13 December 2014 - sequelitis

In those days,
like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah
whose words were as a flaming furnace.
Their staff of bread he shattered,
in his zeal he reduced them to straits;
By the Lord’s word he shut up the heavens
and three times brought down fire.

Elijah for the Hebrew people is not just a religious figure. He is almost a comic book level superhero, as if Captain America and Billy Graham merged into one. He is one of the few people which scripture says never die. Instead he is "taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire". The fact that this one is coming back again "before the day of the LORD" seems pretty excited. If we missed the spectacle the first time we will finally get to see it with our own eyes.

But what spectacle do the Hebrews see?

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

And this should immediately recall Elijah.

He wore a hairy garment with a leather belt around his waist.

But "they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased".

Perhaps the Israelites of the time are much like today's moviegoers. Maybe they have some very specific expectations of what an Elijah sequel is like. What they seem to want is actually just a rehash of the original. Maybe there is a character and a spectacle they want without muddying the waters by going deeper or speaking to our individual lives. Why muddy the waters by trying to mean something? Maybe we need more than special effects.

Yet this is the sequel that they are told to expect from the beginning. Elijah does put an end to wrath when he returns, but here is how:

To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,
and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.

John Baptist foregoes all the Elijah style special effects. His baptism is with water and not the fire that Elijah calls down? Why? Not because it is overlooked or forgotten. John has a simple message of repentance, "Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same". His purpose is not to steal the spotlight but to prepare the way for the one who is to come. People expect fire in the Elijah sequel. By talking about one to come who is greater than he, one who will baptize with fire, John elevates the messianic expectation. He decreases so that Jesus can increase (cf. 3:30).

Let us learn to recognize those whom God sends to us. Let us not be so insistent that the way he was working in our lives before is the way he works now. Let us instead remain open to the action of the Living God. John the Baptist appears on the scene to help us to build an even greater expectation for Jesus. If we don't get fire called down with John we hope even more strongly for it with Jesus. But at the same time John teaches us to be prepared to recognize someone who does not meet our expectations. Instead of a military messiah we welcome a shepherd of lost sheep. Instead of immediate victory we are confronted by the cross. But our expectation and hope need not waiver. The victory is coming.

May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.