God Doesn't Have Grandchildren - Lectionary Reflection for Advent 3C (Luke 3)

Luke 3:7-18 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

⁷ 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? ⁸ 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. ⁹ 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.” 

¹⁰ And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” ¹¹ In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” ¹² Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” ¹³ He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” ¹⁴ 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.” 

¹⁵ As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, ¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ 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.” 

¹⁸ So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

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                You may have heard it said that “God has no grandchildren.” The point is, each of us must own our faith for ourselves. The Christian faith is not something we inherit, we take upon ourselves in some fashion. That would seem to be the message preached by John the Baptist as he took up his ministry of baptism at the Jordan River. In proclaiming his message of repentance, he challenged his listeners to take stock of their connection with God. Don’t trust your ancestry to get you where you want to go. In making this request of his audience, he challenged what he saw as a culturally defined religion. Pollsters have suggested that the vast majority of Americans believe in God, and a majority of those who say they believe, claim the label, Christian. Despite the claims of belief, worship attendance and church membership are much lower. So, for some being Christian is a bit like being American. It's something that goes with citizenship. That might be John's audience, though he did attack the priesthood as well. So, it's not just the marginal believers that John has in mind when he calls for the people to repent and get right with God (through baptism). But the key here is, it doesn't matter who your ancestors were. It's a question of whether you are in a relationship with God. 

        As we emerge out of the age of Christendom, when much of Western society was culturally Christian, it is clear that simply living in American culture doesn’t make one a Christian (or religious). It doesn’t matter whether you grew up in church or whether your parents were good Christians. Ancestry or national origin doesn’t make you a Christian.

Now there is debate as to whether faith requires conversion or whether it can be nurtured. That was the big question pondered during the Second Great Awakening, when revival fires burned across the eastern portion of the country. Charles Finney developed a method for getting converts, using the anxious bench. He was not alone in his efforts. Now, not everyone agreed with this revivalist message. One who resisted was Horace Bushnell, who wrote a famous book called On Christian Nurture. Bushnell argued that a child should grow up never knowing anything other than being Christian. Thus, a child is baptized as an infant, raised in the church, confirmed in the faith, and Christian life continues on. This led to the practice of age-related confirmation classes. I was, for instance, confirmed in the Episcopal Church at the age of twelve. This ceremony was the culmination of our sixth-grade Sunday School class. There were no tests or examinations, just some instruction and then the bishop laid hands on us making us full-fledged members of the church. Later on, I had a conversion experience and was re-baptized in a creek. It should be noted that even in more baptistic communities, including the Disciples of Christ (my denomination), something similar happens. Instead of a bishop confirming, the young people were baptized after going through a pastor’s class, usually around the age of twelve. For many families that was the end of formal church-going. The kids were safely Christian and now the family could go to brunch instead of church.

John the Baptist could be considered something of a revivalist. He challenges the cultural religiosity of his day. He told the people not to trust their ancestry. You say Abraham is your ancestor, well big deal! Just because Abraham and Sarah are your ancestors is meaningless unless you embrace all that comes with that ancestry. After all, God could create children for Abraham and Sarah from the stones but chose not to do this. So, what is needed is a good old-fashioned revival. Repent. Change your lifestyle. Be baptized as a sign of your repentance so God can forgive your sins.

 

John preached and baptized, but he insisted that his baptism was preparatory. He baptized with water, but there was one who was coming who would baptize with Holy Spirit and with fire. That meant he was the messenger spoken of by the prophet Malachi(Malachi 3:1-4). Following Malachi, John claimed to be the one who prepared the way for the one who was to come. In doing this he made way for the one who would refine the people, even as silver is refined with fire.

             There is a strong apocalyptic tone to this reading, which makes for a good Advent message. John makes it known that divine judgment should be expected. This message of judgment that fills so many of the Advent texts could help explain why church people are eager to move through the season quickly. No one likes going through purification rituals. It's a bit like getting a vaccine. It's necessary but not pleasant. Nevertheless, John diligently made the message of repentance known to the people. What is interesting is the way the passage ends: “So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.” According to Luke the message of John is good news. It’s gospel. The question is how is it good news to us?

          As an aside, I should probably note that there is a downside to the end of Christendom. Our churches, as institutions, are struggling to survive. Denominations are in decline. Seminaries are grasping at straws trying to retool for a new reality. Clergy wonder if there will be enough churches left that can support them in full-time roles (and provide a pension). Of course, COVID made that possibility even more problematic as many churches living on the edge decided to give up.

        Once upon a time, of course, things were different. People went to church because it was a duty expected of them. Back in the 1950s churches filled up after the war ended and the baby boom hit. New education facilities were built. New churches were planted. Everything was wonderful, for a time, but then things changed. The Baby Boomers grew up, and many chose not to continue with church. If faith could be nurtured, well there was no one to nurture that faith. Thus, cultural Christianity is in its death throes. There are no grandchildren with God. But, that need not be the end of the story, as we hear John crying in the wilderness calling on us to repent and be baptized in preparation for the coming baptism n the Spirit, a baptism that brings the fires of purification. 

                As important a prophet as John might be, he was not the one who was to bring the realm of God into existence. His job was to prepare the way for Jesus who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire. Thus, Ron Allen and Clark Williamson note:

For Luke, the Spirit brings the realm of God to expression after Jesus’ ascension. This passage prompts listeners to recognize that Christian baptism welcomes people into an eschatological community in which (through the Spirit) they live in the power of the divine realm. Repentance is the first step toward becoming a part of this group. [Preaching the Gospels without Blaming the Jews, p. 173]

Of course, if we assume that God has no grandchildren and that each of us has responsibility for our place in the realm of God, we must beware of the tendency in America to emphasize individualism. It is a fine line, but perhaps if we consider the Lord's Table as an entry point where all are welcome, and baptism ceases to be the prerequisite to the Table, then baptism can become the point at which one we own our place in the covenant community. Most importantly, we can begin to bear fruit that results from our repentance and our inclusion in the body of Christ. Call it conversion if you wish. Perhaps a better way of thinking here is responding to the invitation of God to join the family (or rejoin it if necessary). In this, there is good news!

Image Attribution: Bruegel, Pieter, 1564-1638. Preaching of Saint John the Baptist, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=58375 [retrieved December 5, 2021]. Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pieter_Bruegel_the_Elder_-_The_Sermon_of_Saint_John_the_Baptist_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg.