Third Sunday of Advent

Don't Bully

Luke 3: 10-18 39-45

People from all occupations came to listen to the prophet by the river. Rich, poor, tax collectors, even soldiers. The prophet would tailor his words to meet their individual needs. And they were needy. No one had ever given them concrete words they could relate to. Temple leaders rehashed the stories of old and never connected them to daily life.

It wasn’t easy to meet the needs of men who worked jobs, women who cared for families and children who would grow up as warriors for the king; but John had answers. The rich, he said, should share with the poor. He laid his hand on the bony shoulder of a beggar sitting at his feet and said, “If you have two cloaks, why don’t you give one to somebody who has none?”

John wasn’t shy about pointing out people who needed to change. “You,” he jabbed his finger at a man from the tax office. “Stop collecting more than what’s required. Just do your job. Don’t rob the poor.”

A centurion, dark eyes visibly alert, stood back eying John. Haltingly he ventured, “What should I do?”

“First off, be happy with your wages,” said the prophet apparently aware that soldiers grumbled over pay. “Oh, and don’t bully anybody,” he looked up into the taller man’s face.

The centurion stared quizzically at John, not sure of what he meant.

“You know,” said John. “No extortion, no false accusations . . .”

The centurion squirmed under the words. The prophet had hit home. Pay wasn’t what it used to be.

A woman in the crowd called out, “You must be the Christ.” Others nodded agreement. A communal murmur echoed her words.

“No, no,” said John. “I just baptize with water.” He looked above the heads of  those crowding around him searching for the man whose herald he was. Though unsure who that might be, he knew that the Spirit would point him out.

In unison the people pressed on, “Who then?”

“The one who comes after me will baptize with fire,” he answered.