Homily for Wednesday, December 16

Readings: Is 45:6c-8,18,21c-25; Ps 85; Luke 7:18-23
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 Years ago, back in my Navy days, I was once assigned the job of overhaul manager for the major overhaul of a large ship. It was a demanding job, and I remember not getting much sleep during those 12 months. At one point, early in the overhaul, faced with a rather tricky technical problem, we contacted the Navy’s engineering support staff and requested they send one of their experts to help us find a solution.

Well, he showed up a few days later and started meeting with everybody involved. But all he did was ask questions. For two days he asked questions, and never once offered a single suggestion on how to solve our problem. I was beginning to question whether this so-called expert actually knew all that much. So at my next meeting with him I asked him point blank whether he’d come up with a solution yet.

“Oh, yeah,” he said, “I knew how to fix the problem an hour after I got here.”

“You what? And you’ve wasted two days of our time?”

He smiled and said, “Relax. You’re people just figured it out, and they’ll have it fixed by tonight. I spent the past two days leading them to the solution by getting them to ask and answer the right questions. Now the next time they run into a tough problem they’ll be able to solve it themselves, and you’ll save a lot more time in the long run.”

I just stared at him, so he said, “You’re welcome. I’m leaving this afternoon.”

Now, that incident reminds me a little of today’s Gospel reading, one of those slightly perplexing passages we encounter every so often. At first reading we find ourselves asking whether John the Baptist had doubts about Jesus’ and His claim to be the Messiah. I suppose John could have had some doubts. After all, he was in prison and wouldn’t be immune to the trials of the dark night of the soul.

But John’s entire life was focused on one thing, one task: to point the way to Jesus. “He must increase. I must decrease.” And everything else we know about John tells us that he clearly knew who Jesus was. It was John who revealed Jesus’ mission at the River Jordan when he exclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” John the prophet had seen from a distance what Jesus would accomplish through his death on the cross -- our redemption from bondage to sin and death and our adoption as sons and daughters of God and citizens of the kingdom of heaven.

I’m pretty sure that John personally needed no assurance about Jesus. And so he could have simply told his disciples that Jesus was the Messiah and urged them to follow him. But he didn’t.

No, like my Navy expert, John knew it would be better if they saw for themselves, if they figured it out on their own. So he sent them to Jesus with their questions. And Jesus tells them, “Go tell John what you have seen and heard…” In other words, look at the evidence. Who else but the Messiah could do these things?

As faithful Jews, John’s disciples would recognize that the miracles Jesus performed and his message about the reign of God directly fulfilled what the prophets had foretold. Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those oppressed by sin and evil – and, brothers and sisters, that includes all of us.

Jesus came to set us free from the worst tyranny possible -- the tyranny of slavery to sin and the fear of death, and the destruction of both body and soul. God alone can save us from emptiness and poverty of spirit, from confusion and error, and from the fear of death and hopelessness.

The gospel of salvation is "good news" for us today. And so let’s use our time wisely this advent and come to know the joy and freedom of the gospel.