{"id":6108,"date":"2025-12-13T11:23:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T11:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/?p=6108"},"modified":"2025-10-16T15:36:31","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T14:36:31","slug":"commentary-on-3rd-sunday-of-advent-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/commentary-on-3rd-sunday-of-advent-a\/","title":{"rendered":"Commentary on 3rd Sunday of Advent A, 14.12.2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

TEXT: <\/strong>MATTHEW 11: 02\u201311<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Is Jesus the Messiah?<\/strong><\/p>\n

2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, \u201cAre you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Jesus\u2019 deeds<\/strong><\/p>\n

4 And Jesus answered them, \u201cGo and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who takes no offence at me.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Jesus\u2019 assessment of John?<\/strong><\/p>\n

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: \u201cWhat did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 Why then did you go out? To see a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who wear soft raiment are in kings\u2019 houses. 9 Why then did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.10 This is he of whom it is written, \u2018Behold I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way before you.\u2019 11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. <\/span> <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

EXPLANATION<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Introduction.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A new section in Matthew\u2019s Gospel, what is known as the \u2018third Book\u2019, commences with this Gospel passage. The Sermon on the Mount, Chapters 5\u20137, give Jesus\u2019 manifesto and his usual eloquent explanation. Chapters 8\u20139 show him as the great miracle worker. Chapter 10 informs that the disciples of Jesus, in other words the Churh, are to continue this ministry of word and deed that Jesus had inaugurated. Chapters 11\u201313 show the reaction of people to Jesus and his mission; some accepted by faith and some rejected in unbelief. John the Baptist\u2019s reaction is contained in today\u2019s reading.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, \u201cAre you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cNow when John heard in prison<\/em>\u201d \u2014 From secular sources it is known that Herod Antipas arrested John and imprisoned him in his palace at Machaerus which is east of the river Jordan. (For John\u2019s arrest, see Mt. 4: 12; for his death see Mt. 14: 1\u201312).<\/p>\n

\u201cabout the deeds of the Christ<\/em>\u201d \u2014 \u201cthe Christ<\/em>\u201d (Greek) is the translation of \u201cthe Messiah\u201d (Hebrew), \u201cthe Anointed\u201d. The meaning is that John had heard about \u201cthe deeds of the Christ<\/em>\u201d and recognised these as being the deeds forecast as what the Messiah would do and be identified by. He recognised that what Jesus was doing were \u201cthe deeds of the Christ<\/em>\u201d, in other words that Jesus was the Messiah or certainly seemed to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cChrist<\/em>\u201d (Messiah) was originally a title meaning \u201cthe anointed one\u201d. As such, it required the definite article. As time progressed, the custom crept in of dropping the article and using \u201cChrist<\/em>\u201d as a proper name. With one exception (Mt. 26: 68), Matthew normally uses the article before \u201cChrist<\/em>\u201d (Mt. 1: 2; 2: 4; 16: 6, 20; 22: 42; 23: 10; 24: 5, 23; 26: 63).<\/p>\n

\u201che sent word by his disciples<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 Seemingly John was allowed visitors in prison and could speak with his disciples.<\/p>\n

\u201cand said to him, \u2018Are you he who is to come?<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 \u201cthe one who is to come<\/em>\u201d is the Messiah. The question may be put in another and simple manner: \u2018Who is Jesus? Is he the Messiah?\u2019 John knew that Jesus was the Messiah (Mt. 3: 13\u201317). Now he wishes to assure his disciples by hearing so from Jesus. The title \u201che who is to come<\/em>\u201d occurs in three locations: 12; 21: 9; 23: 39.<\/p>\n

\u201cor shall we look for another?<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 Or shall we expect, wait for another? Some think that John had developed doubts about Jesus being the Messiah because:<\/p>\n

(i) He was not fiery, in his preaching, committing people to God\u2019s wrath and punishment, as the Old Testament prophets were.<\/p>\n

(ii) There could be a wonder as to why there was no attempt to release John, his precursor, from prison if Jesus was the Messiah.<\/p>\n

(iii) The popular concept of the Messiah was that he would be a great political leader and Jesus had not given any sign of this.<\/p>\n

It is possible that not John but his disciples had these doubts and that is why John sent them to Jesus to be reassured personally.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

