The gospel for the 3rd Sunday of Advent in Year C continues the Advent theme of John the Baptist as the herald of the promised good news. In last Sunday’s gospel (Luke 3:1-6), Luke has already connected the ministry and actions of John to the proclamation of the “good news” by the prophet Isaiah:

“ 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one crying out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. 5 Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth,   6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’” (Luke 3:4-6)

Our reading finds John in the wilderness, baptizing people as he proclaims that his was a “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3). All of this was part of last week’s gospel for the 2nd Sunday of Advent. Yet, there are several verses that fall between the Advent gospels.

What comes before: Just before the gospel passage for this 3rd Sunday of Advent, John addresses “ 7 …the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance; and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 9 Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Luke 3:7-9)

In this passage John is portrayed by Luke as a prophet concerned with renewal and transformation. We should not be surprised as his prophetic vocation had been anticipated both implicitly:

“…and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord.” (Luke 1:16-17)

and explicitly:

“And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways.” (Luke 1:76)

John’s prophetic ministry was located in the wilderness a good distance from Jerusalem and yet crowds “came out.” John’s ministry was carried out in an area just north of the Dead Sea, Al-Maghtas, what we Christians know as “Bethany beyond the Jordan.”  It is in the wilderness even today. In Deuteronomy 34, Moses reached the precipice of Mt. Nebo overlooking Al-Maghtas and at last could look into Canaan, the land promised to Abraham and his descendants. Moses looked over and beyond the Jordan River into the place of promise that the righteous would inherit. Tradition holds that this was the place where Joshua led the people of Israel into Canaan, crossing the Jordan River. This is the place where Elijah was taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot (ref: Luke 1:17). This is the place where John cried out to prepare the way of the Lord and baptized for repentance of sin – and to renew the covenant with God – crossing over into promise as did their ancestors with Joshua – entering into righteousness. In other words, this location has a “spiritual geography” that is associated with being the chosen people of God, being a covenant people, and seeking righteousness before the Lord. The people are coming to the place “where it all started” to be renewed in covenant and relationship to the Lord.

John’s prophetic message in Luke 3:7-9 is fiery: “Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance; and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.”  In addition to the challenge to “produce good fruit,” John is asking them to consider their identity. John is clear: religious affiliation is not good enough; it can be an advantage, but it is no guarantee of blessing. Some of the Jews of John’s day thought that mere ancestral ties to Abraham would be good enough to guarantee their blessing. Some today think similarly, that one can be born a Christian or that attendance at church makes one a saved child of God. John warns that such thoughts of inherited salvation should not even cross their minds. Though a good environment and roots can be of benefit, they do not yield salvation. That which saves is not inherited but is a matter of God’s grace and creative power. That God can raise up children out of stones pictures the reality that God’s power is what produces new life.

Douglas Hare (Matthew, Interpretation Commentary, p.20) suggests: “The Christian equivalent of ‘We have Abraham as our father’ is ‘We have Christ as our Savior.’ While trust in Christ’s salvation is a first requirement, it is not the last.” Achieving the balance of grace is necessary.  Perhaps another modern equivalent to “We have Abraham as our father,” might be “I’ve been a member of this church all my life” or “My parents (and grandparents) have been members of this church all their lives.”

Image credit: John the Baptist Preaching | Pietre Lastman | 1219 | Chicago Museum of Art | PD-US