John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance, and 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; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be 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 strap 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.
Imagine
John the Baptizer’s preaching is a clear, challenging call to generosity and justice. But how should we imagine his tone? On the surface, he seems stern and direct — but if we listen closely, we can hear him calling us toward a spirit of joy.
Whenever we interpret the world as a place of blessing and abundance, we feel confident and joyful, and therefore inclined to share and to treat others fairly — thinking of their best interests as well as our own. Conversely, whenever we interpret the world as a place of scarcity, we feel fearful and harsh, and therefore inclined to hoard blessings and jockey for position — thinking of ourselves above all.
At a deep level, then, John’s call to give and share and treat others with respect is a demanding invitation to see the world in terms of abundance, and therefore to act out of actual gratitude, confident love, and joyful celebration.
That’s easy when abundance is vividly clear, like a flood of jeweled stars scattered across the night sky. The challenge comes, however, during the bright heat of the day, so to speak, when the Sun’s light hides the stars from view. We can’t see them — but they’re there. On sunny days and cloudy nights, we can still trust in God’s dazzling, abundant love — and therefore still act with true generosity and fairness, living our lives as celebrations of John’s radiant good news: God is coming near! Rejoice and be glad! Be generous and just!
Pray
God of joy, show us the way. Open our hearts and hands in generosity and justice, so that whatever we do, wherever we are — at home, at school, at work — we act and live as your children, made in your image. Empower us to be more giving, more fair. Remind us that your abundant love is always with us, day and night, night and day.
Come, Jesus, come! Amen.
Ponder
- If you had to live in space, what three things would you miss about earth?
- What’s one small thing that brought you joy recently?
- Who in your life makes you smile?
- If you could change one thing to make your life more joyful, what would it be?
- If you could change one thing to make the world more joyful, what would it be?
- What’s something you’re looking forward to in the next year?
Taken from Starry Nights: An Advent Devotional Full of Light and Wonder by SALT
You can view the complete devotional online here, or pick up a printed copy at St. Andrew Lutheran Church.