The commentary I read on this week’s passage remembering John the Baptist’s ministry, which was a precursor to Jesus, made an interesting observation: baptism was a rite of passage used especially for Gentiles converting to Judaism, although surely some Jewish folks immersed themselves as well. It was a sign of being “all in”. That imagery still fits. The Gentile association surely recalls the “baptism” of Naaman, a military commander who contracted (?) leprosy and sought help from Elisha (2 Kings 5). This was a healing/cleansing act of trust on Naaman’s part that required from him great humility as a military leader. It is a bit of a leap to equate the two, but one can see the reason for it. Regardless, if baptism was more for Gentiles than Jewish people, this means that the scene was one of inclusion, inviting any and all to “prepare for the coming of the Lord.”
John’s invitation to both Jews and non-Jews is to repent – to turn around, to change one’s mind and live differently, fruitfully. This is more than a forgiveness thing – this is a change your life thing. The religious leaders who showed up to see what John was doing were infamous for counting too much on their religious heritage and their correct beliefs to keep them in God’s favor. John called them out for their hypocrisy and called them to repent as well.
From one perspective, John’s remembered preaching appears to be like an accurate example of a hellfire and brimstone preacher, using terrifying threats to motivate the audience toward repentance. Yet there is more than meets the eye here. The image of separating the wheat from the chaff, which will then be burned in the fire, seems particularly hellish. But what if he was simply using a well-known symbol of change to help his audience understand what Jesus came to do? Separating the wheat from the chaff is to get rid of what is not longer necessary so that the grain can be used. We as people are not the chaff. Yet all of us have chaff that surrounds the wheat – our True Selves. John’s call to get prepared is an invitation to let go of all that holds you back in order to let your True Self emerge and lead. The invitation is to become who you are meant to be and naturally produce good fruit by the way you live your life.
One great aspect of this interpretation is that it solves a theological problem then and now related to apocalyptic fever. John is saying that the end is near, essentially, and that we are invited to clean up our act. The invitation intimates that it is possible. God desires to help us turn our lives around. He sees the religious leaders who are counting on their heritage and orthodoxy to bring about the salvation they hope for and tells them they are getting it wrong! They need to get rid of the husks, too, and live unencumbered, fruitful lives.
Husk of Religiosity. Ever since Jesus was no longer walking the planet, we have been living in the “end times.” The New Testament writers were thinking Jesus might come back in some sort of Sci-Fi supernatural way any moment. As time drew on, some got discouraged, and were reminded that God, being eternal, may have a different time horizon than mere mortals. Religious fervor still exists today, with some folks every generation declaring that we are in the end times. The thought behind it is that God will end the human experiment by bringing the end of time to reality where everybody gets judged and a new reality emerges. God’s just waiting until it gets bad enough, I guess? For some folks, this seems ridiculous and provides just cause to separate from the faith. Others simply say we need to have faith and keep watch. The problem is that most people I’ve seen who get really “excited” about the end times ratchet up their religious zeal and more or less blow off any faithful living that might actually produce fruit. They sit confident in their belief statement and don’t really care if the world goes to hell – probably because they think it will anyway! John’s admonition is quite relevant here – having faith isn’t simply about getting forgiven, it’s about bearing fruit. Those who claim to take the end times so seriously have a lot of work to catch up on that got deferred in their apathy! Their husk of religiosity needs to be removed.
Husk of Certainty. The other caution that John’s story provides regarding apocalyptic fever and the hopes for the eschaton is that John himself was blinded by his own expectations. He was confident that Jesus was the anointed one, but in time – and especially when he was imprisoned for calling out some politicians for their immorality – he questioned whether or not Jesus was the real deal. John likely thought Jesus would look and act like him – and probably even more radical. Instead, Jesus wore normal clothing and ate normal food, even indulging in a party with wine and feasting now and then. John, being the first teetotaling Baptist, was befuddled. He was subtly judging him from prison. Jesus, hearing his concern, did not admonish John for his limited and limiting expectations, but instead sent report back that the one thing John preached was being delivered: fruit. Lepers were healed, the deaf were hearing, the dead were coming back to life. Jesus was living out his faith, which was very naturally bearing fruit. John’s husk of certainty needed to be removed so that he could see what was right in front of him.
What are our husks? Advent is about preparation for the coming of the anointed One, or, more simply, the anointing. It invites all to hear that Good News is on the way – Good News that will seek to remove the husk that keeps our True Self grain from being free. Good News that says that fruit can come from strange places and people. Who would guess that the central characters would be nobodies from nowhere? It’s still true today! Hear the warm, hopeful invitation embedded in what first appears to be a turn or burn sermon. Hear the invitation to fully immerse yourself in the Peace that passes understanding, to be grounded in Hope, that will take us into Joy, and be known by its greatest fruit, Love.
