The prevalent attitude of many is that external qualities such as ancestry, social status, proper behaviour, or community activity will somehow count for something in God's accounting. John's preaching reminds us that the fruits of righteousness are not external, but from the heart.
2. The gospel carries an ethical demand, (vs. 10-14). The people asked what would be expected of them, and John responded clearly. God demands that justice and equity be a part of every persons life. Each person has a different circumstance and opportunity, but all have the same responsibility. Whenever people are touched by the grace of God, they respond with a lifestyle of sharing, giving, and doing justice.
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3. An inevitable part of Christian faith is judgement. (vs. 15-17). For many of us judgement is an unpleasant subject, avoided whenever possible. Yet, can the coming of Christ fail to bring judgement? The life of perfect righteousness, the perfect reflection of the holiness of God, can only bring judgement to our incomplete and fragmented lives. For some this judgement is to be feared; they see not the hope of restoration but the terror of destruction. However, the coming of Christ is redemptive rather that vindictive. His advent brings judgement, but it also brings healing and new life wherever the corrosion of sin has been.
On the way to the manger we must first pass by the desert where John the Baptist is preaching. His words sting, but they prepare us for the glad tidings of great joy. Let us then hear them willingly.
FOURTH SUNDAY
Luke 1:39-55
On the Sunday before Christmas, the text reminds us of the humble and inauspicious circumstances of Jesus' birth. Mary was a young peasant girl, who by her own admission was one of very low status. Yet the incredible events now taking place in this very common life were a part of God's eternal redemptive purpose. The startling contrast of the divine entering human history, and the response that event evokes, is nowhere better stated than in Mary's song, "the Magnificat." The song breaks into three parts:
1. God's gracious and wondrous notice of a lowly and common person (vs. 46-50). Mary exhalts in the Lord, because the God of Israel has chosen her to be blessed. God had done great things for her. God's mercy was evident in her life. It is hard to miss the awe in Mary's words. There is no explanation for God's choice; there is simply the joy of receiving His unexpected favor.
2. The paradox of God's mighty acts in history (vs. 51-53). God has consistently shown His power not through the grand and glorious events of human life, but through the lowly, the poor, and the humble. His work in history began with nomads like Abraham; it took shape in the nation of Israel, formed from a band of slaves; it would come to focus in the lonely and painful death of Jesus on a Cross. But, through these seemingly insignificant events, God's redemptive power is demonstrated. God's actions are never easily understood by those who see life in terms of wealth, power, and success.