are welcoming Christ in the poor and the marginalized; when they show up, Christ has come. The Kingdom is here.
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