“John said to the crowds…’You brood of vipers! Who warned
you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of
repentance.’”. From the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 3,
verses 7 and 8.
you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of
repentance.’”. From the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 3,
verses 7 and 8.
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Luke is determined to locate the story of John the Baptist,
and the story of Jesus, firmly in history, in a place and time
that can be described. The events that Luke is about to relate
happened to real people in a real place, at a time that we know
something about. Luke is telling us that the contents of his
Gospel are history, not fiction or speculation or mythology.
Like a good historian, he provides references that can be
verified. And we have an independent source for John the
Baptist, in the historian Josephus, who wrote about him.
and the story of Jesus, firmly in history, in a place and time
that can be described. The events that Luke is about to relate
happened to real people in a real place, at a time that we know
something about. Luke is telling us that the contents of his
Gospel are history, not fiction or speculation or mythology.
Like a good historian, he provides references that can be
verified. And we have an independent source for John the
Baptist, in the historian Josephus, who wrote about him.
John has one message: a baptism of repentance for the
forgiveness of sins. In this Advent season, when we prepare
to celebrate the coming of the Incarnation, and we also look
forward to the coming of Christ at the end of time, spiritual
preparation is essential. In repentance, that is, in turning
toward God and away from those things which obstruct our
relationship with Him, we are following in the footsteps of the
prophets and John the Baptist. Luke himself makes the
connection between the Baptist and the prophets, when he
quotes chapter 40 of the prophet Isaiah, earlier in chapter 3 of
his Gospel. Again the emphasis is on a real historical
connection, with the words of a prophet who had preached
centuries before. Isaiah and John are not offering theological
abstractions, but real actions, baptism, in the case of John,
and the opportunity, in the case of Isaiah, to follow him on a
straight path to God, free of obstacles.
forgiveness of sins. In this Advent season, when we prepare
to celebrate the coming of the Incarnation, and we also look
forward to the coming of Christ at the end of time, spiritual
preparation is essential. In repentance, that is, in turning
toward God and away from those things which obstruct our
relationship with Him, we are following in the footsteps of the
prophets and John the Baptist. Luke himself makes the
connection between the Baptist and the prophets, when he
quotes chapter 40 of the prophet Isaiah, earlier in chapter 3 of
his Gospel. Again the emphasis is on a real historical
connection, with the words of a prophet who had preached
centuries before. Isaiah and John are not offering theological
abstractions, but real actions, baptism, in the case of John,
and the opportunity, in the case of Isaiah, to follow him on a
straight path to God, free of obstacles.
Let us recall Isaiah’s words: every valley shall be filled, and
every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked
shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth. To
contemporary ears, this sounds like strip mining, or freeway
construction. So, we can’t be expected to take this geographical
description literally, but we can grasp the main point: there is
actually no obstacle between us and our destiny in God. There
is no valley of despair so deep, no mountain of trouble so
great, that they can actually prevent us from arriving at our
destination. The pathway before us is clear; all we have to do
is take the first step, and more steps will follow. Once we set
out on the path, deep valleys and high mountains are not the
obstacles that they appear to be. There is nothing to stop us.
The first step that John the Baptist offers is the baptism of
repentance. And repentance is basically a choice: to turn
toward God. That is all.
every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked
shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth. To
contemporary ears, this sounds like strip mining, or freeway
construction. So, we can’t be expected to take this geographical
description literally, but we can grasp the main point: there is
actually no obstacle between us and our destiny in God. There
is no valley of despair so deep, no mountain of trouble so
great, that they can actually prevent us from arriving at our
destination. The pathway before us is clear; all we have to do
is take the first step, and more steps will follow. Once we set
out on the path, deep valleys and high mountains are not the
obstacles that they appear to be. There is nothing to stop us.
The first step that John the Baptist offers is the baptism of
repentance. And repentance is basically a choice: to turn
toward God. That is all.
Before today’s reading, Luke writes, in verse 2, “The word
of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.” Why
the wilderness? The wilderness is that place where there are
no distractions, no easy escapes from the mountains and
valleys of our spiritual journeys, where the rough ways are not
yet smooth. The wilderness, spiritual or geographical, is that
place where we can more easily hear the voice of God. This is
why people walk on pilgrimages through difficult landscapes,
and locate monasteries, like St Catherine’s in the Sinai desert,
in remote places. Geography and our passage through it are
analogs of the spiritual life, which is always a journey, a
journey from God and return to him.
of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.” Why
the wilderness? The wilderness is that place where there are
no distractions, no easy escapes from the mountains and
valleys of our spiritual journeys, where the rough ways are not
yet smooth. The wilderness, spiritual or geographical, is that
place where we can more easily hear the voice of God. This is
why people walk on pilgrimages through difficult landscapes,
and locate monasteries, like St Catherine’s in the Sinai desert,
in remote places. Geography and our passage through it are
analogs of the spiritual life, which is always a journey, a
journey from God and return to him.
It is a journey where God is always present and waiting for
us; always present, at the beginning through to the end. We
know this because Isaiah says, “All flesh shall see the salvation
of God.” This is a promise, without qualification, no
exceptions. That being true, John’s baptism of repentance is a
way of accepting that reality; it puts us on the right path, the
rough way made smooth, on the journey to God.
us; always present, at the beginning through to the end. We
know this because Isaiah says, “All flesh shall see the salvation
of God.” This is a promise, without qualification, no
exceptions. That being true, John’s baptism of repentance is a
way of accepting that reality; it puts us on the right path, the
rough way made smooth, on the journey to God.
