Reading: Luke 3:7-18 (NRSV)
Song: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus (lyrics here)
Reflection
Sometimes the selected lectionary readings for Advent are like when you’re taking a nice drive through the country, enjoying the beautiful scenery and the peaceful atmosphere, but then you turn a corner around a hill and find a huge billboard with images of fire and flame emblazoned with a giant word: “REPENT!” You can be spending time with wonderful, uplifting words of God’s peace and his promises of salvation, and then hit a gospel text with John the Baptist and suddenly we’re confronted with “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Luke 3:7)
I think we can be forgiven for finding it jarring.
But when you take a deeper look at the prophetic texts of Advent and the words of John the Baptist, there is a common theme that is worth considering. Consider these comforting words reminding us not to be afraid:
“On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing…” (Zephaniah 3:16-17)
“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2)
“The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
In a time when the second coming of Jesus is often portrayed as something to fear, it is a good reminder to us that for those who have put their faith in Christ there is no fear involved whatsoever. The final culmination of God’s kingdom is something to be anticipated with trust and joyful expectation, not dread or terror.
The words of John the Baptist, though, are a reminder that there are those who could use a little healthy fear as they consider the coming of the Lord. For those who oppress, who bear rotten fruit, who hoard and extort…for those who exploit and prey on the weak, the promise of Christ’s coming is a wake-up call. John brings that message home with force:
“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.” (Luke 3:17)
Notice what Luke writes next, though. It’s very interesting:
“So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.” (Luke 3:18)
Luke reminds us that even the promise of judgment is, in fact, good news. It’s good news because the many forces at work in the world today to oppress and exploit will be held accountable. They will receive their due recompense. Even though they often seem to have the upper hand, they do not have the final word.
In light of that message, the exhortation from God to not be afraid strikes a deeper resonance with our current experiences. It’s not just a promise to those far removed in history, or a reminder regarding the eventual coming of Christ: it’s a word for here and now. The forces at play in our world that tempt us to fear are powerless before Almighty God and his coming kingdom. We do not need to fear. The Lord God is our strength and might, he has become our salvation.
That is an Advent promise worth meditating upon.
How does the message of “Do not be afraid” resonate with you right now? Do you feel tempted to despair at times when confronted with the dark forces at work in our world? Offer that despair to God and ask the Holy Spirit to work a deeper level of trust in his kingdom work.
Take some time praying through Philippians 4:4-7, which is a wonderful one for slow, prayerful reading as we offer our fears and anxieties to God. Ask him to replace any fears and anxieties you might be feeling today with the peace that passes all understanding.