1 Advent 3 C 2012 Sunday, December 16, 2012 Rev. Dr.

Dena Williams Denver, Colorado Zephaniah 3:1420 Isaiah 12:26 (Sung) Philippians 4:47 Luke 3:718 The Holy Gospel according to the Community of St. Luke in the 3rd Chapter Glory to you, O Lord Luke 3:7-18 3:7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 3:8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 3:9 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." 3:10 And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" 3:11 In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." 3:12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" 3:13 He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount

2 prescribed for you." 3:14 Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages." 3:15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 3:16 John answered all of them by saying, "I 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. 3:17 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." 3:18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, O Christ What then should we do? This place is a snake pit! Youre a brood of vipers, biting and poisoning everything that moves! And then, when the going gets tough, you all run away like a bunch of cowards. You think youre so special, that youre really something because of your blue-blood ancestry, your glorious history.

3 Well, youre not God could make better Christians than you out of rocks. And God is going to get you for your evil ways your back biting and name calling and meanness God is going to get you. God is going to strike you down and throw you into the fire like so much dead wood. Well, Merry Christmas to you, too, John! Who do you think you are, locust breath?! You wander in from the wilderness, filthy and smelling like a dead camel. What do you mean calling us names and pointing to us as sinners?! Dont you know were doing you a favor showing up to hear you preach, asking to be baptized. Who do you think you are, the Messiah? Thats what the people might have said . . . John has called them to righteousness, spoken a prophetic word, an exhortation, called them to repentance, to change, to turn away from their old lives, and he hasnt been very nice about it! As a matter of fact, hes been downright ugly and we would think the people fully justified if they told him just exactly what he could do with his harsh words, his exhortation, his call to righteousness. John has called the people to repentance,

4 and how do they respond? The crowd asks him, What then should we do? They ask, What then should we do? And as we might imagine, John tells them exactly what they should do. Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise. John tells us exactly what we must do. Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise. John tells us exactly what we must do, and its not about us and what we need or want at all! John calls us to righteousness, and what he has to tell us is not about us, its all about how we ought to treat others. John calls us to repentance, telling us that we must share our coats and food, that we must share our resources with other people. As a matter of fact, he tells us we must share with anyone who has none. What John doesnt say is important here. John doesnt say share what you have with other people who look like you, people who share your values and your way of life. He says share with anyone who has none. John doesnt say share what you have only with those who you deem to be worthy, upstanding citizens, share only with those capable of loving you back. He says share with anyone who has none.

5 John doesnt say be sure that the person with whom you are sharing your resources has legal documents. He says share with anyone who has none. John tells the crowd, John tells us, repentance is all about how we treat other people, not just those who we find it convenient to love, but repentance calls us to love anyone who is in need of our love. Anyone . . . Repentance calls us to love, to love ourselves so well that we love others deeply, to love others, so deeply that our love reflects Gods love for us. Well, John youve been pretty hard on us, youve called us to repentance with harsh words, and now, youve challenged us to love others, to love even and especially those we find most unlovable. Are you finished with us yet, John? Can we move on now? Can we get to Christmas, to angels and joy, to mangers and peace, to stars and beautiful silent nights. Please, John, isnt it time to move on? Well, apparently not. I will baptize you with water, but look out, theres someone coming who makes me look like a timid sheep.

6 Theres someone coming whose sandal laces I am not worthy to get down in the dust of the road and untie. Hes coming, and hes coming, not only with the Holy Spirit, but with fire. Hes got a giant pitchfork in his hand, and hes gonna clean up this threshing floor, hes gonna gather the wheat for himself, and hes gonna burn the chaff he finds in you, hes gonna burn it up in a scorching fire that never goes out. Well, there it is theres fire and brimstone in this sermon, this sermon from John the Baptist from the Gospel writer of Luke. Theres a brood of vipers, an ax, a pitchfork, and a scorching fire. Well, after the vipers and the ax and the pitchfork and the fire, how will the Gospel writer sum up this sermon? Luke writes: So, with many other exhortations, John the Baptist proclaimed the good news to the people. Seems as though the Gospel writer finds good news in this sermon, he finds good news in exhortation, good news in the Baptists call for repentance. Well, he might be right, there might indeed be good news in exhortation and repentance.

7 But just in case, there isnt, or just in case we cant seem to find it, if it is there, I looked for good news in our other lessons. I looked for good news, and here is what I found: in the words of the prophet Zephaniah: The Lord has taken away the judgments against you. The Lord will rejoice over you with gladness. The Lord will renew you in his love. Good news from the prophet Zephaniah. I found more good news from the Prophet Isaiah Surely it is God who saves me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense and He will be my Savior. And even more good news from Saint Pauls letter to the Christ believers in Philippi Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So there! John the Baptist We may be a brood of vipers, but the Lord will take away the judgments against us. The Lord will renew us in his love. The ax may be at the root of the tree, but we will trust in God and not be afraid. The pitchfork may be at hand, but the Lord is near.

8 The chaff may burn in the unquenchable fire, but the peace of God which passes all understanding will keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. So there! Amen!