John the Baptist's preaching provides the content of the sermon on the third Sunday. John was blunt and outspoken, given to direct statements and colorful phrases. His messages were not essays or theological treatises; they were short and very much to the point. He literally confronted people with their sin and their need of repentance. John's preaching set the stage for Jesus' coming by creating a moral climate for the hearing of the gospel. His words prepared the people by presenting them with hard realities:
1. In God's sight, your ancestry doesn't matter, (vs. 7-9). They protested that John's harsh condemnation failed to take into account their descent from Abraham. Perhaps they weren't perfect, but as Abraham's children, they surely had some merit, didn't they? John's answer was a ringing no! Even now God is testing the trees, seeing if they are bearing good fruit.
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.
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: