Sermon Tone Analysis

Title

Prophetic Dualities

Outline

The Church has always search for signs of the Advent

Or at least some in the Church have searched

The fall of Rome, various significant natural disasters and astronomical phenomena, the chronology of AD 1000 (and then 2000), powerful rulers - the signs were all interpreted both before the coming of Christ in Bethlehem and up to the present.

And, of course, all of them have proved penultimate at best, not ultimate

But the one cardinal sign in the Jewish world was the appearance of a prophet

The main prophet was the prophet Elijah, in later Jewish tradition often combined with Elisha

Men put on the prophetic tunic like Elijah and announced judgment or deliverance like Elijah, but they in turn perished as did the Messianic figures of Jesus’ lifetime and the Qumran community.

All of these imaged a powerful deliverer like Sirach’s Elijah, but missed a critical line, the line about repentance and reconciliation, “To turn back the hearts of parents toward their children and to re-establish the tribes of Israel.”

And that is why most seem to have missed John the Baptist, for he worked no sign, destructive or constructive, and also Jesus, who worked signs, but only healing ones.

Jesus explains the issue in our gospel

The three witness apostles had just experienced the transfiguration, so they realized Jesus was the Messiah, although they had not yet gotten a picture of what type of Messiah he was.

But they ask, “If you are the Messiah, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?””

Jesus gives a twofold answer: “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.

So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.”

There is a future coming to Elijah, not in judgment, but in restoration.

But Elijah has already come in John the Baptist, who started a restoration project, but never gained the support of the Jewish elites and ended up crossing Herodias (we must remember that Herod lived according to Jewish law) and died without any recorded attempted Jewish intervention.

Two comings of Elijah, two of the Son of Man

Jesus parallels John the Baptist - Elijah to the Son of Man, not to the anointed Son on the mountain, but to the suffering Son of Man, “So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.”

The disciples had seen the anointed Son of Man on the mountain, along with Moses and Elijah, but that is for the future as are the Elijah and Moses figures in Revelation.

The disciples are brought back to the Son of Man who will die if he is to be raised from the dead, who will “suffer at their hands,” but in so doing with gather the tribes and turn the hears of the parents to the children and children to the parents - his death will bring repentance and restoration - at least to the new Israel.

The three witness apostles, of course, did not get it until the could look back from the other side of the resurrection.

But the duality of comings is stored in their memory for reflection.

Sisters, Jesus has come and is coming - so too Elijah

Let us not be surprised if there are repeated “words like a flaming furnace” or the heavens are shut in drought or fire falls from heaven or famine or the people of God become few in number.

Nations and empires have risen and fallen, so let us not be surprised if the USA also falls like Babylon the Great.

But let us realize that this is to drive what remains of the people of God and of the world around them to repentance and reconciliation, for having largely ignored the first coming and especially its repentance and reconciliation, the turned up heat is finish accomplishing this task.

So when we pray for the good of the perpetrators of great evils and those suffering great disasters, let us also work and pray for the accomplishing to repentance and reconciliation, for when God thinks that complete (and only God can determine that) we will lift up our eyes and see the coming Lord, if he has not come for us individually first.

Readings

FIRST READING

Sirach 48:1–4, 9–11

1 Until like fire a prophet appeared,

his words a flaming furnace.

2 The staff of life, their bread, he shattered,

and in his zeal he made them few in number.

3 By God’s word he shut up the heavens

and three times brought down fire.

4 How awesome are you, ELIJAH!

Whose glory is equal to yours?

9 You were taken aloft in a whirlwind,

in a chariot with fiery horses.

10 You are destined, it is written, in time to come

to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,

To turn back the hearts of parents toward their children,

and to re-establish the tribes of Israel.

11 Blessed is the one who shall have seen you before he dies!

RESPONSE

Psalm 80:4

4 O God, restore us;

light up your face and we shall be saved.

PSALM

Psalm 80:2ac, 3b, 15–16, 18–19

2 O Shepherd of Israel, lend an ear,

you who guide Joseph like a flock!

Seated upon the cherubim, shine forth

3 upon Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.

Stir up your power, and come to save us.

15 Turn back again, God of hosts;

look down from heaven and see;

Visit this vine,

16 the stock your right hand has planted,

and the son whom you made strong for yourself.

18 May your hand be with the man on your right,

with the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.

19 Then we will not withdraw from you;

revive us, and we will call on your name.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Luke 3:4, 6

4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one crying out in the desert:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,

make straight his paths.

6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”

GOSPEL

Matthew 17:9a, 10–13

9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

10  Then the disciples asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

11 He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; 12 but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.

So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.”

13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Notes

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2022 | ADVENT

SATURDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT

YEARS 1 & 2 | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Sirach 48:1–4, 9–11

Response Psalm 80:4

Psalm Psalm 80:2ac, 3b, 15–16, 18–19

Gospel Acclamation Luke 3:4, 6

Gospel Matthew 17:9a, 10–13

Violet