Gospel-Homily for Third Sunday of Advent (2025)

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Raising the Bar.

Elijah was a hairy man with a leather belt around his waist, hanging around the Jordan River, when a chariot picked him up and brought him to heaven. After that happened, many people scratched their heads in confusion. “Why does he get a chariot ride to heaven? How come he did have to die. What is wrong with Abraham? How is it that he did not get an uber to heaven, how come Mose died.” It was not until the last verse, the last sentence of the Hebrew Bible, that we find out why Elijah was brought into heaven. It was because he had more work to do. He had to come back to finish the job. So, when people heard that there was a hairy man with a leather belt around his waist hanging around the Jordan River, they went out to see Elijah finish the job.

This is what they found: a very kind and patient man. Someone who transformed everyone into good, kind people. He took away their sins and evil. Jesus said about him that “No one born of a woman is greater than he, yetthe least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” How is it possible for the greatest person to become the least person? It happens when someone raises the bar and ushers in a new era.

No one ever ran a mile under four minutes. When Rodger Banister did it, he raised the bar. Now, you cannot even qualify to run in a championship race unless you run faster than Banister.

John the Baptist raised the bar by transforming people’s lives. Do not kill the enemy, do not hate the bad guy. Instead, convert them. You do it with kindness, showing mercy, cutting people breaks, bringing out the best of them.

Dad and I were in traffic one day when someone cut him off. He said nothing. I said, “No snappy remarks.” He said, “Even though he is ahead of us, we are still equal. We are both equally miserable in this traffic.” John the Baptist was great because he transformed people. He raised the bar for us.