Merry Christmas, You Brood of Vipers!
Luke 3:7-18
John the Baptist is really not in a great mood today. In this passage we see people coming to John the Baptist to be baptized, and John calls them all a “brood of vipers.” That doesn’t sound nice. Leading into this section the gospel writer introduces John the Baptist as someone who is “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah.” He has run off into the wilderness, and people are coming to him to have their sins forgiven. As they arrive, he makes clear what he thinks of them. They are a brood of vipers that are not special just because they are Hebrew people.
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.’
The reasoning for John’s grumpy musings here is because the gospel writer is making a point about shifting the way people are connected to God. For the Jews of the day, their connection to God comes from birth. They’re family is connected to all the Hebrew families of the past going back to Abraham in the book of Genesis. It’s not a thing you choose, it’s a culture and a heritage that you are born into. At the time Luke’s gospel was written, the early Christian community was made up of many people who were not Jewish as well as people who were culturally Jewish but followed the teachings of Jesus. Luke is making a statement that being a child of Abraham is not just about bloodlines. God can make children of Abraham from anywhere.
Now, I think it’s always important to remember, especially in this holiday season, that Jesus was very much a Jew. He participated in all the normal feasts and festivals. He sat at the Passover table just like everyone around him. But as we read throughout the New Testament, many people who were not Jewish came to follow Jesus, and during this period it was still not settled as to whether a person would need to be Jewish to follow Jesus. Luke’s author is arguing that you do not have to be Jewish to follow Jesus. He is not saying that you should not be Jewish. Just that you don’t have to be Jewish.
Then we get to the heart of the matter when the crowds ask, “What then should we do?’ If we can’t rely on being children of Abraham to guarantee that we are following God’s will, then what should we do? John’s answer is simple, and hits at the core of Luke’s gospel message. “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” In other words, the way through the difficulties ahead is together. Share what you have.
You could read this to simply mean that if you have extra you should give to those that don’t have enough, but I think there is more going on there than just that, when you read it with the rest of the gospel in mind. Remember, Jesus is about to ask everyone to give up all their possessions, so it isn’t just about a one time drop off of food and clothing to the needy (Although you should definitely do that). John is asking them to share their things continually. To make sure everyone always has enough. To be a community. Similarly, when the tax collector and the soldier ask about what they should do, John essentially tells them to do their work in a way that is fair and kind. He calls them to act in a way that serves the community and not their own pockets.
Following God is not about whose blood runs through your veins. It is about much more than that. We are called to share, to be fair, to be kind and to love one another. I think this is a great message in the Advent season. What is a good community, Christian or otherwise, other than a chosen family. People that we choose to live, work, celebrate, mourn and share with. Use this time, as we wait for Jesus, to remember that we are called to share our food together. Go find some people you love and share with them.