Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 (NRSV)
Read Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 on biblegateway.com
Verse 15As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, Verse 16John 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. Verse 17His 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."
Verse 21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, Verse 22and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
Devotion
The 15th verse of Luke 3 sounds like the beginning of a political campaign: “As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah.” Isn’t that our mindset every time we seek to elect new leadership?
John says simply, “I’m not the one.” “Don’t elect me!” What a refreshing response in the face of an overwhelming desire to name John as the Messiah.
The world has an overwhelming desire to name messiahs. We rally to a variety of economic programs, social initiatives or military strategies because they all appear to some as new messiahs, trying to save us from something.
But we have a Messiah. John knew that, and so do we. We have a Messiah, and we need no other.
Prayer
Savior of the world, in those moments when we are tempted by the images of other messiahs, both great and small, draw us once again into the center, which is you. In days when we are challenged by temptations large and small, remind us of that, Anointed One. Amen.