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Second Sunday in Advent

Luke 3:1–14

I’ve often wondered if John the Baptizer could find a job as a minister. His wardrobe and eating habits certainly wouldn’t endear him to any kind of pastoral search committee (I can just imagine their taking him out to dinner when he arrived for the interview), but I also think his message would take him out of contention. Most ministers who begin their sermons with “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” don’t last all that long.

Many scholars believe that John was a member of the Essene community, a Jewish sect that lived outside of cities who devoted themselves to purity and an ascetic lifestyle. In fact, some scholars go even farther and argue that John is the one who changed the Essene lifestyle into something different, which ultimately became Christianity. They point to the fact that there was the same communal lifestyle we later see in the book of Acts, as Essenes lived in communities where they held everything in common. Their belief in purity led to a firm belief in baptism or bathing, which continued on into Christianity in a way it hadn’t in Judaism. The Essenes eschewed marriage out of an avoidance of uncleanness, and the early Christians also avoided marriage, though they did so because they believed the second coming of Jesus could occur at any time.

There are other similarities: a belief in the power of prophecy; a similar system of organization; similar rules for people who traveled to do charity work (as when Jesus sends his disciples out with only the clothes they are wearing). Most importantly, though, the Essenes took part in love-feasts, which the early Christians continued and connected to what we now call the Last Supper. A few scholars go beyond connecting John to the Essene community and put forth the idea that Jesus had been an Essene, which is why John was familiar with him. Others take issue with that connection, given that Jesus seems anti-ascetic in many places, and he was clearly not concerned with rules of purity and cleanliness, given his willingness to break Jewish rules on those subjects.

Regardless of whether or not all of these connections lead us to connect John or Jesus to the Essene community, it’s clear that John’s teaching is quite similar to theirs. The first part of John’s teaching is the most familiar, in fact, when he warns his listeners that their connection to Abraham, and, thus, their Judaism, will not save them. In preparing the way for Jesus, John is bringing the ax to the root of the tree, as he puts it, showing that God’s love will be for all people, not simply for the Jews. By taking up the metaphor of the ax, though, his message seems to emphasize judgment over love.

The similar passages in Matthew and Luke stop with this teaching, leaving us with an image of John as a wild-eyed prophet who seems bent on bringing some cleansing of Judaism, wanting nothing more than to wipe it clean, so Jesus can start from scratch. However, John’s message is much more than that, as he is setting up the main ideas that Jesus will explore in his ministry. Whether that connection comes from their similar backgrounds in the Essene community or because they had spoken at some point before (they are cousins, according to several gospel accounts) or simply because God had given them the same message to bring to the people, John’s influence is clear.

First, the Isaiah passage sets up the idea that God’s love is for all people, and the path to that love is being made clear and easy. In a culture where everyone walked or rode donkeys everywhere they went, the idea that valleys would be filled and mountains would be made low would be appealing. God is making their journey as easy as possible, as it will be straight and smooth and flat. Because of the message that John (and then Jesus) is bringing, it will be possible for all of humanity to see the salvation of God. This quote from Isaiah is much more about the love of God than the judgment of God.

Second, the part that the author of Luke adds that is not found in the other two gospels lays out how we can see the kingdom of God here on earth, as well as in heaven. After John makes the proclamation about the ax’s being at the root of the trees, his listeners, rightly moved by such a statement, ask what they can do. John doesn’t respond by talking about following the Jewish laws or by offering the correct sacrifices at the temple. Like the Old Testament prophets, he wants to take the people beyond that point, to show them what God truly requires.

Here is what scholars see as a major connection to the Essenes, in that John is essentially promoting communal living without suggesting people leave their families and live together. He is laying out the same idea that Jesus will put forth in the parable of the sheep and the goats, among other places. John wants his listeners (and us) to set aside the belief that what we own is our own and see that the way to the kingdom is to remember that all we have belongs to each other and to God.

When people from the crowd ask him what they should do, he simply responds that they should give out of their plenty to those who lack the basic necessities of life. If people don’t have clothing or shelter or food, and we do, we should give it to them. When different sub-groups ask for clarification, he tells them not to cheat people or extort money from them, reminding them to be satisfied with what they already have. Note he’s not saying we should not seek a living wage, as the soldiers who ask the question were already paid enough to live; instead, he’s saying that they should not take money from those who are already struggling under the oppression of Rome for their own benefit.

John lays out an outline for the kingdom of God that Jesus will take up again and again. The only way the hungry get fed is for us to feed them. When we are focused only on our desires, then the way to God is not straight and easy, as we are the ones making it more difficult. We take the path God has made smooth, and we make it crooked and rough. Whether we call God’s straight path communism or Essene or charity or simply love, it is the main message John gives to those who ask how to live, and it’s the reoccurring theme that Jesus will return to again and again throughout his ministry.

Questions for Reflection or Discussion:

What in our lives prevents us from living out John’s radical message?

What might John say to various contemporary professions if they asked him what they should do?