Enjoy the following commentary from the texts we looked at today...
CHANGE YOUR MIND: SALT'S LECTIONARY COMMENTARY FOR ADVENT WEEK TWO
Second Week of Advent (Year A): Matthew 3:1-12 and Isaiah 11:1-10
Big Picture:
1) This year we’ll be walking together through the Gospel of Matthew. The journey began last week with a kind of “flash-forward” from Matthew 24: on the verge of his descent to the cross, Jesus warns of difficult days ahead, both assuring his disciples that God will make everything right in the end and urging them to “keep awake” and “be ready.” This week, we turn to Matthew’s story of John the Baptizer appearing in the wilderness. It’s a little bit like when a film starts with an arresting scene from late in the story, a glimpse of the breathtaking drama to come — and then rewinds to begin at the beginning.
2) As we enter Matthew’s masterpiece, it’s worth remembering what sort of thing a “gospel” is. Originally intended to be read aloud, Matthew is a kind of story-sermon meant to declare good news — euangelion or “gospel” — in ways that provoke listeners to reflect, repent, believe, and serve the wider world. It’s a decidedly practical, poetic work of art, layered with multiple levels of meaning and grounded both in Matthew’s immediate situation and in the broad, astonishing sweep of salvation history. In short, a “gospel” is a form of strategic storytelling that aims to change your life.
3) The second week of Advent traditionally centers on lighting a candle of peace, a light to shine against the growing shadows of conflict and war. Accordingly, this is an excellent week to think, preach, and reflect on war and peacemaking, conflict and reconciliation, hearts full of violence and the wolf lying down with the lamb. And an excellent starting point is to recall that Matthew’s Gospel was written in a time of military occupation, from the perspective of an oppressed people under the thumb of the Roman Empire.
4) In this week’s reading from Isaiah, the prophet speaks of a new king on whom “the spirit of the LORD shall rest,” whose reign will bring peace and concord to the whole creation (Isa 11:2). Generations of Christian interpreters have identified this figure with Jesus of Nazareth.
Scripture:
1) On first glance, John the Baptizer’s sermon comes across as a blunt, bristling attack (“Repent!” “You brood of vipers!”) — but on closer inspection, it’s actually a powerful, door-opening message of inclusion and hope.
2) How so? First, there’s the figure of John himself: ostensibly, he’s a scraggly, isolated eccentric, alone in the wilderness. But Matthew highlights specific details (“camel’s hair,” “leather belt”) that cast him as a new Elijah, and at the same time as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s vision of a “voice in the wilderness” ushering in a day when God’s glory will be revealed, and “all people shall see it together” (Mt 3:4; 2 Kings 1:8; Mt 17:11-13; Isa 40:3-5). Matthew’s point is clear: God has raised up another Elijah in the wilderness, out beyond the coordinates and control of the empire. God is on the move — and the dawn of the new era of redemption, heralded by Elijah’s return, has arrived.
3) Second, the core of John’s message — “Repent, for God’s realm has come near!” — is a radically open invitation. The Greek word for “repentance” here is metanoia (from meta, “change, and noia, “mind”); today we would say, “change of heart” or “change of life,” a thoroughgoing and ongoing shift and reorientation. Accordingly, the visible sign for this change John uses is baptism, an immersive rite then typically reserved for Gentile converts to Judaism, to signify their comprehensive conversion. But John is calling on the children of Abraham to undergo this baptism, too, as if to say, We all require conversion, not just the Gentiles. For a new day, a new era is at hand! Change your minds and hearts and lives! Come and be baptized for the sake of forgiveness of sins — for God is coming near!
4) Third, John then underscores that “bearing fruit” is what matters most. Mere membership in a religious or ethnic lineage won’t cut it, he thunders; what matters is what you do! Again, the central idea here is an opening up of salvation beyond religious or ethnic boundaries. Ordinary folks, supposed outsiders, presumptuous insiders — everyone is invited to change for the better, to “bear good fruit,” and so to become “children of Abraham,” which is to say, heirs to the covenantal promise God gives to Abraham (Mt 3:10; Gen 17:7). John’s words are stern and his images are full of urgency, but his vision of salvation is universal in scope.
