HOMILY FOR 2ND SUNDAY OF ADVENT – YEAR B
THEME: Preparation, New Exodus, Return from Exile, and Metanoia
By: Fr. Anthony O. Ezeaputa, MA
Our gospel reading (Mark 1:1–8) reflects the central message of Advent, which is preparation for the twofold coming of the Lord: in a manger in Bethlehem, and to judge the living and the dead. Let us reflect on the themes of preparation, new exodus, return from exile, and metanoia.
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When ancient eastern monarchs embarked on an expedition or journey, particularly one through the desert, they dispatched heralds in advance to prepare everything for their passage. They also sent pioneers to open the passes, level the paths, and remove all roadblocks. John the Baptist is the herald and pioneer of the Savior.
Mark writes, “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths” (Mark 1:2–3). Mark’s opening quote is a combination of a passage from Exodus (23:20) with a verse from Isaiah (40:3).
In Exodus 23:20, the Lord says, “Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.” This quote refers to the angel (“angelos” in Greek) whom God promises to send before the Israelites in the desert.
“Angelos” can mean either an earthly messenger or a heavenly one, that is, an angel. But Mark understands it as a reference to a human envoy, John the Baptist. And by echoing this passage from Exodus, Mark is hinting at least two things.
Mark is saying that the Baptist is the forerunner of a new entry into the land of promise. ‘Behold, I send an angel before you’ are words of promise, signifying protection, victory, and the end of wilderness wandering. Mark wants his audience to know that the Baptist is the fulfillment of Exodus 23:20.
Mark is also suggesting that the progress of the ‘gospel of God’ into the world may be like the occupation of Canaan. It is the beginning of a campaign against hostile forces now in possession of the land of promise (Richard Hays).
Isaiah proclaims, “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths” (40:3). The word “way” (“hodos” in Greek) has a varied range of meanings, such as path, road, street, or journey. But in the New Testament, it often refers to “the way of life demanded by God.”
Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC, and thousands of Jews were taken into exile in Babylon. However, in 539 BC, Cyrus, king of Persia, defeated the Babylonians and allowed those Jews who wished to return home to Israel. So, Mark is using Isaiah 40:3 to weave together the themes of a new exodus and a return from exile.
In other words, “prepare the way of the Lord” means a departure (a new exodus) from the slavery of sin. It is also a return (from exile) to a way of being, feeling, and acting in accordance with the way of life that God demands.
John’s baptism is described as a baptism of repentance (baptisma metanoias). In pre-New Testament Greek, the verb “baptizein” meant “to dip, plunge, or immerse.” It can be used metaphorically as the immersion of people in evil of one kind or another.
But in the New Testament, “baptizein” is used as a ritual act of initiation. So, John the Baptist’s baptism is a ritual of initiation into a community of repentance, preparing for the coming of the Messiah. It is an initiation into a new exodus (departure from sin) and a return from exile (return to God).
The word translated as “repentance” is “metanoia,” which literally means “a change of mind” or “a change of consciousness.” “Metanoia” captures the essence of the new exodus and a return from exile. Conversion! It is a new way of thinking and a new way of seeing.
Advent is a season of preparation, a new exodus, a return from exile, and metanoia. It is a season that invites us to a radical reorientation of our lives towards God. Happy Advent!
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