THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

A group of young boys was playing basketball in a high school gym when a tall, bald African American man with a large diamond in his ear strolled up and watched them play.  To the boys, he looked kind of familiar, but they didn't say anything to each other.  They just thought to themselves, “No, he wouldn't be coming to our high school.”

The man asked, “Mind if I practice with you?  I promise I won't be doing any rebounding.”  He was so tall that if two of the boys stood on one another's shoulders, he would still be taller than both of them. 

“Of course you can join us,” the captain said, but they were still wondering if it was really him.

He was good.  In fact, he was the best.  Without even working up a sweat, he effortlessly made 3-point jump shots, driving layups, and gentle hooks.  The boys had seen videos of him and were encouraged to imitate his style and technique.  However, they did not believe it was really him in person and at their high school, no less!

Then the man offered to give them some tips, showing them how to play and shoot in ways that were radically different from what they knew.  He warned them that they would need to practice and work as a team on these new moves and that it would take a great deal of discipline.

Then he thanked them and walked away as quietly as he had walked onto the court with his signature big smile.

The boys couldn't help it any longer as they ran after him, calling, “Who are you?” “Are you the real MJ?”  “Are you the real Michael Jordan?” But there was no answer, just a big smile.

They didn't know what to make of this stranger who looked and played like MJ. They simply concluded, “Who would believe us anyway if we said Michael Jordan had come to our high school?”  After all, he had retired from basketball many years ago.

They doubted it was him and left it at that.  They went back to playing their own way, missing shots, yelling at each other and failing to play as a team.

I tell this imagined story because John the Baptist, while in his prison cell, began to doubt if the man he had baptized in the river Jordan was the real “MJ” - the real Messiah Jesus.

John the Baptist was in prison because he told the truth that King Herod II had killed his own brother so he could marry his dead brother's wife. This truth infuriated Herod II, so he had John thrown into prison.

 John the Baptist’s skepticism and doubt caused him to send his own friends and disciples to ask Jesus, “Who are you? Are you the one to come, or are we to look for another?”

In prison, John must have felt like a caged lion.  After all, his home had been the wide-open desert.  Perhaps it was the feeling of being claustrophobic that caused his anxiety and doubts.

John the Baptist and Jesus were born under the reign of King Herod I.  They were born, according to the scriptures, six months apart.  Both escaped the order from King Herod known as the “Killing of the Innocents.“ They were cousins but didn't really know each other well.  

What we need to remember is that just like us, John only heard about the words and deeds of his cousin Jesus, and what he heard did not square with his or anyone else's expectations of the Messiah at the time.  After all:

• Jesus was not born to royalty but to a simple girl.
• Jesus did not act like a mighty military soldier but as a servant.
• Jesus didn't come as a powerful judge but as a forgiving Redeemer.
• Jesus didn't condemn but brought forgiving love.
• Jesus did not associate with the religious rulers but went from village to village associating with the powerless, blind, lame, sick, deaf and poor.

John the Baptist wanted to know, beyond any doubt, if Jesus was really the Messiah. I can't blame him. John had doubts. Doubts are normal, but they don't have to prevail.  We can live with our doubts as long as we have hope.

Hope inspires us. It makes us feel good, allows us to have something to believe in, something to aspire to, something to focus our attention on.

Pope Francis said we do not need to be afraid of questions and doubts because they are the beginning of a path of knowledge and going deeper; one who does not ask questions cannot progress either in knowledge or in faith.

Our hopes must be built on realistic expectations. There's a great deal of difference between a Kingdom of Hope and a world of wishes. The distinction between hopes and wishes is based on the source from which they are derived.

Wishes are derived from flights of fancy. The reality does not exist. Wishes are imaginary. For example, wishing to be Snow White or Superman. They are mythical figures that exist in a world of make-believe.

Hopes are derived from what is real and possible. For example, you may hope to play basketball like Michael Jordan.

Both wishes and hopes have wonderful benefits.

Wishes allow us to escape when life gets too serious. Wishes allow us to be playful with life, reminding us that although life is serious, not everything in life is serious.

Hope motivates us to fulfill what is possible. Hope inspires us to be the best we can be.

Some people fail to make the distinction between wishes that are often an impossibility and hopes that are often possible, and therefore, they lose hope.

Hope gives us the strength to achieve what is possible but could be difficult. 

So, what are you asking for this Christmas? A wish or a hope?