4 And Jesus answered them, \u201cGo and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who takes no offence at me.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Jesus answered them<\/em>,\u201d \u2014 In fact Jesus does not answer them directly but he adopts a more reassuring answer based on the deeds the Old Testament foretold would be the way in which the Messiah would work.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them<\/em>.\u201d \u2014 What they heard and saw were the deeds of the Messiah (Mt. 11: 2). These are based on Is. 26: 19; 29: 18\u201319; 35: 5\u20136; 42: 18; 61: 1. Later Jesus will say, \u201cBlessed are your eyes, for they see, and you ears for they hear<\/em>\u201d (Mt. 13: 16); they will be \u201cblessed<\/em>\u201d because they will know from these deeds that Jesus is the Messiah.<\/p>\n

References as to the messianic deeds that Jesus performed are as follows:<\/p>\n

\u201cthe blind\u201d \u2014 Mt. 9: 27\u201330.<\/p>\n

\u201cthe lame\u201d \u2014 Mt. 8: 5\u201313; 9: 1\u20137.<\/p>\n

\u201clepers\u201d \u2014 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mt. 8: 1\u20134.<\/p>\n

\u201cthe deaf\u201d \u2014 Mt. 9: 32\u201334.<\/p>\n

\u201cthe dead\u201d \u2014 Mt. 9: 18\u201326.<\/p>\n

\u201cthe poor\u201d \u2014 Mt. 5:3.<\/p>\n

The above are all works of mercy, the hallmark of Jesus\u2019 ministry. Tenderness, gentleness and compassion, not wrath, punishment and rejection identified Jesus in his deeds. Jesus will emphasise this when he proclaims that it is this type of activity which will identify his disciples. This is not a new way of living but the essence of the Law of the Old Testament (Mt. 5: 17).<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd blessed is he who takes no offence at me<\/em>.\u2019\u201d \u2014 In the following Chapter 12 Matthew will mention how the Pharisees and Jesus\u2019 own family took offence and saw him as an obstacle to true religion.<\/p>\n

The Catechism of the Catholic Church<\/em> has two articles well worth reading on this point:<\/p>\n

548. \u201cThe signs worked by Jesus attest that the Father has sent him. They invite belief in him. To those who turn to him in faith, he grants what they ask. So miracles strengthen faith in the One who does his Father\u2019s works; they bear witness that he is the Son of God. But his miracles can also be occasions for \u201coffence\u201d; they are not intended to satisfy people\u2019s curiosity or desire for magic. Despite his evident miracles some people reject Jesus; he is even accused of acting by the power of demons.\u201d<\/p>\n

549. \u201cBy freeing some individuals from the earthly evils of hunger, injustice, illness and death, Jesus performed messianic signs. Nevertheless he did not come to abolish all evils here below, but to free men from the gravest slavery, sin, which thwarts them in their vocation as God\u2019s sons and causes all forms of human bondage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: \u201cWhat did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 Why then did you go out? To see a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who wear soft raiment are in kings\u2019 houses. 9 Why then did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.10 This is he of whom it is written, \u2018Behold I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way before you.\u2019 11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAs they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: \u2018What did you go out into the wilderness to behold?<\/em> \u2014 Jesus, having answered the question, \u2018Who is Jesus\u2019 now asks a second question, \u2018Who is John the Baptist?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cA reed shaken by the wind?<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 Reeds were abundant in the river Jordan. Jesus\u2019 question expresses the thought: did you go to the Jordan to see a man like \u201creeds\u201d, fickle, flexible, fragile, moving in any and every direction, depending on the breeze or currents? John certainly was not a weak character; he was strong, firm and was not afraid to denounce the king for his adultery with his brother\u2019s wife.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Why then did you go out? To see a man clothed in soft raiment?<\/em> \u2018\u201c \u2014 Matthew had already described John\u2019s clothing as that of a prophet like Elijah, \u201ca man clothed in camel\u2019s hair, and a leather girdle round his waist<\/em>\u201d (Mt. 3: 4).<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Behold, those who wear soft raiment are in kings\u2019 houses.<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 Those who wear clothes like that were officials in royal palaces; John lived \u2018rough\u2019, in the wilderness.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Why then did you go out? To see a prophet?<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 John lived as a prophet by his clothing, food and the content of his message. His life was hard and his character strong.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, \u2018Behold I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way before you.<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 John is \u201cmore than a prophet<\/em>\u201d because he is the last of the Old Testament prophets in whom the Old Testament prophecy is being fulfilled. In Mt. 11: 14 Jesus will identify John, the prophet who had been singled out in prophecy to announce the imminent coming of the Messiah with Elijah.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Truly<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 Also translated as \u201cAmen<\/em>\u201d, the word gives a special dignity and importance to the words that will follow.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist;<\/em>\u201d \u2014 John belongs to the Old Testament. He is the greatest person from the Old Testament, which includes Abraham, Moses and all others. Jesus brings in the New Testament and the kingdom of heaven in a new way. This does not mean that John will be excluded from the kingdom at the general judgement.<\/p>\n

