A Prophet's Honor

Gospel: Matthew 17: 10-13

It is fashionable nowadays to have a love affair with the prophetic tradition within religion.  Everyone wants to speak truth to power.  It is a noble thing to hold the nation to the commands of God in caring for the poor, protecting immigrants and refugees, in forgiving unjust debts, and in calling the nation to greater commitment to justice and peace.  All of these things are characteristic of prophets, and all of them are noble things to pursue.

What is often neglected, however, is that in accepting the mantle of the prophet one must also accept the fate of the prophet.  In ancient Israel the prophet was consistently sent into exile and executed outside the city walls.  The same fate befalls both John the Baptist and Jesus. Jesus himself enjoins his followers to accept the prophets' fate with joy, to suffer persecution with loving patience.  

This message may seem an odd one for Advent, but we are soon going to encounter Herod and his desire to kill the infant Jesus. We will see the innocence of Bethlehem slaughtered.  We will then read of the martyrdom of the deacon St. Stephen and that of Thomas Becket.  The Gospel cannot be had without suffering persecution.  One cannot be a prophet without threat of death.