The Third Week of Advent
We Read…
When John tells the crowd about what is coming, the crowd responds by asking him, “What then should we do?” Have we ever asked this same question? We hear about God's love for us, know that God redeems us, and believe that God is our salvation, but what do we do with all of this?
Isaiah tells us to sing praises and rejoice, recognize all that God has done in our lives, and give thanks to God. John tells the crowd to live out their faith in the world around them. He tells them to share what they have with others, not be greedy, and pay people fair wages. He says we are supposed to treat others with the same love, kindness, and grace that God has shown us!
God is our salvation, but that shouldn’t just be something we keep to ourselves or in our heads. We are called to respond to this in everything we do!
Zephaniah 3:14-20
14 Rejoice, Daughter Zion! Shout, Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem.
15 The Lord has removed your judgment;
he has turned away your enemy.
The Lord, the king of Israel,
is in your midst;
you will no longer fear evil.
16 On that day, it will be said to Jerusalem:
Don’t fear, Zion.
Don’t let your hands fall.
17 The Lord your God is in your midst—
a warrior bringing victory.
He will create calm with his love;
he will rejoice over you with singing.
18 I will remove from you those worried
about the appointed feasts.
They have been a burden for her, a reproach.
19 Watch what I am about to do
to all your oppressors at that time.
I will deliver the lame;
I will gather the outcast.
I will change their shame into praise
and fame throughout the earth.
20 At that time, I will bring all of you back,
at the time when I gather you.
I will give you fame and praise
among all the neighboring peoples
when I restore your possessions and
you can see them—says the Lord.
Isaiah 12:2-6
2 God is indeed my salvation;
I will trust and won’t be afraid.
Yah, the Lord, is my strength
and my shield;
he has become my salvation.”
3 You will draw water with joy
from the springs of salvation.
4 And you will say on that day:
“Thank the Lord; call on God’s name;”
proclaim God’s deeds
among the peoples;
declare that God’s name is exalted.
5 Sing to the Lord,
who has done glorious things;
proclaim this throughout all the earth.”
6 Shout and sing for joy, city of Zion,
because the holy one of Israel
is great among you.
Philippians 4:4-7
4 Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad! 5 Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. 7 Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.
Luke 3:7-18
7 Then John said to the crowds who came to be baptized by him, “You children of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the angry judgment that is coming soon? 8 Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives. And don’t even think about saying to yourselves, Abraham is our father. I tell you that God is able to raise up Abraham’s children from these stones. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and tossed into the fire.”
10 The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”
11 He answered, “Whoever has two shirts must share with the one who has none, and whoever has food must do the same.”
12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. They said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13 He replied, “Collect no more than you are authorized to collect.”
14 Soldiers asked, “What about us? What should we do?”
He answered, “Don’t cheat or harass anyone, and be satisfied with your pay.”
15 The people were filled with expectation, and everyone wondered whether John might be the Christ. 16 John replied to them all, “I baptize you with water, but the one who is more powerful than me is coming. I’m not worthy to loosen the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 The shovel he uses to sift the wheat from the husks is in his hands. He will clean out his threshing area and bring the wheat into his barn. But he will burn the husks with a fire that can’t be put out.” 18 With many other words John appealed to them, proclaiming good news to the people.
We Think…
What stands out to you in these verses? Does anything confuse you or not make sense?
How do these verses compare to your own experience in life or the church? What are you considering?
What questions come to mind?
Why do you think the image of fire is used so often in the bible?
What does it mean to always be glad in the Lord?
We Feel…
What emotions are you experiencing today? How are you making space for these feelings?
Where have you seen God today or this week? What is pointing you to God (maybe it is something in creation, a friend or adult that cares for you)?
What has God made new in your life? In your heart?
Which of these charges in Phil. 4 do you find easiest (rejoice always, let your gentleness be evident, etc)? Which do you struggle with the most?
Does your life line up with the challenges John gives to the crowd in Luke 3?
We Believe…
We believe that our faith is meant to be lived out. In our passages for this week, we read about what this looks like. We are supposed to rejoice and praise God, responding directly to the love God has shown us. This relationship is two-sided: God loves you, and you love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. We also see that we are supposed to live out our faith in the world through our words and actions. How we treat others matters to God because God loves the people we are surrounded by just as much as God loves us. We believe that God cares deeply about how we act towards our neighbors because God cares for our neighbors, and what we do and say reflects who God is.
We Practice…
This Advent season, take time each day to reflect on what Jesus’s birth means to you. Share this with a small group or a friend who can reflect alongside you. End with this prayer from The Revised Common Lectionary:
God of hope,
you call us home from the exile of selfish oppression
to the freedom of justice,
the balm of healing,
and the joy of sharing.
Make us strong to join you in your holy work,
as friends of strangers and victims,
companions of those whom others shun,
and as the happiness of those whose hearts are broken.
We make our prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
This prayer, along with other resources for Advent and other seasons of the church year can be found at https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/prayer/?y=384&season=advent&d=3rd_sunday_in_advent.
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