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And the crowds asked him [John the Baptist], “What then
should we do?” He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two tunics should
share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do
likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
“Teacher, what should we do?” He answered them, “Stop collecting more than
what is prescribed.” Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should
do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages.”
-Luke 3:10-14 (NABRE)
John the
Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by preaching to crowds who came to him in
the wilderness to be baptized. He warned them not to think that just because
they were descendants of Abraham and Sarah that they would be part of the
Kingdom of God, which was being inaugurated. Instead, they needed to repent.
People from all walks of life—even tax collectors and soldiers—responded with
an earnest question: What do we need to do for genuine repentance?
As we
arrive at the third Sunday in Advent, we continue to prepare our hearts to
receive Jesus afresh in our lives this Christmas. John the Baptist’s words hit
us hard over two millennia after they were first spoken in the Judean desert.
If we want to walk in God’s Kingdom—God’s reign in our lives—we cannot glibly
say we are part of God’s family—descendants of Abraham, as the Jews assumed in
their day. Rather, we need to repent of any action, attitude, or inaction that
fails to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and strength, or fails to love
our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27).
“What
then should we do?” We likewise need to ask this question afresh for our life situation.
Like John’s audience, some of us need to share much more from our abundance
with those in need. Some of us need stop bullying others, or taking what is unfair—even
if we can get away with it.
As I read
the Scriptures this morning, I became convicted when reading Philippians 4:4-5
“Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice. Let your forbearance be
known unto all men. The Lord is at hand” (ASV). Sometimes I get so tired of being forbearing and patient. Especially
the last few weeks, there are a few times when I wasn’t forbearing or gentle or
kind. What then should I do to repent? I need to heed Paul’s words to rejoice
in the Lord in all circumstances, even when yea one more car pushes me on the
highway. I need to cultivate a forbearing, gentle, patient spirit for others to
see—and even when no one is looking. I need to cling to hope: the Lord is at
hand!
As we
prepare this Advent, let us listen to John the Baptist’s call to repentance.
Let each of us ask the question: What then should I do right now in my life and
in my circumstances?
© 2015
Glenn E. Myers
