A Few Words On "The Word"

December 9, 2007
The 2nd Sunday in Advent, Year A
Matthew 3:1-12

How to Eat Locusts and Wild Honey

Okay, here is what you’ll need to do to eat locusts and wild honey.  First, find a way to catch those pesky little locusts but be careful, they can fly - and bite!  Once you’ve captured a handful, simply throw them in the jar of wild honey you bought at your local market.  Now…eat up!  Here are some tips:  Eating this concoction is much easier if you happen to be Jesus’ cousin and are preparing people for the reality of the Messiah’s coming.  Wearing camel skin helps a lot, too.  (I hope you don’t take what I just wrote seriously.  If you did…good luck, let me know how it tastes!)

John the Baptist is often seen as a radical and perhaps a little crazy but in reality he was committed to the task God gave him.  John did everything he could to prepare the way of the Lord.  As a prophet, he preached repentance and transformation, hoping that those he touched might be more ready for the ministry of Jesus.  In essence, John pointed the way to Jesus.  He knew from the very beginning that it wasn’t about him and realized he was God’s instrument of transformation.

What’s truly amazing about John’s story is that it is still relevant today!  By virtue of our baptism we have also been anointed as prophets.  We are therefore called to continue transforming the world just as John did.  Instead of learning how to eat locusts and honey, we must learn how to prepare the way of the Lord!  

Preparing the way for Jesus seems like a big task.  I’m sure John was a little overwhelmed sometimes, too.  What’s important to realize is that God works through us to accomplish change in the world.  Often, transforming the world isn’t about doing spectacular things that help thousands of people (we’ll leave that to Bono).  We must repent, realizing that our actions mean nothing without God’s grace in our lives.  We must pray for those around us, pledging our support in a simple manner.  We must love and serve as only we can on a daily basis, showing that we stand with those in need.  We must unite in community, making the common good our goal.

During advent we yearn for the transforming power of Jesus that brings love, peace, and justice.  However, this desire cannot end with Christmas.  We must realize that we truly are God’s agents for change in the world.  Once we understand this, maybe, just maybe, eating locusts and wild honey won’t seem so bad.  

Reflection Question

What can you do on a daily basis to “Prepare the way of the Lord!”?  (Hint: You just read some of the answers!)

Why is repentance an important aspect of peacebuilding (a.k.a. transforming the world)?

Join us in our Forum to discuss these questions!