A Revolutionary Message

Read: Luke 3: 7-18

The Scriptures are full of revolutionary messages; those messages that just don't jive with the way "the world" does things. The prophets of the Hebrew Bible are a perfect example. The messages of the prophets continually sought to turn the attention of Israel back to the God that led their ancestors out of Egypt. In the New Testament, Paul was usually offering a revolutionary message to new Christians and new churches; again, this was a message who's main idea was non-conformity to the ways of the world. Of all these messages and messengers, though, there are two others that stand head and shoulders above the rest:  Jesus and John the Baptsit. That Jesus would bring a revolutionary message seems to go without saying; after all, He is the Son of God. Just before Jesus burst onto the stage, though, John the Baptist (Jesus' cousin, by the way) preached a revolutionary message of repentence and baptism for the forgivness of sins. John's mission was to prepare the way for Christ--to put people in the spiritual position for them to hear and receive God's message through Jesus.

It seems that we talk about John and his message only during the Advent season. There are times when it seems as if we minimize John or his message as merely precursors to Christ; although John does say that "one more powerful than I will come". But if we look closely, we can hear the power and holiness of John's message. It is, in fact, a message that Jesus will echo and point to throughout his ministry as both a teaching point and point of criticism for those who thought John the Messiah, yet did not heed his words.

From the reading in Luke's Gospel, we find the essence of John's message. It was a message of criticism and a message of encouragement for those who came to hear him. That message could be summed up in the following "command": live a simple life of holiness. It was a revolutionary message in John's day, just as it is a revolutionary message in today's world. Today, simplicity is frowned upon. We are bombarded with ideas such as multi-tasking and accumulating "things" so that we can get more done and have more toys to play with.  At the same time, we are lead to believe that our "goodness" or "holiness" is based upon who we are, who we are friends with, or what organization we are a part of. John's message punches holes in both of those situations. He says that we should share what we have with those who have less than us, and that we should be content with what we have/earn. How odd that sounds in today's world! In a world where we are encouraged to to protect our own security, it is an almost crazy message. John's words about being content with earnings were direced at tax collectors and soldiers--those who earned their living through cheating and dishonesty. Finally (although addressed first in the text), John declares that simply being a descendant of Abraham doesn't influence one's standing before God. A relationship with God is not inherited, nor is being a member of the Jewish faith good enough, John says.

So how do we reconcile John's message with today's world?  I have to believe that if John were here today, his message would still be one of cultivating a personal relationship with God and examining the way in which we live. Through John, God is calling each of us to a life of holiness and love. It is a calling that is exemplifed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For us, the challenge is how to exemplify that in our lives. It might be in the sharing of the food we store away while others go hungry. It might be sharing in the clothes we have but never wear while others have none. It might begin with drawing closer to God and letting those actions be the result of this deepening relationship. God is inviting each of us to a new way of life, a revolutionary way of life. It is a way of life that is grounded in faith and hope in Jesus Christ, the child of Christmas. This new way of life is the essence of the Christmas story.