Advent 3 (Year C)

The Greek word ‘metanoia’ when translated into English is repentance. Repentance in the Gospel of Christ means more than admission and sorrow for past sins and receiving God's pardon because one wants to avoid hell and judgment [Luke 3:3]. Bearing fruit worth of repentance involves rejecting the dominion of the mind of the flesh, choosing to obey God's will, and living the Paschal Mystery [John 3:3-7, John 15:1-5]. Jesus declared that fruitful repentance must include the firm resolve to turn within to the Christ and the Holy Spirit and seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, through one's own spiritual body and involvement in faith community [Matthew 6:33, Mark 1:14-15, John 15:5-8].

Charles Colson, the former white house aide, is a good example of one who has produced fruit worthy of repentance. Mr. Carlson had a radical about face in heart, mind and actions. In 1974, he was convicted, sentenced and imprisoned in the Watergate incident and the impeachment trial of President Nixon in Washington D C. While in prison, Mr. Colson was touched and transformed by the first hand knowledge he gained about what prison life was like for inmates and their families. He therefore resolved to ‘Never forget those behind bars’.

Mr. Colson turned around from being a callous political trickster. He has become a genuine, forgiving and compassionate person. In 1976, after he was released from prison, he founded and developed 'Prison Fellowship Ministries. This is an international Christian Fellowship Ministry, which works in alliance with churches and Christian communities to meet the needs of prisoners, ex prisoners, victims, and their families. It advocates restorative justice principles within the criminal justice system. It has become one of the world's largest outreach ministries to prisoners

In today’s Gospel reading Luke 3:7-18, John the Baptist gave this admonition to the crowds, tax collectors and soldiers who came to the wilderness to rear his message, be baptized and pardoned for their sins. After this outward show, "Bear fruit worthy of repentance". Many who came were willing to be baptized, repent, and be forgiven and the return to the old ways of keeping the law [2 Chronicles 7:14]. Many were unsure and uncomfortable with John's call to bear fruit worthy of repentance. Many therefore asked John several times, "What shall we do" [Luke 3:10-14]?

In response to their questions, John the Baptist initially challenged them to be sincere and embrace God’s universal plan of salvation for all people [Luke 3:7-9]. He then went on to stress the need to change their outer actions. The text states that he exhorted them to abandon greed, selfishness and abuse of power and privilege. This is good and necessary advice. Unfortunately, it falls far short of embracing the Christ-centered Spiritual mindedness needed to bear the fruit worthy of repentance, which Jesus revealed, modeled and taught.

John's message reflects intellectualism, morality and ethics. It lacks the spiritual discernment, knowledge and experience of true repentance and kingdom living, which were Jesus’ chief messages in the New Testament [Mark 1:14-15, Luke 17:20-21, John 18:36]. Jesus confirms this impression by declaring that in spite of John's greatness, the least in the kingdom of God was greater than John the Baptist [Luke 7:28-30].

Like John the Baptist, many religious groups today continue to focus on the John the Baptist methods of intellectual, psychological and social forms of external and visible repentance, without stressing spiritual awakening, inner heart transformation, new birth, new life and abiding in Christ [Matthew 6:33, John 15:9, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 6:15]. Good changes in human actions may include justice, respect, peacefulness, joining and working within faith community, giving financially, visiting the sick and serving others. These are all steps in the right direction, but they fall short, because they are not centered in bearing fruit worthy of repentance through submission to the transforming power, presence and activity of the invisible Christ, the Holy Spirit and Abba Father in the human heart through spiritual body of all people not only individually but more importantly within faith community [Luke 17:20-21, John 4:24, John 17:20-23, Galatians 5:22-26].

John the Baptist's mind set does not challenge the penitent to submit to and seek the presence, attributes, faculties, virtues, graces and gifts of the Christ, which too often lie hidden and dormant in the spiritual body of all people [Colossians 1:26-27]. The spiritually blind repentant mind does not seek to draw forth the daily practical application of the spiritual laws of mind action as laid down in the Gospel of Christ [1 Corinthians 3:3]. Intellectualism does not focus on spiritual awakening and developing Christ-centered spiritual mindedness, the only universal foundation on which mankind can truly bring forth spiritual fruit worthy of repentance [John 15:5, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Galatians 5:22-26].

Today’s lesson reminds us that many who have repented continue to think and live in spiritual blindness. Our individual and collective human consciousness seem to more easily embrace intellectual, carnal and materialistic ideas of repentance. These mindsets however reflect our lower nature the false human self. They do not and cannot bear fruit worthy of repentance. When seen in the light of the Gospel of Christ, as taught and revealed in Jesus Christ, we discover that they are illusions.

Let us therefore change our previous ways of thinking and embrace the Christ-centered, Spirit-based ideas of humility, forgiveness, unity, love, harmony, respect, grace, peace, mercy, justice and abundant life, which lie dormant within the spiritual body of each of ever person [Genesis 1:28-31]. These attributes of Christ, the image of God, are the ultimate reality, which God has designed and placed in the spiritual body of all people [Genesis 1:26-27].

Let us choose to not only repent but to also awaken to the spiritual dimension of our lives. Let us choose to obey God’s life giving, Spirit-based, universal laws and commandments as revealed in Jesus Christ. The truly repentant seekers, in all the world religions, do heed God’s universal call, to repent, abide in Christ and bear fruit worthy of repentance [Revelations 3:20].

Angel of the Week: ‘Submission'

Prayer of the week: ‘Express Your Inner Perfection’