The gospel for the 3rd Sunday in Advent is a transition point of Salvation History and easily is lost in our modern movement to Christmas. But here in this reading, John the Baptist stands at the threshold as the last and greatest herald of the Old Covenant, but not a participant in the new era of grace inaugurated by Christ. Jesus’ disciples, by following Him, are entering into something new as the Kingdom breaks into history.

Jesus is asking the disciples to themselves as participants in a divine kingdom, not merely hearers of prophecy. But participants in a kingdom where earthly standards (lineage, authority, power and position) are overturned. In the new kingdom greatness will be measured by grace, humility, and closeness to Christ. It is the start of a subtle preparation for the paradox of the Cross when the greatest of all appears in lowliness and suffering.

Jesus, in his way, says to the disciples, “don’t be discouraged by John’s imprisonment or question whether God’s plan is unfolding. Rather, be mindful of the privilege and responsibility of living in the age of grace.

In the context of Advent, this gospel helps establish the identity of Jesus – something especially key during the Advent Season. “Whose birth are we preparing for, anyway?”  And this is as important a question for us in our day as it was in the life and time of John the Baptist.

Then as now I suspect Jesus would still not fit our messianic expectations, would fail to conform to our popular messianic expectations. Why? Then as now, and in keeping with Gospel tradition, our expectations of Jesus are probably mostly correct but almost certainly incomplete. We should not think ourselves immune from “hometown expectations.” In contrast to what Jesus did and said, many contemporary people harbor false or incomplete expectations about Christ that need correcting.

A friar priest, a friend of mine, holds that if one hasn’t been offended by the gospel that is Jesus, it is likely that one has an incomplete understanding of the gospel.  A Jesus who is always comforting and never afflicting is an incomplete Jesus.

Image credit: Christ Presenting the Keys to Saint Peter, c. 1636-40, by Nicholas Poussin, Public Domain