Gaudete : Third Sunday of

During this season, one can expect to see any number of holiday movie classics, like the 1947 Miracle on 34th Street, the 1946 It’s a Wonderful Life, and any of the various screen adaptations of Dickens’ Carol (Alistair Sim from the 1951 film remains my favorite Scrooge, with George C. Scott a pretty convincing second).

A movie I enjoy a lot is The Wizard of Oz. One of my favorite scenes is the courageous foursome with the witch’s broomstick in hand returning to the wizard, expecting to receive what was promised them upon the successful completion of their dangerous mission. The wizard is revealed as not the person of magic he was thought to be, but rather a former barker. Their expectations and hopes are dashed, until the barker shows three of the four that what they had hoped for is already present within them. As for Dorothy, another comes to help her realize her hope as she becomes more self-aware.

“Are you the one who is to come or are we to wait for another?” These words of address a question about expectations. Jesus was baptized by this prophet, though in Matthew’s account, John said he should be baptized by Jesus. John spoke of the one to come as making judgment on the people, separating wheat from chaff. Was he expecting the Messiah to usher in the end times? He would not have been the only one with that expectation; an apocalyptic mindset was very strong at that time. John’s ministry was to call people to repentance before the judgment.

In prison now, John asks, “Is this you, Jesus, or are we to wait for another?”

The reading from Isaiah accompanying this Gospel on the third Sunday of Advent is one of great joy. The Isaiah prophet proclaims the eyes of those who are blind, ears of those who cannot hear, legs of people who cannot walk, and voices of those who cannot speak will be healed. When people of Judah were in exile, this joyful message became a great hope.

Jesus responds to John with examples strongly reflective of the prophet Isaiah’s exhortation: the eyes of people who are blind, the ears of those who cannot hear, the legs of those who cannot walk are healed. And he adds that those who have leprosy are cured and the dead are enlivened. Certainly those who experienced the healing touch of Jesus knew the joy of what Jesus was doing, revealing and manifesting the reign of God.

When Jesus did not seem to be doing what John the Baptist expected, was there to be someone else? Jesus was more about healing than judging. Inviting people to participate in the reign of God was this Messiah’s message. As for judgment? Jesus’ life and teachings are the light by which one’s level of participation in the reign of God is evaluated.

This season of hope moves us to the celebration of the birth of Jesus and all that is meant by his life, death, and resurrection, as he manifests the human face of God. This third Sunday of Advent in the western church is referred to as Gaudete Sunday, meaning Rejoice Sunday. In some churches, the color rose is used for the liturgy. This rejoicing is a foretaste of the joy experienced more fully with the birth of the Holy Child. It is a good time for us to reflect upon what we expect from Jesus. John the Baptist may have expected a Messiah who would judge the people of his time. In a sense, Jesus did. Do we expect Jesus to continue to walk with us even to the end of this age? Do we expect the Spirit of Christ to assist us in growing the reign of God? What expectations of Jesus do you have?

And what are Jesus’ expectations for us who are his followers? I know, who can read the mind of another? Based on the stories and sayings we have of Jesus incorporated by four different writers from their own particular perspectives, what can we say? We have been encouraged repeatedly to love our enemies, judge no one, and forgive everyone. Where are we with that?

We are encouraged to give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, welcome to the stranger, clothing to the naked, care for the sick and visits to the imprisoned. In other words, to those who are vulnerable, we are to be supportive.

Ours is a world in which the vulnerable are not valued. Financial decisions override the needs of people. We see this, still, in Flint, Michigan where lives have been irreparably wrecked based on economic decisions. Standing Rock, North Dakota, as I speak this now, witnesses real and potentially more harm over an economic decision.

At times, we may seem powerless to do anything. But at those times, Jesus comes to us like a former carnival barker character from a 1939 movie classic, “What you desire is already within you.” Sometimes we sell ourselves short in not expecting more from ourselves. We may be blind to what we have, deaf to messages telling us what we can do, and lame in using our own strength. That’s where the healer challenges us to see, hear, and walk – be more fully who we are.

The joy of Christmas is that God believes in us. The hope of Advent is that we trust that God believes in us. We can define our own expectation for this Advent and Christmas season. For me, the expectation I give myself is to grow deeper in valuing everyone as a child of God, especially those who are vulnerable, and to act on this valuing. This is something similar to a Christmas version of a New Year’s resolution. I believe this is a need of mine because of what I have seen erupt within our nation in the last several years. It is not good.

In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we hear Jesus ask his disciples who they say he is. The same is asked of us. Hopefully as we move closer and closer to the celebration of Jesus’ birth, we can experience the joy of trusting that God continues to unite God’s own being to us. Let us joyfully proclaim Immanuel IS with us and live that reality!