Luke’s emphasis on the historical environment of John the
Baptist and Isaiah the prophet, reminds us that we are on our
journey to God in the world that we know, a world that is as
real to us as the world was to Luke and John and Isaiah. There
is no retreat from the world, from history, into some gaseous
abstract spiritual realm where we can escape from the
challenges of the journey, the deep valleys, the mountains, the
rough places. They are where God journeys with us, and where
he is waiting for us at the end of the road.
Baptist and Isaiah the prophet, reminds us that we are on our
journey to God in the world that we know, a world that is as
real to us as the world was to Luke and John and Isaiah. There
is no retreat from the world, from history, into some gaseous
abstract spiritual realm where we can escape from the
challenges of the journey, the deep valleys, the mountains, the
rough places. They are where God journeys with us, and where
he is waiting for us at the end of the road.
“Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” asks the
Baptist. The answer, of course, is, he did, and the prophets
before him. There is a tone of seriousness, maybe even
harshness, in John’s proclamation of repentance. The crowds
coming to hear him are vipers, snakes! So, that’s what he
thinks of them and their so-called “repentance !” “Bear fruits
worthy of repentance!” But even that may not be enough:
“Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees.” So much for
the crowds' fruits of repentance.
Baptist. The answer, of course, is, he did, and the prophets
before him. There is a tone of seriousness, maybe even
harshness, in John’s proclamation of repentance. The crowds
coming to hear him are vipers, snakes! So, that’s what he
thinks of them and their so-called “repentance !” “Bear fruits
worthy of repentance!” But even that may not be enough:
“Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees.” So much for
the crowds' fruits of repentance.
This is too much for the crowds. They need more specific
guidance than this; they need some examples of repentance
that they can relate to. “The crowds asked him, ‘What then
should we do?”
guidance than this; they need some examples of repentance
that they can relate to. “The crowds asked him, ‘What then
should we do?”
The answers are interesting and revealing. The Gospel
breaks down the “crowds” into three groups: first, what we
may call the “general public”, then tax collectors (our text says
“even tax collectors”, an out-group for sure!), and soldiers.
Ordinary people experienced soldiers and tax-collectors as
oppressors, so it is not surprising that Luke mentions them
specifically.
breaks down the “crowds” into three groups: first, what we
may call the “general public”, then tax collectors (our text says
“even tax collectors”, an out-group for sure!), and soldiers.
Ordinary people experienced soldiers and tax-collectors as
oppressors, so it is not surprising that Luke mentions them
specifically.
And the answers are straightforward, practical, simple,
easy to understand: share surplus clothing and food, don’t
collect more taxes than required, don’t extort money, and be
satisfied with what you have. These instructions are a relief
after remarks about the axe at the root of the trees and so on.
Repentance, in other words, is not complicated or mysterious
or difficult: share, don’t steal, don’t abuse, be content. It is
interesting that the first and last instructions are expressed
positively: share, and be satisfied with what you have.
Repentance is not about making ourselves feel badly about
what we’ve done or haven’t done, but about simply following
the commandments in ways appropriate to our circumstances.
easy to understand: share surplus clothing and food, don’t
collect more taxes than required, don’t extort money, and be
satisfied with what you have. These instructions are a relief
after remarks about the axe at the root of the trees and so on.
Repentance, in other words, is not complicated or mysterious
or difficult: share, don’t steal, don’t abuse, be content. It is
interesting that the first and last instructions are expressed
positively: share, and be satisfied with what you have.
Repentance is not about making ourselves feel badly about
what we’ve done or haven’t done, but about simply following
the commandments in ways appropriate to our circumstances.
The Baptist’s serious, warning tone reappears. “One who is
more powerful than I is coming...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.”
We may understand this to mean that the chaff, along with the
trees that don’t bear good fruit, are all those things that we
repent of, all those actions and inactions that lead us and
others away from God. Those actions and inactions are
consumed in the unquenchable fire, which is nothing less than
the uncreated light, the light of the divine radiance. We don’t have to hear this as
a threat of hellfire. The winnowing fork separates good actions from bad,
and the good actions are taken up to God and add to the radiance;
even bad actions, and inactions, are
enfolded in the unquenchable fire and add to the divine radiance..
more powerful than I is coming...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.”
We may understand this to mean that the chaff, along with the
trees that don’t bear good fruit, are all those things that we
repent of, all those actions and inactions that lead us and
others away from God. Those actions and inactions are
consumed in the unquenchable fire, which is nothing less than
the uncreated light, the light of the divine radiance. We don’t have to hear this as
a threat of hellfire. The winnowing fork separates good actions from bad,
and the good actions are taken up to God and add to the radiance;
even bad actions, and inactions, are
enfolded in the unquenchable fire and add to the divine radiance..
So, when we “flee from the wrath to come”, we are turning
toward God, toward repentance, leaving behind actions that
get in our way, and in God’s way. May we heed
the message of John the Baptist, and the prophets,
this Advent and always.
toward God, toward repentance, leaving behind actions that
get in our way, and in God’s way. May we heed
the message of John the Baptist, and the prophets,
this Advent and always.
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
(15-16.XII.18 Adv.)
(15-16.XII.18 Adv.)
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