December 7, 2025; Mathew 3: 1-12; 2nd Sunday of Advent
John the Baptist was not a subtle man. He was decisive and forceful, often using one word to make his point. John’s word in today’s Gospel is, “repent”—repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. But John’s word can be easily misunderstood. The Greek word that our bibles translate as repent has a meaning that is significantly different than its English counterpart. When we hear the word repent, we think we are being asked to be sorrowful for past actions, to repent for our sins. But the Greek word in the bible is metanoia, which literally means change your mind. Changing our mind can certainly include regrets for past actions, but the thrust of the word is towards the future. It is calling us to change, to do something new. Later in the gospel John outlines the new thing that he wants us to do. He wants us to produce good fruit. He wants us to do something that will make a difference, something that will help others, something that will build the kingdom of God.
Now when we understand John’s word in this context, there is immediate relevance to our lives as we approach this holiday season. Much of the beauty and comfort of this season centers on old patterns that we know well. The hectic pace of our days is softened and slowed as we hear familiar Christmas music everywhere. Treasured Christmas decorations, maybe some that may even go back to our childhood, are unpacked and set out to remind us of the joy of Christmas in the past. There is growing excitement as we network to determine when and where the people that we love will gather again to celebrate this great feast of Christ’s birth. All of these old patterns are good and beautiful. But today John says change, add something new, something that will build the kingdom of God.
What kind of new additions might we consider? Is there some new way that we could include the poor in our Christmas celebration? We know that the Gospel always calls us to serve the least among us. This time of year, there are so many financial and volunteer opportunities to serve those who are less fortunate. Including one of them would certainly be building the kingdom of God. Is there someone we know who is alienated or alone? Reaching out to someone who has hurt us and trying to find a way to peace would be replacing an old pattern with a new one. Inviting someone who has lost a loved one into our holiday celebrations would certainly be building the kingdom of God. It could be as simple as finding fifteen minutes every other day to sit in some quiet space and ask ourselves: Who needs me? How can I meet that need? Who do I love? How can I show that love?
When John the Baptist calls us to repent, he is asking us to do some new thing for the good of others. As we all know when we give to others, we receive much in return. So, there is no better way to celebrate these upcoming holy days than to enter into that pattern of giving and receiving. So that those who give and those who receive may together celebrate the joy of Christ’s birth.