Advent 3

Preparation

    Please begin by reading Luke 3:7-18 in your Bible. If you do not have one at hand, we have provided that text for you at the end of this reflection.

Reflection--A Little House Cleaning
   
    Well, alright.  I will admit it.  My house is not always the most tidy place in the world.  Like many of you, I lead a busy life.  Sometimes that does not leave a lot of room for house cleaning.  I get busy and papers, books, and things that come in the mail get scattered around everywhere. 

    But I also love Christmas.  I love the beautiful decorations and that sense that something wonderful is coming.  That sense of wonder is especially strong as I write these words.  I live in the northern hemisphere and the first snow of the winter is falling.  It looks as though the entire outdoors is a giant cake covered with white frosting.

    This special time of year is just not the time to have my home look like a mess, especially with the anticipation of friends coming by for holiday visits.  So, I went to work and put my house in order in honor of Christmas. 

    This week's Advent scripture is all about putting our house in order too.  Not the place where we live, but our spiritual "house."

    I have something else to admit.  The great attraction John the Baptist had for those who came to hear him has always been something of a mystery to me. Here in my country, we would say that he "gave them down the road" in no uncertain terms.  That is, he told them about their failures in a pretty harsh way.  Even so, people in great numbers came to hear him.

    Somehow, I can't imagine that too many modern preachers would fill up the pews with this kind of preaching. But then again, perhaps a good many pews are empty in churches because people find no challenge there.

    John came to prepare the way for One whose life and teaching would forever change the world. His warning was that there could be no more "business as usual" after an encounter with the living Christ.  A personal experience with Jesus calls for some major spiritual house cleaning.

    A painting some find disturbing hangs in my home. It fascinated me from the moment I saw it. It depicts the Greek letters Chi and Rho, a symbol of Jesus, in the midst of flames. I am not sure that the artist and I have the same vision of what it means, but I find it compelling. It recalls for me another challenging message we looked at last week.  Jesus' teaching praised those who bring peace, but he also said "I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" (Luke 12:49) Jesus' message offers hope and healing, but it also offers a challenge. His message and John the Baptist's are the same in that regard. Both challenge us to turn outward.

    Look at what John had to say in this passage. It really boils down to this. "Someone is coming who is going to upset the world's values. Just looking out for ourselves is a value that is going to be turned upside down."

    The way John and Jesus delivered their messages may have been very different.  Jesus tended to be a lot more gentle than John, but their words have a common theme sure to cause division and to "bring fire to the earth." It is a message that is still not too popular in our power and control-hungry world. The question posed by those who are filled with the Spirit of God is not "what's in it for me?," or even "what's in it for us?" Rather, the test for every choice is "what does God's love require?"

    The message is as ancient as God's confrontation with Cain at the beginning of human history. Both John and Jesus would have us know this Advent season, and always, that we are our brothers' and sisters' keepers.

revclay

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Luke 3:7-18
   
    John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

    And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."

    As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

    So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.