by Nancy Corcoran, CSJ
Crowds are listening to John the Baptist scold his hearers because they come seeking baptism, a sign of a new and changed life, but have made no changes. “Bear fruit worthy of repentance,” he says, challenging the people to do the work of changing how they live.
The crowd wants specifics. Some ask, “What, then, should we do?” Tax collectors and soldiers are among those who step up and want to know what they have to do to be baptized.
When I was young, this scene confused me. Although I grew up in a town that was 80% Jewish, my family and my friends were all Christians, so I assumed everybody was. I didn’t learn much about Jewish religious practices as a child.
When I began to hear stories about Jesus, I assumed that Jesus was Christian. I thought John the Baptist was Christian. I even thought Mary and Joseph were Christians. I thought John was baptizing Jesus and the people in Sunday’s gospel just as I had been baptized when I was a baby.
Imagine our surprise when we learned that Jesus and his whole family and all his friends, and most people mentioned in the gospels were Jewish! The gospels of Advent take Christians back into Jewish history, of which many of us know too little.
The scriptures of Israel continue to help people today recognize God’s presence in our world. John the Baptizer calls us to conversion this Advent just as he called Jews of his time to change and align their everyday actions with God’s compassion, justice, and care for the poor.
- What do you recognize as Jewish about Jesus, his family and friends?
- What do you value about Jewish religious faith and practice?
- What do you want to know more about?