Parishioner's Gospel reflection
Second Sunday of Advent Bible Sunday
8 December 2019: 2nd Sunday of Advent Bible Sunday (Cycle A)
Parishioner’s Gospel
Contributor: Kim Insley
Matthew 3: 1-12
John the Baptist prepares the way. I love the gospels of Advent because of the anticipation they bring of the Christmas season. But Advent is an important season in its own right, and we shouldn’t ‘wish it away’ for Christmas. I like Advent as it is a reminder that all our life is spent preparing for the Lord’s coming. And in this gospel, John, whom we are told is the cousin of Jesus, is referenced to the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness. ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him’.” (v3, New International Version - NIV).
The reading tells us about John attracting people from Jerusalem and the region of the Jordan who went to him and ‘confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the River Jordan.’ (v6, NIV). What attracted them to him is not told to us, but he seems to have been notorious wearing ‘clothes made of camel hair and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.’ (v4, NIV). People are often attracted to someone who seems to be saying something important and indeed, later in Matthew’s gospel we are told John asks Jesus, ‘Are you the one?’ (11:3). The people were waiting for the Messiah and some think John is he, but he knows that “after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (v11, NIV).
John appears in all four gospels, and in the three synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, we are told that he baptises Jesus. This strengthens our knowledge of him, even though some writing is slightly different. It is only in Luke’s gospel that we hear of John’s parentage, but John even appears as a prophet in other faiths, including Islam where the Quran also talks about his parents and Zechariah’s prayer for a son; and the Baha’i faith, so he clearly made an impact at the time, in that region. As the passage today shows … he continues to make an impact and we read of his message every Advent.
I’ve been to Jordan, the country, but have not been lucky enough to visit the traditional site where it is said John baptised Jesus. I hope to before the river dries up completely. It is dammed further north and provides subsidised water for agriculture in Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Syria, all of which has added to the major reduction of the Dead Sea. These four countries struggle to agree how to support the region, indeed, Jordan does not even recognise Israel on its maps.
Let us pray for the region of Christ’s birth that its people will recognise value in each other whoever they are and whatever religion they follow.
*****************************************************
15 December 2019: 3rd Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday (Cycle A)
Parishioner’s Gospel
Contributor: Ian Insley
Matthew 11: 2-11
Advent is a season which is often looked on as merely a time when we are waiting for the great event of the arrival of Our Lord Jesus as a human being on earth. It is also a time to reflect on what the significance really is of Jesus taking human form. The verse before today’s Gospel says “When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.” Jesus has begun his ministry on earth by briefing his twelve chosen disciples as to what his mission was. It is clear from later passages in the Gospels that they did not fully understand what was going on, but they followed him nonetheless.
Clearly his ministry had a powerful and immediate effect as word of it quickly reached John the Baptist in prison. John wants to know who this preacher and healer is and sends messengers to ask. Jesus’ response is near enough direct quotes from the prophet Isaiah about the miracles of healing that he is bringing about. This was a strong message to send to John that he, Jesus, was the one sent by God, the Messiah, to save Israel as foretold in Isaiah (Chs 35 and 61). In this passage Jesus also refers to John as the one sent as a messenger, the one to make the path straight. This is also a reference to an Old Testament Prophet, Micah (the last book in the Old Testament) and would have been familiar to the people he was addressing. Jesus is letting people know that He and John are the ones referred to in the Old Testament prophets and that something very new was happening.
We can think about this during Advent as not just the coming of Jesus among us but as the beginning of a new era in God’s relationship with man.
Christmas is only the beginning of something – not an end in itself.
Parishioner’s Gospel
Contributor: Kim Insley
Matthew 3: 1-12
John the Baptist prepares the way. I love the gospels of Advent because of the anticipation they bring of the Christmas season. But Advent is an important season in its own right, and we shouldn’t ‘wish it away’ for Christmas. I like Advent as it is a reminder that all our life is spent preparing for the Lord’s coming. And in this gospel, John, whom we are told is the cousin of Jesus, is referenced to the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness. ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him’.” (v3, New International Version - NIV).
The reading tells us about John attracting people from Jerusalem and the region of the Jordan who went to him and ‘confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the River Jordan.’ (v6, NIV). What attracted them to him is not told to us, but he seems to have been notorious wearing ‘clothes made of camel hair and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.’ (v4, NIV). People are often attracted to someone who seems to be saying something important and indeed, later in Matthew’s gospel we are told John asks Jesus, ‘Are you the one?’ (11:3). The people were waiting for the Messiah and some think John is he, but he knows that “after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (v11, NIV).
John appears in all four gospels, and in the three synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, we are told that he baptises Jesus. This strengthens our knowledge of him, even though some writing is slightly different. It is only in Luke’s gospel that we hear of John’s parentage, but John even appears as a prophet in other faiths, including Islam where the Quran also talks about his parents and Zechariah’s prayer for a son; and the Baha’i faith, so he clearly made an impact at the time, in that region. As the passage today shows … he continues to make an impact and we read of his message every Advent.
I’ve been to Jordan, the country, but have not been lucky enough to visit the traditional site where it is said John baptised Jesus. I hope to before the river dries up completely. It is dammed further north and provides subsidised water for agriculture in Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Syria, all of which has added to the major reduction of the Dead Sea. These four countries struggle to agree how to support the region, indeed, Jordan does not even recognise Israel on its maps.
Let us pray for the region of Christ’s birth that its people will recognise value in each other whoever they are and whatever religion they follow.
*****************************************************
15 December 2019: 3rd Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday (Cycle A)
Parishioner’s Gospel
Contributor: Ian Insley
Matthew 11: 2-11
Advent is a season which is often looked on as merely a time when we are waiting for the great event of the arrival of Our Lord Jesus as a human being on earth. It is also a time to reflect on what the significance really is of Jesus taking human form. The verse before today’s Gospel says “When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.” Jesus has begun his ministry on earth by briefing his twelve chosen disciples as to what his mission was. It is clear from later passages in the Gospels that they did not fully understand what was going on, but they followed him nonetheless.
Clearly his ministry had a powerful and immediate effect as word of it quickly reached John the Baptist in prison. John wants to know who this preacher and healer is and sends messengers to ask. Jesus’ response is near enough direct quotes from the prophet Isaiah about the miracles of healing that he is bringing about. This was a strong message to send to John that he, Jesus, was the one sent by God, the Messiah, to save Israel as foretold in Isaiah (Chs 35 and 61). In this passage Jesus also refers to John as the one sent as a messenger, the one to make the path straight. This is also a reference to an Old Testament Prophet, Micah (the last book in the Old Testament) and would have been familiar to the people he was addressing. Jesus is letting people know that He and John are the ones referred to in the Old Testament prophets and that something very new was happening.
We can think about this during Advent as not just the coming of Jesus among us but as the beginning of a new era in God’s relationship with man.
Christmas is only the beginning of something – not an end in itself.