Politicians, government leaders, corporate executives, preachers, and all people who stand before an audience know that the first words they say are critical. They know from experience that an audience is most attentive to their words during the first moments of their presentation.

 

That is why good speakers choose opening words that capture the interest of their audience and convey their central message. Speakers use memorable phrases and deliver them with enthusiasm and conviction.

 

In this Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 3:1-12), we hear the first words delivered by John the Baptist, one of the most famous preachers of all time. Matthew tells us that “John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’”

 

With these commanding words, John grabbed the attention of his listeners and conveyed his entire message and mission. John called people to “repent” for the kingdom of heaven that would be made present in Jesus was about to come.

 

That message of John, which initiated the first Advent, is directed to us in this Advent season. We are called to “repent” during these weeks before Christmas.

 

When we hear “repent,” we usually associate that word with expressing sorrow and regret for our sins, resolving to make a sincere effort to be more prayerful, generous, forgiving, and kind. We associate repentance with a change in behavior. A person who repents acts differently!

 

However, if we look at the word “repent” in Greek, the language used in the New Testament, we see the word used for repent and repentance is “metanoia.” This Greek term is not associated with a change in behavior, but rather with a change in one’s way of thinking.

 

Seen in this way, John the Baptist was calling upon people to change their way of thinking about themselves, their priorities, and their relationship with God. They were to think of what God expected of them, to think of the promises associated with the coming of the Messiah, and to think of their lives in the light of the coming of God’s kingdom. Such a change in thinking would bring about a positive change in behavior: How we think determines how we act.

 

This Sunday, as we listen to the Gospel, John the Baptist will call upon us to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” John will urge us to make sure our thinking is in line with the Gospel and in keeping with our relationship with Jesus Christ. Such thinking will lead us to open our hearts more fully to the One who came that first Christmas and who continues to come to us today. It may even change the way we think about and celebrate the coming Christmas holiday!

 

© 2025 Rev. Thomas Iwanowski