Luke 3:7-18 (NRSV)
Read Luke 3:7-18 on biblegateway.com
Verse 7John 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? Verse 8Bear 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. Verse 9Even 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." Verse 10And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" Verse 11In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." Verse 12Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" Verse 13He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." Verse 14Soldiers 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."
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 18So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
Devotion
If Advent is about renewal, then—as this text about John the Baptist makes clear—it is also about repentance. Centuries later, John's calls to repent still resound. We are the crowds he calls a "brood of vipers." We are the ones he tells to flee from the wrath to come, because of the havoc we wreak on our relationships and communities. We are the ones whose presumptions to privilege he questions. As he warns, trees that do not bear good fruit will be axed. All that cannot tolerate the light of truth and justice will ultimately dissolve.
What then should we do? Share our excess clothes and food. Only take what we need. Avoid extorting money — or anything else that is not ours — with threats and accusations. Repentance means changing our lifestyle. It means measuring our use of wealth, power and privilege against God's — and not this world's — standards of truth and justice.
Prayer
O God, give us power to repent. Help us see the chaos we wreak when we misuse the wealth, power and privilege you have given us. Amen.