Scripture Scribbles: December 12, 2021

the Gospel

Lk 3:10-18

The crowds asked John the Baptist,

“What should we do?”

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.”

Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,

“Teacher, what should we do?”

He answered them,

“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”

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.”

Now the people were filled with expectation,

and all were asking in their hearts

whether John might be the Christ.

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.

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.”

Exhorting them in many other ways,

he preached good news to the people.

the devotion

What should we do?

Isn't that the question we are all seeking the answer to?

Sometimes I think we want to ask the question, but we don't necessarily want to hear the answer.

Maybe it's because the answer challenges us.

The way, truth, and the life: It challenges us.

In fact, the answer is so difficult that it is not something we can achieve on our own.

For a long time, I liked to put God in a box. I liked to think that religion, Christianity, the Catholic Church, was all really "nice." It was a good message, a sweet message. A message to be kind, loving, to give to those in need. I'd sit at church and nod my head along to the sometimes soft-hitting homilies about how we need to love others and be kind to those in need. I'd think: "I do that! I agree! What a nice message." And move along with my day.

But here's the kicker: Christ came because we needed a Savior. The Gospel is not supposed to be easy. It's supposed to totally rock the way we live our lives.

What would happen if we actually approached the Gospel this way?

In today's reading we hear people from different walks of life and backgrounds asking this question to John the Baptist. And his response is, well, challenging.

He responds to each person by telling them what it is that they need to change. He's challenging them to live radically. To look different than anyone else. To live different than anyone else. Because the truth is, there isn't a single one of us alive today who is without the need of God's grace. There isn't a single one of us alive today who isn't in need of growing in holiness.

Just think: Each one of us, if we approached John the Baptist today would receive a different response about what it is in our lives that we need to change to make way for the Lord.

So, let’s ponder this together. If you walked up to John the Baptist right now and asked him, “What should I do?” what do you think he’d say to you?

This is an invitation to spend some time in prayer this week, pondering this very question. As we get closer to the coming of Christ at Christmas, let’s go to the Teacher of all teachers for the answer.

Ask Him: What should I do?

Today’s devotion was written by Rachel Smith.