Second Sunday of Advent, cycle B

MARK 1:1-8
JOHN THE BAPTIST IS A FASCINATING CHARACTER.  THERE ARE SCHOLARS WHO THINK THAT HIS FOLLOWERS WERE ACTUALLY A RIVAL FAITH IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE CHURCH, WHICH IS WHY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT JOHN IS ALWAYS PORTRAYED AS POINTING TO JESUS AS THE REAL MESSIAH.  IN FACT, IF YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE NEWS, YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD OF THE YAZHIDI RELIGION IN IRAQ.  THEY CONSIDER JOHN THE BAPTIST AS ONE OF THEIR PROPHETS, AND SOME BELIEVE THAT THEY MIGHT BE DESCENDANTS OF THE JOHN MOVEMENT IN EARLY TIMES.
AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS GOSPEL, I WAS DRAWN TO THE PICTURE THAT MARK PAINTS – A MAN DRESSED IN CAMEL HAIR GARMENTS WITH A LEATHER BELT; A MAN WHO EATS LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY.  MARK, LIKE THE OTHER GOSPEL WRITERS, DOESN'T JUST SAY THINGS FOR NO REASON.  NOW THE CAMEL HAIR SHIRT AND THE LEATHER BELT AREN'T A PROBLEM.  THAT WAS THE SAME OUTFIT ELIJAH WORE – THE GREATEST OF THE JEWISH PROPHETS.  BUT ELIJAH DID NOT EAT LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY.  IN FACT, YOU CAN'T FIND ANYONE EATING THIS PECULIAR DIET IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.  SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT THEORIES ABOUT JOHN'S DIET.  ONE IS THAT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, WE MISTRANSLATED THE GREEK WORD FOR BEANS TO THE ONE FOR LOCUSTS.  THE GREEK WORD “AKRIS” MEANS LOCUST, AND “ENKRIS” MEANS BEAN CAKE.  BUT IF JOHN ATE BEAN CAKES, A COMMON ENOUGH FOOD, WHY MENTION IT AT ALL?  ANOTHER IDEA IS THAT LOCUSTS WERE ACTUALLY A DELICACY IN SOME PARTS OF THE NEAR EAST.  IN FACT, THEY WERE COOKED AND PEELED KIND OF LIKE WE DO SHRIMP OR CRAYFISH.  AND OF COURSE HONEY WAS A DELICACY AS WELL.  SO SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT EVEN THOUGH JOHN WAS DRESSED LIKE A WILD MAN, HIS DIET SHOWED THAT HE WAS STILL A MEMBER OF THE PRIESTLY CLASS – WHICH HE WOULD HAVE INHERITED FROM HIS FATHER.  SO IN HIS ROLE HE COMBINES THE ROLE OF PRIEST – THE GUARDIAN OF THE RELIGION – AND THE PROPHET – THE ONE WHO ACTS AS A CORRECTIVE TO THE RELIGION.  IN JOHN WE SEE THE TENSION IN THE OLD RELIGION IN ONE PERSON.  BUT AGAIN, MARK MAKES SURE WE KNOW THE HONEY WAS WILD – NOT SOMETHING THE PRIESTLY CLASS WOULD EAT.
BUT THE INTERPRETATION I LIKE THE MOST IS THAT LOCUSTS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT REPRESENT BAD THINGS.  THE PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS THAT MOSES BROUGHT ON THE EGYPTIANS; THE COMPARISON OF FOREIGN ARMIES TO LOCUSTS BY THE PROPHETS – WHEN YOU MET A LOCUST, YOU KNEW THERE WAS TROUBLE; LOCUSTS MEANT UPHEAVAL, LOSS, PAIN, AND RUIN.  WHEN JOHN EATS LOCUSTS, HE IS ACKNOWLEDGING THAT LIFE, ANY LIFE, IS GOING TO HAVE THESE THINGS; THEY ARE INESCAPABLE.  JOHN, AND YOU AND I, CANNOT HIDE FROM THEM, WE CANNOT DENY THEM WITH PLATITUDES LIKE “EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON” OR “GOD ALWAYS ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS, EVEN IF THE ANSWER IS NO”.  NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE MAKE, NO MATTER HOW GOOD OUR DOCTORS ARE, NO MATTER HOW PROTECTED WE ARE IN OUR HOME, COMMUNITY, OR COUNTRY, WE CAN NEVER FORGET THAT WE LIVE ON THE EDGE OF CHAOS, AND THAT NO MATTER WHAT, THE LOCUSTS WILL CATCH UP WITH US.