5) But wait a minute — doesn’t John sum up his remarks by speaking of “separating the wheat from the chaff,” including some but excluding others? And doesn’t he say Jesus will come and make this fateful separation, burning the chaff away in “unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12)? That’s one way of interpreting John’s metaphor here, but a closer look points us in a different direction. Every grain of wheat has a husk, and farmers (even today) use wind to separate these husks — collectively known as “chaff” — from the grain, the goal being, of course, to save every grain, not to separate the good grain from the bad grain. This is a metaphor of preservation and refinement, not division. What the wind and fire remove are the husks that get in the way: the anxieties, self-absorption, apathy, or greed that make us less generous, less just, or less respectful of others. Alexandr Solzhenitsyn has it right: there is a line between good and evil, but it doesn’t run between groups; it runs through the heart of each person. What each of us requires is restoration, liberation from whatever “husks” are holding us back. And sure enough, later in the New Testament, this is exactly how the wind and fire of the Spirit work: not to destroy, but to sanctify, purify, challenge, restore, and empower (see, for example, Matthew 3:16; 4:1; Luke 4:1-21; Acts 2:1-4).
6) Likewise, Isaiah’s vision of the final redemption is breathtakingly broad. All creatures — wolf and lamb, lion and calf, child and asp — live together in peace: “They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea” (Isa 11:9).
Takeaways:
1) Even with its brusque elements (“You brood of vipers!”), John’s preaching is nevertheless good news. How? First, John’s challenge itself is dignifying, since it presumes that we have the capacity to rise up and meet it, to bear the “good fruit” God created us to bear. Second, John’s challenge is open to all, not just a privileged few, thereby declaring the divine covenant open to all. And third, John’s prophetic poetry includes the promise that the Spirit comes, in wind and fire, not to destroy but to refine, to restore, and to empower the children of God. Will we have to let go of our anxieties, our self-absorption, our apathy, our sin? Yes, and those will be burned away. But the chaff is removed — for the sake of the wheat! Jesus comes that we might be saved, which is to say, restored, set free from the “husks” in our lives and communities — and this is the good news of the Gospel.
2) Both because this week’s traditional Advent theme is “Peace” and because Matthew is a subversive Gospel of peace written during a time of military occupation, this may be a perfect week to name and explore the realities of conflict in our lives today. God is calling us toward greater peacemaking between peoples and between individuals, and Advent is a season both to long for God’s shalom and to become lights of that shalom in the shadows.
3) As we prepare for this new era of shalom, John challenges us to change our hearts, minds, and lives — for the days of peace have come near! Make way! Remove the obstacles, the husks that get in the way! Bear fruit! The Prince of Peace approaches — not on a warhorse like the imperial authorities of the day, but rather as a humble prophet, teacher, and healer, God’s beloved child, born homeless, sleeping with the animals. For the days are surely coming, cries the prophet, when no one will “hurt or destroy… for the earth will be full of the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea” (Isa 11:9).
Isaiah 11:1-10 NLT
Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
He will delight in obeying the LORD.
He will not judge by appearance
nor make a decision based on hearsay.
He will give justice to the poor
and make fair decisions for the exploited.
The earth will shake at the force of his word,
and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.
He will wear righteousness like a belt
and truth like an undergarment.
In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together;
the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.
The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion,
and a little child will lead them all.
The cow will graze near the bear.
The cub and the calf will lie down together.
The lion will eat hay like a cow.
The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra.
Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.
Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,
for as the waters fill the sea,
so the earth will be filled with people who know the LORD.
In that day the heir to David’s throne
will be a banner of salvation to all the world.
The nations will rally to him,
and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.
Isaiah 11:1-10 MSG
A green Shoot will sprout from Jesse's stump,
from his roots a budding Branch.
The life-giving Spirit of GOD will hover over him,
the Spirit that brings wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit that gives direction and builds strength,
the Spirit that instills knowledge and Fear-of-GOD.
Fear-of-GOD
will be all his joy and delight.
He won't judge by appearances,
won't decide on the basis of hearsay.
He'll judge the needy by what is right,
render decisions on earth's poor with justice.
His words will bring everyone to awed attention.
A mere breath from his lips will topple the wicked.
Each morning he'll pull on sturdy work clothes and boots,
and build righteousness and faithfulness in the land.
The wolf will romp with the lamb,
the leopard sleep with the kid.
Calf and lion will eat from the same trough,
and a little child will tend them.
Cow and bear will graze the same pasture,
their calves and cubs grow up together,
and the lion eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child will crawl over rattlesnake dens,
the toddler stick his hand down the hole of a serpent.
Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill
on my holy mountain.
The whole earth will be brimming with knowing God-Alive,
a living knowledge of God ocean-deep, ocean-wide.
On that day, Jesse's Root will be raised high, posted as a rallying banner for the peoples. The nations will all come to him. His headquarters will be glorious.
Matthew 3:1-12 NLT
In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,
“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming!
Clear the road for him!’”
John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”
Mathew 11:1-11 NLT
When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he went out to teach and preach in towns throughout the region.
John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”
Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.”
As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive clothes live in palaces. Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,
‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
and he will prepare your way before you.’
“I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!