Each Of Us Is A Mystery To Uncover And Discover
Saturday of the Second Week of Advent (B)
My dear encountered couples:
Elijah is a mystery to us. And so is John the Baptist. Though we are familiar with them, though we have heard about them and read about their lives many times, they remain mysteries. For that matter, so is Jesus. But then aren’t we all? Each of us is a mystery to uncover and discover. If you like a mystery you don’t have far to look for one. You can just take a peek into yourself.
There is only one who knows himself and us thoroughly and completely. There is nothing God does not know about us, there are no thoughts we have nor actions we perform that God doesn’t know about even before we think them and do them. God has our number, we are not mysteries to him. The rest of us are left to figure one another out.
Some Bible experts think they know all about Elijah. They will tell you whether he is coming back or not, whether he has already come. Some will say John the Baptist was Elijah reincarnated, others will say John only lived and preached in the spirit of Elijah. The experts don’t agree. And Jesus doesn’t help to clear up the matter. “The disciples asked Jesus, ‘Why do the scribes claim that Elijah must come first?’ In reply he said, ‘Elijah is indeed coming, and he will restore everything. I assure you, though, that Elijah has already come, but they did not recognize him. The Son of Man will suffer at their hands in the same way.’ The disciples then realized he had been speaking to them about John the Baptist.” But John said he was not Elijah. (Jn.1/21)
So, what is Jesus really saying? Has Elijah already come, and if so, how? You tell me. One thing I know is that most likely you and I are not Elijah, but we are on earth now and we are expected to do something. Let us concentrate on solving the mystery of what that something is, and then do our best to do it.
