Scripture: Thurs. of Second Week in Advent. Isaiah 41:13-20. Psalm
145:1.9.10-11. 12-13. Matthew 11:11-15. Lectionary # 185:

John the Baptist continues to inspire us throughout this week of
Advent. Today in Matthew's Gospel we hear Jesus praising the
Baptist: ..history has not known a man born of woman greater than John the
Baptist." Jesus, of course, is greater and we the readers know this in the
light of our Resurrection faith which looks upon the Gospels with this
advantage. Matthew is setting this proclamation about John in the middle
of Jesus' active ministry. Perhaps, the Baptist has not yet been beheaded
by Herod Antipas. John is placed then in the middle point of salvation
history. Christ Jesus is the center of this mystery of salvation and God's
plan for humankind. God's time is different from ours and in the Gospels
it is a kairos time where one is not keeping chronological time but rather
is in the time of God with happenings, events, and salvation going on
eternally. Matthew's words about this placement of John in historical time
is softened compared to the great hinge line of Luke's Gospel in chapter
sixteen, verse sixteen.In the latter we have a concise and piercing summary
of salvation history which is worth repeating here: "?The law and the
prophets were in effect until John came; since then the good news of the
kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone tries to enter it by force."
All of us are involved in this plan of God in our evolving history from the
beginning of time and Jesus is its central person.

Matthew has Jesus telling us, "All the prophets as well as the law
spoke prophetically until John." Jesus continues to challenge us to accept
John the Baptist's witness as that of an Elijah--the prophet who will usher
in the messianic era. In fact, in the beautiful Passover ritual of the
Jewish religion, a chair is left vacant and a window open so that Elijah
may come and fulfill the promises of God. Do we leave a chair open in our
hearts so that Jesus himelf may come and invite us to the eternal banquet
taking place in the presence of God and all the angels and saints? Advent
is an appropriate time to do this. Jesus continues to knock each day at the
door of our hearts. He knows there is no door-knob. We have to open to him
from within the chamber of our heart to allow him to come in and dine with
us and then to invite us to the heavenly banquet. Let us pray fervently
that we have the grace of unselfish love to open up to him. Maranatha,
Come, Lord Jesus, come! Amen.