Reading Christian biographies can sometimes be an intimidating experience. The impression can be given that there is a group of people within he Church for whom spiritual weakness and moral failure are alien experiences. Their depth of faith highlights our shallowness. Their use of time exposes how much we waste. Their patience, kindness, compassion and tolerance reveals how far we fall short. There are exceptions to this. There are Christian biographies that are honest enough to show that in the life of their subject there were struggles, failure, perhaps even loss of faith but in the grace of God the burden was carried and the cause of the Kingdom progressed. An example of this is Winn Collier’s biography of Eugene Petersen, A Burning In My Bones. But we don’t have to look too far in the Bible to see that even the best witnesses to the faith have their worst of times.
The third Sunday in Advent is traditionally a time to focus on the life and ministry of John the Baptist. His whole life was geared towards preparing Israel for the coming of the Messiah. As he baptised Jesus he was given insight into His life and ministry. (John 1: 32-34). He proclaimed Jesus as the ‘lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.’ (John 1: 29). He encouraged his own followers to become part of the community that was gathering around Jesus. (John 3: 27-31). And yet there was a moment when spiritually John the Baptist hit the wall.
John was imprisoned for criticising King Herod and his departure from God’s ways. The future looked bad for him so it would not be going too far to say that a darkness may have decended on his soul. In the loneliness of his cell with all the opportunity for reflection this afforded he began to have doubts. Was this the way things were meant to be when the Messiah came? The Messiah was supposed to bring in the Kingdom of God as the ancient prophets foretold. It was difficult to see this in the low moral temperature of the nation and the way he was being treated for standing up for the values of the Kingdom. The Kingdom seemed as far away as ever. Was Jesus really the Messiah? John had to know so a group of his followers were sent to confront Jesus and to ask him: ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’ (Matthew 11: 3)
Jesus reply is reassuring to John but also challenging. There may be moral darkness in the land. Good people are being made to suffer for living according to God’s values but:
‘The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.’ (Matthew 11: 4-5)
To paraphrase Karl Barth, little lights are reflecting the Great Light. There is evidence of the Kingdom in the ministry of Jesus. The Kingdom is happening. But Jesus doesn’t leave it there. His final word to John is:
‘Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.’ (Matthew 11: 6)
Jesus takes time to reassure John but makes it clear that the way forward for him is not doubt but faith. This was always Jesus emphasis to those who would follow Him. They are called to believe in Him. Doubt may come but it is not an end in itself. This is why Jesus does not give up on John as his faith shows the strain. Indeed Jesus uses this moment to declare John the model citizen of the Kingdom to whose humility we are all called to aspire:
‘Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.’ (Matthew 11: 11)
John’s story tells us that while faith has its wobbles that should never be the end. Advent, if it has any meaning, is a time for self-reflection. As Jesus once came to the earth as a baby so in God’s plan He will come again as the Lord of the Universe. It will be a day of judgement when all will be called to account for their lives. That inevitably drives us to consider the many ways that we have fallen short of the pattern of Jesus’ life. But what the Gospels reveal is that more than anything else the life of the believer is shaped by how deeply he/she trusts in Him. Is He who He claimed to be? What is the effect on my life of His death on the cross? Is His resurrection the guarantee that all those who sleep in death will also be raised? Do we believe that despite the pains that wrack the Universe Jesus will come again to deliver a New Creation?
Let our prayer be that by the end of Advent 2022 there will be a people renewed in their faith, closer to Jesus, confident in His promises, clear with regard to our destiny in Him.
