Listen to the gospel lesson and sermon here.
Luke 3:7-18
7 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?8 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.9 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."10 And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?"11 In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise."12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?"13 He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you."14 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."15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,16 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.17 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."18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
Sermon
Again, I promise you, the well known and wonderful texts of Mary and Joseph, the babe lying in a manger, shepherds of the field, and the great tidings of joy….those texts are coming. Hang in there. In fact, join us for Christmas Eve worship next Monday because I have a good feeling you’ll hear them then. They’re coming.
But until then, we continue to wade in the season of Advent. The season of waiting. Of expectation. Of preparation. Of wandering and wondering. Reflecting and anticipating the return of Christ. We remember that our waiting goes well beyond the next 9 days when Christ is born and we celebrate the season of Christmas, but we wait anxiously for the return of Christ the newborn king. Of Christ and the fullness of the kingdom of God. We wait and wait and wait some more. And Advent is our friendly, 4 week reminder that our waiting, our anticipation...it is life long.
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In those days, the people were unsettled with great expectation. Great anticipation. They were eager for a Messiah, as proclaimed by the prophets of old. They were pacing for a savior that reign over Israel and restore power over all nations. And so when a man named John, who resembles the prophet Elijah comes out of the wilderness proclaiming repentance for the forgiveness of sins because a savior is near….the crowds gather.
And I love this moment. Because it feels so unexpected. So out of place..
Recall last week’s text, when Luke paints the scene for the arrival of John the Baptist. Luke begins by saying, “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler[a] of Galilee...during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
And here is a what I love...the word of God passes by all these powerful government and religious leaders, where people likely expected the prophecy of a Messiah to take place...and God’s word speaks to a simple man named John. John of Zechariah. A man of the wilderness...the dark, dingy, despairing wilderness. And out of the wilderness, John emerges with the word of God….and the crowds gather with great anticipation and excitement for the word of God...and the word speaks through John by saying, “You Brood of Vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come!!”
Love it! We might expect “Grace and peace to you friends…” Or “Behold, I bring great news because a savior is coming soon”....Nope… “You brood of Vipers!”
Oh man, what an entrance. And admittedly I admire his opening strong word of conviction. You brood of vipers! ...It’s such a bold and risky approach to proclaiming the word of God to eager crowds. I admire his confidence.
Sarah and I took a prophetic preaching class in seminary. And one of the biggest challenges to preaching prophetically is to speak truth in love. Knowing full and well that those truths might be unsettling and will likely be met with resistance.
Now I’ve been here over a year, and I feel like I’ve gotten to know a lot of your fairly well...but there is no amount of confidence that would empower me to begin as John the Baptist did.
He spoke to the crowd gathered, folks who had come to hear what he had to say and be baptized in preparation for the possible arrival of a messiah...and the first thing he does is scold them. Convict them. Speak hard truths..
He tells them that just claiming Abraham as an ancestor is not enough. It’s empty and fruitless...for anyone can claim than ancestry. And for you who claim Abraham as your safety net but act in selfish and harmful ways...the ax is nearby...ready to cut down trees that bear bad or no fruit. To the tax collectors skimming off the top...the soldiers abusing their power….he speaks convicting truths.
And the remarkable thing is that unlike the prophet’s before him… who spoke convicting truths in love...who used aggressive language and often received hostel responses from the crowds...the people gathered around John don’t revolt. Despite is strong, aggressive intro...They don’t raise up. They don’t walk away. They don’t stone him or rebuke him.
No, what do they do? They lean in...they push in closer...and what’s even more powerful is that they’re struck with curiosity. Three times they inquire, “What then should we do? What should WE do? What SHOULD we do?”
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That’s an honest question isn’t is? A raw, vulnerable question? The crowds whether full of fear for being axed due to bearing bad fruit or genuinely interested in becoming better people...they ask John, “What then should we do?”
I think deep down we all wrestle with this question. As Christians, we know we’re clothed and cleansed in the water of baptism, and we know that baptism is being claimed by God...washed in abundant grace….and absolutely nothing we do or don’t do can change that….
but I think deep down we all know that baptism alone doesn’t prevent or excuse us from bearing bad fruit. Just because we claim our ancestry...our identity in Christ the waters of baptism...we all wrestle with sin. We all struggle with abuse of power and relationships. Despite doing our best or trying our hardest we all wrestle with selfish ambition...pride...sinful behavior...and bad fruit.
What then should we do?
I’ve spoken before about a Spiritual retreat called Teens Encounter Christ. It’s much like Via De Cristo, but oriented towards youth and young adults. It’s a weekend of intentional spiritual renewal. I went when I was in high school, and I remember upon arrival they asked us to leave behind our watches, phones, alarm clocks or anything that told time.
The intention was to remove any and all distractions that would prevent us from being full present. And the mantra they taught us was “Don’t anticipate, participate.” That is don’t worry so much about the next thing...the next event or session. Don’t worry about how long or when...but rather worry about the present. Be present. Participate fully in the now.
What should we do? I think John offers a remarkable answer. He doesn’t say Go to the synagogue or temple and repent and pray. He doesn’t say, go be with family or community...go confess sins or practice sacramental rituals. He doesn’t say go and obey the law and religious traditions..
No, John says, if you have two coats, share one. Share with anyone who has none. If you’re a tax collector then don’t cheat people…collect amount due and no more. If you’re a soldier, be a soldier, but extort money or abuse your position of power.
John says, be who are you are. Be you who you are called to be. Live out your vocation, and while doing so...be no more or less than you were called and created to be. Be present. Be respectful. Be welcoming.
If you’re a tax collector, be honest and trustworthy. Be dependable and genuine. If you’re a soldier, be a protector, defender, and advocate. Be equitable and fair.
John says, be who you are called to be. And for us dear friends, we are called by God, washed in the waters of baptism...claimed by God...to be who we are called to be.
What should we do? In Greek, the word “do” as in what should we “do” shares it’s root with bear as in “bear good fruit.” John exhorts the people to bear fruits worthy of repentance. And the people respond, what should we do? What should we bear?
Friends, in this season of Advent, this time of year, we’re really good at anticipating. Anxiously waiting for the Christmas season. Easy to look ahead to the next thing. To get wrapped up and consumed by the business of the season. To be distracted by upcoming plans, travel, or celebrations.
The same is true for life. Always looking ahead, caught up in the whirlwind of life… commitments to our jobs or friends or family. Obligations to committees and boards… Drowning in the business of life… the events, practices, meetings, ..all the places we have to be and when. Seem to always be looking ahead, in the distance, worried about what is to come.
But perhaps, the call of Advent, the season of preparation and waiting is a 4 week reminder...not just that God came to be among us in the Christ child. But a reminder to be present. To be present. To breathe in the now. To be who we are called to be here and now. To be children of God.
Caring for others. Sharing in resources. Giving our extra coats. Living out our vocations in the richest way possible, as a light to the world that Christ is present here and now. Faithful, diligent, patient, and humble acts of mercy in our everyday lives. Being no more or less than God has called us to be.
© Pastor Daniel Locke, preached 12.16.2018 @ St. Mark's Lutheran JAX, FL
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