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Saturday, December 10

1 Samuel 2:1-8; Luke 3:1-18

Advent is a season for a rich and full reflection on the ways of God, for it culminates with his entrance as a human person into this cosmos. The story of John the Baptist, the one whose prophetic voice announced the coming of the Messiah, is intriguing. John was not just a Same Kind of Different as Me type of person; instead, he proclaimed reality, so much so that listeners touched inwardly asked, 鈥淲hat then should we do?鈥� (Luke 3:10, 12, 14 NRSV). Reality is a serious business. We don鈥檛 argue when the car runs out of gas, and we haven鈥檛 reached our destination!

To be sure, John would not have won any Oscar awards, and yet he represented the best of its kind from God鈥檚 standards, something not easy to swallow when our minds and perceptions think reality is something else.

Luke, the Gospel writer, understands reality from God鈥檚 perspective. The recording of Mary鈥檚 Magnificat in Chapter 1 says it clearly: 鈥淗e has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty鈥� (vv. 52-53). This flipped scenario is not to be taken metaphorically; Luke insists; rather, it is necessary and profitable if our lives are to bear good fruit (v. 9). As John illustrates, if we have two coats, then we share one with someone who has none; we do the same with food. Likewise, there must be no manipulation or exploitation of any kind.

Hannah, Samuel鈥檚 mother, captured this awesome vision and could not contain her joy when proclaiming, 鈥淗e [the LORD] raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD鈥檚, and on them he has set the world鈥� (1 Sam 2:7-8).

Although the folk thought John the Baptist was the Messiah, for he captured vividly the ways of God, he was quick to inform them, 鈥淚 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鈥� (Luke 3:16). The sermon did not stop there. He had more to say with words not often received well today. It is mindboggling that John knew himself so well. He had a sense of reality. He was not the Messiah and never mentioned the theme that bombarded Jesus鈥� preaching, that is, that the kingdom of God had come near, a kingdom that was 鈥渦nshakable鈥� and would change persons forever, if they dared to look within and embrace it. Thus, the question, 鈥淲hat then should we do?鈥� will carry us forward into reality until the light shines more clearly with the coming of our Lord Jesus, not only with Christmas celebrations but with great expectations of the completion of this story one day when Jesus returns.

Sophia Steibel
Professor of Christian Education and Spiritual Formation