The Gospel Of Luke tells us in the third chapter verses 7-18 these words:
John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."
As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.
You are probably asking how this reading and the title comfort and joy have anything to do with one another. The answer is everything. If we as Christians practice what we preach. That is what John is trying to get across to those in the passage. What do you have to do to bear good fruit. You do not have to attend church each Sunday, although that is helpful for nurturing your Christian walk. You do not have to kneel or raise your hands at the right time in worship. You don't even have to give extravagantly to the the next capital campaign of your church. What we do have to be about is taking care of folks.
We have to be about providing for the comfort and joy of all God's people. Not just the people who we like. That means people who look, sound, and worship in ways other then our own. The book of Zephaniah says in the third chapter, that God will save the lame, and gather the outcast. If someone doesn't have a coat and you have two give them one. If someone is homeless you help them. If someone is driving you crazy in the line at the store because they are a few dollars short and trying decide what items to put back, You might pay the balance. If someone has to be deserving of our grace or favor, we have missed the boat. We weren't deserving of God's favor by any stretch of the imagination but his grace and favor is free to a sinner like you and me.
Do your job honestly and for the amount your paid with joy. Do you know someone who doesn't have a job, who might be willing to be paid anything just to provide something for themselves or their family. A job is an opportunity to let our light shine in the darkness. A job is a blessing and should be treated as such.
We should give things an honest shake and not cloud our conversations with falsehoods or truths we don't know to be true. When we gossip or tell partial truths we are dampening our light. We are the light of the world aren't we? If we are then we shouldn't let things overshadow that light.
You see by doing these things for others' comfort and joy, we too should find our own comfort and joy. For like John says one is coming that is more powerful then he that he can't even tie his shoe laces. And he will come baptizing us with the Holy Spirit and fire. In other words, Jesus is coming with his love. The expectation of arrival, of the Christ is the good news in this passage. And that is true comfort and Joy and because of that we are expected to bear much fruit. So this holiday season share more, do what's right, and tell the truth and with Jesus guiding us all we will have comfort and joy. So May it be.
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Editor's note: James Crews is lay worship leader/preacher with the Episcopal Church of Pea Ridge.
Religion on 12/30/2015