Advent 2 really isn’t much easier than Advent 1 and it isn’t that much closer to the birth of Jesus than last week’s reading! Or at least it isn’t before Jesus’ birth I should say.

John the Baptist is one of my favorite character in the Bible because, in many ways, he is very different from me but also maybe who I’d like to be. I love how direct John is with his words. He is a prophet in every sense of the word. He proclaims his mission with clarity and passion. He doesn’t care who he offends or how they hear what his message. John calls is how he sees it.

At the same time, I am not sure Jesus is who John said he would be. I dont recall any stories of Jesus with a winnowing fork or Jesus clearing his threshing floor. In this gospel Matthew certainly has passages where there is a division between the people. The sheep and the goats in chapter 25 come to mind. But again, is this how I’ve experienced Jesus?

I also long to experience a baptism of the Holy Spirit. Maybe I have and I just dont know it. Maybe I’m too Jesus-centric and I haven’t given the Holy Spirit as much identity in my faith journey. I do love how John speaks of another baptism that is yet to come. I hope we all have experienced that sort of baptism.

When John talks about his baptism and how it leads into Jesus’ baptism, I am wondering if John felt one needed to come before the other? Does one need to experience repentance before one can receiver the Holy Spirit. Things that make you go mmm.

In this passage we hear how John is the one who prepares the world for Jesus’ ministry. With that in mind, who told you about Jesus? How did they reveal to you who Jesus is? May we give thanks for those who have reveled Jesus to us and the ways this introduction has changed our lives. Amen!