AlálAong BAgá

John the Baptizer not only personifies for us the message of Advent as preparing the way of the Lord who is coming, he also represents to us the need to be involved with Jesus’ works of restoration and reconnection that concretize the presence of God’s reign among us.

Good fruits as evidence

Last week we saw John the Baptizer challenging the Pharisees and sadducees approaching him for the ritual washing in the Jordan to produce instead good fruit as evidence of their repentance. Now, himself in prison for standing up against King Herod’s immorality (Matthew 14:34), John heard “of the works of the Messiah” and he set off a clarification necessary for him and for us all. “Jesus, are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Why the question? John’s own vision of what was to come underscored judgment, punishment and vindication, but he was at the moment languishing himself in prison waiting for his end like a helpless pawn to the capricious malice of an evil woman. What was John with his

disciples looking for in the coming of the anointed One? What are we ourselves looking for in the coming of the Lord?

Jesus points to his works, to answer the question. John’s own stringent criterium for religious leaders: “produce good fruit as evidence” (Matthew 3:8) and Jesus’ standard for true prophets: “By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:16) now come to apply. the works of Jesus lead us into an awesome understanding of His mission and of His program of action. His works are examples of restoration, restoring creation wounded and thrown into chaos by the fall of adam, reconnecting people with God and with one another. the sign of the new order in the reign of God is a whole human person: seeing not blind, mobile not