BUT FACING OUR WEAKNESS, OUR SIN, THE UNCERTAINTY OF OUR FUTURE, IS NOT ENOUGH.  THERE IS THE HONEY AS WELL.  THE ISRAELITES WERE PROMISED A LAND OF MILK AND HONEY.  HONEY RECALLS GOD FULFILLING HIS PROMISE.  BUT HONEY ALSO IS THE TASTE OF GOD'S WORD.  WHEN EZEKIEL IS GIVEN THE SCROLL TO EAT AS HE BEGINS HIS PROPHETIC CAREER, HE NOTES THAT IT IS AS SWEET AS HONEY.  IN ONE OF THE PSALMS IT SAYS GOD'S WORD IS LIKE HONEY ON THE TONGUE.  HONEY HAS TO DO WITH GOD KEEPING HIS PROMISES, WITH GOD NOT ABANDONING US.  IT HAS TO DO WITH OUR FAITH, FAITH THAT GOD IS REAL, THAT HE HEALS US AND CARES FOR US.
RECOGNIZING THE REALITY OF OUR LIVES, EATING THE LOCUSTS, IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT IT ISN'T ENOUGH.  IF THAT IS ALL, WE FALL INTO DESPAIR.  BUT FAITH IS NOT ENOUGH EITHER.  IF ALL WE HAVE IS FAITH, WE DON'T REALIZE THAT WE ARE SINNERS, THAT WE ARE BROKEN, THAT WE CAN'T FIX OURSELVES OR OUR WORLD WITHOUT HELP.  IF ALL WE HAVE IS FAITH, WE DON'T SEE THAT WE NEED A SAVIOR.
SO ADVENT IS A TIME FOR US TO ADOPT THE DIET OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.  IT IS A TIME TO TAKE STOCK OF OURSELVES, TO RECOGNIZE OUR SINFULNESS.  SURE, MOST OF US PROBABLY AREN'T GUILTY OF MORTAL SIN.  IN FACT THERE MAY BE A FEW OF US WHO COULD SAY HE OR SHE IS NOT GUILTY OF EVEN VENIAL SIN.  BUT SIN IS BASICALLY THINKING AND DOING THINGS WHICH ARE IRRATIONAL, WHICH DON'T MAKE SENSE.  IF I STUFF MYSELF ON THANKSGIVING (AND THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN  THIS HAPPENED) AND I STILL EAT A SECOND PIECE OF PIE, WELL, THAT MAY NOT BE EVEN A VENIAL SIN, BUT IT IS IN THE CATEGORY OF SIN, BECAUSE IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE, AND I'LL PAY FOR IT IN SOME WAY.  IF I LIGHT A CIGARETTE, IT MAY NOT BE EVEN A VENIAL SIN, BUT IT'S NOT RATIONAL, AND IT WILL CATCH UP WITH ME.  IF I BROOD OVER SOMETHING SOMEONE DID TO ME A LONG TIME AGO, IT MAY NOT BE EVEN A LITTLE SIN, BUT IT WILL DETRACT FROM THE QUALITY OF MY LIFE, SO IT IS IRRATIONAL, IT IS STUPID, IT IS SIN.
ONCE WE TAKE STOCK OF EVERYTHING ABOUT OURSELVES THAT IS IRRATIONAL, THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE BUT WE KEEP ON DOING IT ANYWAY, OR WE KEEP ON THINKING ABOUT IT EVEN THOUGH IT'S STUPID, OR IT HAPPENS TO US EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS SO UNFAIR, OUR FIRST REACTION IS ALMOST ONE OF DESPAIR – HOW FAR I AM FROM WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO BE.  AND THAT'S WHAT BEING A SINNER IS ALL ABOUT.  AND THAT IS WHERE THE HONEY COMES IN.  BECAUSE THERE IS A GOD, A GOD WHO TAKES PITY ON US, AND BECOMES ONE OF US, AND LIVES OUR LIFE FOR US AND DIES FOR US, AND BECAUSE ONE OF US IS GOD, SIN AND DEATH CANNOT WIN IN THE END.
WE WEAR PURPLE VESTMENTS IN LENT BECAUSE PURPLE IS A SIGN OF PENANCE.  LENT IS A TIME WHEN WE FAST, WHEN WE GIVE UP OUR PLEASURES AND REPENT OF OUR SINS.  BUT THE PURPLE IN ADVENT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.  IT IS THE THE PURPLE OF THE EARLIEST PART OF THE MORNING, WHEN THE SUN JUST BEGINS TO RISE, AND IF YOU ARE UP AT THAT TIME, IT IS JUST A MOMENT WHEN THE BLACK NIGHT TRANSITIONS TO DAWN.  IT IS THE MOMENT WHEN WE REALIZE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US ANOTHER DAY.
DURING ADVENT, EAT LOCUSTS; REALIZE YOUR SINFULNESS.  AND EAT HONEY, REALIZE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU ALL THAT YOU NEED – A SAVIOR.