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John The Baptist (Lk 3:2-18)

'2 During the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. 3 He went throughout (the) whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.  5 Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"  7 He said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  8 Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance; and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.  9 Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.  Therefore every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." 10 And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?"  11 He said to them in reply, "Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise."  12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, "Teacher, what should we do?"  13 He answered them, "Stop collecting more than what is prescribed."  14 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."  15 Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah.  16 John answered them all, saying, "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire.  17 His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."  18 Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people (Lk. 3:2-18).'

John the Baptist was anointed by God (Lk. 1:5-17) to usher in the period of fulfillment of the promise of a Messiah.  John, the ‘prophet of the Most High’, was in the desert until the beginning of his preaching of repentance for the forgiveness of sins to prepare the way for Jesus (Lk. 1:76-80).  This was foretold in Isaiah (Is. 40:3-5).  John’s baptisms were not Christian Baptisms as we currently know them.  He invited those he baptized to turn away from sin, make restitution and begin living a new moral life.  John’s ministry was to the whole of Israel.  Jesus’ ministry to Israel invited those who had faith in him and received the gift of the Holy Spirit and to be beneficiaries of the New Covenant with God, the promise of individual redemption.  In the OT, the focus was on Israel as a collective group.  Soldiers were despised because they enforced Roman law and some of them were Jewish.  The Pharisees and the High Priests both rejected John’s baptisms (Lk.7:30, 20:5).  Luke implies that some of the Palestinian Jews were awaiting the Messiah who would come and restore Israel, but John the Baptist preached the good news but made it clear that he was not the Messiah who would baptize with the Holy Spirit.  Both Jesus and John met with violent deaths.  

Almighty God, each of us is born for a purpose higher than attaining our own worldly goals and possessions.  Help us to see beyond ourselves and give us the desire to act on what you reveal to us so that we may be an instrument of your mercy in your unfolding plan of salvation.  This we pray through Christ our Lord.  Amen!

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References:

Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.

Jose M. Casciaro, Santiago Ausin, Gonzalo Aranda, Claudio Basevi, Vincente Balaguer, Francisco Varo, James Gavigan, Brian McCarthy & Thomas McGovern (Eds.). (2017). The Navarre Bible - New Testament. Dublin 8, Ireland: Four Courts Press.

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