Isaiah 11:1-10 / Romans 15:4-9 / Matthew 3:1-12
It is said that life is like a toilet paper roll. As it comes closer to the end, it runs out faster and faster.
The same can be said about time. We are already one week into December, and in less than three weeks’ time, it will be Christmas.
It seems that as we come to the last month of the year, time is really rolling and flying.
Time is not only rolling and flying, there are also many things happening.
People are going off for holidays, schedules are changed here in there. Christmas decorations must be put up quickly at home, in the office and also in church.
Of course, when it comes to Christmas decorations, the must-have item is the Nativity Scene, because that is what Christmas is about.
Then the rest are things like the Christmas tree, fairy lights, Santa Claus and reindeers and whatever.
But no Christmas decoration would ever have a figure or a picture of John the Baptist.
Anyway, why should John the Baptist appear in the Nativity Scene or in any Christmas decorations.
With that kind of attire, and that kind of diet, John the Baptist is just so out of place in this festive season.
But on this 2nd Sunday of Advent, the gospel brings in John the Baptist.
He preached in the wilderness of Judaea, and this was his message: Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is close at hand.
His message is straight and direct, and the prophet Isaiah spoke of him as a voice crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.”
His message was also accompanied by a baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
But John the Baptist had tough words for those who take repentance and the baptism lightly.
John the Baptist says this: Even now, the axe is laid to the roots of the trees, so that any tree that fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire.
Yes, tough words that are accompanied by an uncomfortable image of the axe at the roots.
If John the Baptists were to come and take a look around, he might take that axe and cut down a few things.
We like our Christmas decorations to be nice and pretty.
But John the Baptist will remind us that this is still the season of Advent, and he will take down those things that will distract us from the spirit of preparation and repentance.
And going down to the root of the matter, John the Baptist wants us to remember this:
Our lives are rooted in Jesus Christ, and when we are rooted in Christ, then we will bear fruits for Christ.
But along the way, our roots have gone to look for the waters of worldly pleasure and sensual desires.
Slowly we begin to drink in the contaminated waters of addiction to porn and immorality, and living by the ways of the world.
We slowly forget about the clean waters of our baptism, and walking in the straight ways of the Lord.
John the Baptist wants to give us an Advent present, and that present is an axe.
With that axe, we need to look at the roots of our lives that have gone the wrong way.
Let us start by looking at those roots that have made us produce bad and rotten fruits.
Let us get down to looking at the behaviours and the attitudes of our lives.
Behaviours and attitudes like: jumping to conclusion, passing the buck, throwing our weight around, making mountains out of molehills, blowing our own trumpet, adding fuel to fire, pushing the blame.
Let us cut off all the crooked and twisted attitudes and behaviours of our lives.
Then the roots of our lives will thirst for the living water of Jesus Christ, and we will bear fruits of love for Jesus and for others.
Then we will learn how to swallow our pride, , walk away from gossips and bickering, speak the truth, pick up the pieces of our disappointments and frustrations and giving them to Jesus, take responsibility, live with honesty and sincerity.
When we are rooted in Jesus Christ, we will see the straight path and walk towards Jesus Christ, from this Advent to Christmas, and always.