Third Sunday of Advent – Luke 3:7-18
Imperatives of Discipleship – Bear Fruit!
Focus Question: What does it mean to bear fruit during this Advent season?
word
of life
“Bear fruits worthy of
repentance.” Luke 3:8 (NRSV)
Read Luke 3:7-18
Once again this week, we are confronted by John the Baptist. In last Sunday’s gospel, we heard the call
from John the Baptist to repentance.
This week, we hear from John the implications of repentance for our
daily lives.
1.
What difference does repentance make?
There are three points (as some say every good sermon should have)
in John’s message:
·
the
announcement of God’s coming and the call to repent
·
the
implications of repentance
·
the
imminent coming of the Messiah and what his message will be like.
The Call to Repent
The first words we hear from John to those who came to be baptized
by him are certainly not inviting words of comfort but rather of challenge and
admonition. Calling your audience a “brood of vipers” (vs. 7) is certainly a
challenging way to begin! Neither religious
ritual (the crowds coming out to John to receive a baptism of repentance in vs.
7), nor ethnic or religious heritage – “we have Abraham as our ancestor” (vs.
8) – are of ultimate importance in preparation for God’s coming. We might know the liturgy from memory, and
our family might be good German Lutherans for generations. But if our lives don’t reflect what our lips
and faith confess, are we truly prepared?
Repentance calls for fruits which reflect a changed heart.
2. In
what ways does John’s message comfort you?
3. In
what ways does it challenge you?
The Implications of
Repentance
The crowd’s reaction to John’s challenging message is a refreshing
one: “What then shall we do?” They were apparently sincere in their
repentance and wanted to “be fruitful” and do the right thing. John responds to their question with concrete
acts of justice and mercy which can be done in their daily lives. To the common crowd, he calls for those who have to give to those who have not. Even to the despised tax collectors and the
mercenary soldiers who protected them, he calls for just actions and right
relationships with others.
4. How
can you “bear fruits that are worthy of repentance” in your daily lives?
The Imminent Coming and
Message of the Messiah
The people who see and hear John know of the promise of the
Messiah who would usher in an age of justice, righteousness, and peace. John’s message seems to fit. The people are
filled with expectation (vs. 15). Could
this be the Messiah?
John responds to their expectations by pointing to the one who is
yet to come. Note the change in his
message. “Bearing fruit worthy of
repentance” (vs. 8) becomes “I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals”
(vs. 16). In the end, it is God who
makes us worthy. In baptism, God’s
Spirit cleanses us, refines us, and makes us worthy and able to bear
fruit.
5.
How is John the Baptist’s message “good news” for the people (and for
us)?
word among us
Someone’s
coming! What wonderful news! Someone’s coming! But I’m not ready!
Parties
and visitors are often a part of the holiday season. It is not uncommon to have house guests and
family members staying in our homes.
There is so much to do to be prepared for guests who are coming. Food needs to be bought and prepared. The house needs to be cleaned and
dusted. Decorations need to be brought
down from the attic and arranged. We
want our house and our table to look their best. We want everything to be perfect!
1. What are other things we do to prepare for
guests?
But
how do we prepare ourselves? What can we
do to make our guests feel important to us?
What can we do to indicate to those soon to be arriving that we are
excited and glad that they are coming?
Our homes can be spic and span clean with all the right decorations, but
if our words and actions are not welcoming, will our guests feel “at home”?
In
this Advent season, we hear the message of John the Baptist heralding the
coming of someone important and calling for preparation and repentance. His words are filled with hope and
expectation … and challenge. Are we
ready for Christ’s coming?
2. How do we prepare for Christ’s coming into
our lives?
John
the Baptist reminds us that our lives should reflect the desire to change and to
be ready in our hearts for Christ to come.
The words of a well-known hymn put it this way:
For
not with swords loud clashing, nor roll of stirring drums,
But
deeds of love and mercy, the heavenly kingdom comes.
(“Lead
on, O King Eternal” Evangelical Lutheran Worship #805)
Our
actions, words, and care for others are the fruits of our true preparation for
God to come into our lives. But if we
are truly honest with ourselves and with God, we must confess that we are never
truly ready. Our spiritual homes will
never be completely clean through our own efforts. Our fruit will never come to full
ripeness. On our own, we can never be
truly worthy for God to enter into our lives.
We know the truth of John the Baptist’s words: “One who is more powerful than I is coming; I
am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal (vs. 16).” On our own, we are never ready.
The
good news is that even though we are not ready, God comes still. And in the end, God readies us – forgiving us
and cleansing our hearts. The guest
becomes the host, and we are welcomed at the table which has been prepared for
us. And so we can dare to pray: “Amen!
Come, Lord Jesus and be our guest!”
3.
How
do you hope to bear fruit in the coming week?
4.
What does it mean for you to be welcomed
at the table of Holy Communion?
Prayer
Stir up your power, O Lord, and come. Cleanse and prepare us, so that we might
reflect your coming in all we say and do.
Amen
Dig Deeper
Philippians 4:4-9
last word
This week, do something
that reflects Christ’s coming into your life.
Copyright © 2006 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
www.elca.org/evangelizingchurch/dailydiscipleship
In response to the very first question "What difference does repentance make?"
ReplyDeleteFor me repentance, turning and facing God, enables me to bear good fruit. When I turn from God my focus is not intentionally on God or God's children but on myself, my family, my friends and my pet causes. Any "good fruit" I bear when facing away from God is accidental.
Secondly, when I repent I can find the mercy to forgive, I can find the mercy not to judge and I can, then, serve God's creation and God's children not as I want but as I ought.