\u201cyet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 The implication is that John who announces the coming of the New Testament does not belong to it nor to the kingdom of heaven as proclaimed by Jesus in the New Testament.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.<\/em>\u2019\u201d \u2014 The extraordinary news is that disciples of the Lord are greater than John because they belong to the kingdom of heaven.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe who is least<\/em>\u201d may also refer to Jesus who came \u201cto serve, not to be served<\/em>\u201d (Mt. 20: 28), who came as \u201cleast<\/em>\u201d. This would mean that Jesus, the servant of all in the kingdom of heaven, is greater than John.<\/p>\n

The question asked by Jesus in verse 7 was \u2018Who is John the Baptist?\u2019 The answer has been, he is a strong and firm prophet, the greatest person of the Old Testament, the last prophet who was chosen to announce the imminent coming of the Messiah into the world.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

APPLICATION<\/strong><\/h3>\n

St. Matthew\u2019s Gospel is divided into five parts, referred to as five \u2018books\u2019. Today\u2019s Gospel passage commences Book Three (chapters 11\u201313) which treats of the reaction of people to Jesus\u2019 words (chapters 5\u20137) and deeds or works (chapters 8\u201310).<\/p>\n

The present reading opens with the question \u2018Is Jesus the Messiah, the Christ, the promised Anointed One, or do we look for another person?\u2019 The reason for the question was simple \u2014 Jesus did not seem to be what was expected! The Jews thought the Messiah would preach wrath and punishment, hell and damnation for those who did not accept him and his ways. What they found was that instead he came full of love, mercy and compassion, seeking out the weak and sinful to make them strong and saved. That caused great problems for people.<\/p>\n

John\u2019s disciples, who seemed to have been influenced by this thinking, were sent by him to meet Jesus personally and check on him. Jesus said nothhing to them but sent them back to let John interpret the sacred scriptures for them and show how Jesus was doing exactly what had been forecast in the sacred scriptures about the Messiah, not the false expectations of the Jews.<\/p>\n

As we read this passage, and all scriptural passages, we must be conscious that this is not a mere interesting story but it is addressed to each reader and listerner so that each may answer the question \u2014 who is Jesus for me or do I have to look for another Messiah? Do I find that what Jesus is doing in the world today trivial or does it indicate the presence of God in our midst? Does my faith come from the word of God or from what I hear from other people who do not believe, who oppose the word of God? That will determine if we believe or not and what we believe.<\/p>\n

Why did Jesus not answer John\u2019s disciples\u2019 questions? Why did he have John help them? He knew that because of their purely false human expectations they had become confused and baffled when Jesus did not rush in and fulfil them. Their hopes were centered on themselves and for them Jesus\u2019 only role was to do everything they desired, to give them a perfect paradise on earth. That there might be an after\u2013life was not important for them. What Jesus came to do or what he desired from them did not enter their thinking.<\/p>\n

What did Jesus want from them? The first thing he required was a change of heart and lifestyle (First Sunday of Advent). He came because they were not perfect. He wanted to give them salvation and eternal life.<\/p>\n

What Jesus wanted should be what we want. Obviously we the disciples must be one in mind and heart with our Master and Lord. Pope Francis was inaugurated as pope on March 19, feast of St. Joseph, the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church. He called on each of us to be protectors of those whom Christ came to bring to salvation. He told us that as followers we must tread the path Jesus set out for us, the path to Calvary. We must follow that path like Jesus. He gave his everything; he held nothing back, not even his life. The pope said that we should be the same. God did not wait for us to go to him; he came to us that he might bring us the presence of God\u2019s love. At this Advent season this is our challenge \u2014 bring hope to those many people who are lost in their own confusion. Bring them God\u2019s love. Bring them the real meaning of Christmas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TEXT: MATTHEW 11: 02\u201311 Is Jesus the Messiah? 2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, \u201cAre you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?\u201d Jesus\u2019 deeds 4 And Jesus answered them, \u201cGo and tell<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3803,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6108"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6108\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8438,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6108\/revisions\/8438"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stmarys-tallaght.ie\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}