Luke 3:1-6

"And so again we are reminded that the desire of our flesh to see the salvation of God is to desire something that is a far cry from our present lived reality."

Year C, Season of Advent
Second Sunday of Advent
Sunday Between December 4 and December 10 Inclusive

Read the passage: The Message   or   The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

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In my not so humble opinion, these 6 verses make for a pretty thin sermon on the second Sunday of Advent.

First, we get 3 verses helpfully pin-pointing the time and place of John the Baptist's ministry. As an adult. About 30 years after the time, place, person and event that we have gathered to prepare for.

But just for the record, the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius would put the date at 28-29 A.D. (or C.E. if you prefer that.) And given that scholars now think that the King Herod mentioned by Luke in 1:5 died in 4 B.C., that would put the age of John and Jesus as 33.

Then we get 3 verses quoting Isaiah 40:3-5. Which is all good. But I wish the creators of the Lectionary had given us preachers texts that were closer to the story we are actually wanting to talk about.

Be that as it may, as one born and raised on the prairies of Canada, I can't resist pointing out that they are already closer to Isaiah's vision of the age to come than your so-called "scenic" rolling hills, forests, and mountains. Take that, all you who mock our endless straight roads and wide open clear skies.

On the other hand, I think it is fair to also caution that if we can put Handel's Messiah out of our heads - and any other uplifting hymn tunes for this text - we'll realize that the images here are as violent and catastrophic as last weeks.

And so again we are reminded that the desire of our flesh to see the salvation of God is to desire something that is a far cry from our present lived reality. Are we ready for such a radical change?

David Ewart,
www.davidewart.ca

* Link to Amazon.com Bibliography for Bruce Malina, et. al., Social Science Commentary on ... The Synoptic Gospels; The Gospel of John; The Book of Acts; The Letters of Paul; The Book of Revelation; and others.

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