Third Sunday of Advent 2024 Franciscan Gospel Reflection

Franciscan Friar Fr. Paul Gallagher reflects on the Gospel readings for the third Sunday of Advent. How are the people in your community offering a sense of hope?

The content is edited by Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Sister Anne Marie Lom and Joe Thiel. The excerpts from the Sunday readings are prepared by Joe Thiel. To read or download the complete pdf with excerpts for your prayer, please click here: Franciscan Discernment -Dec 15 2024 Excerpts are from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Photo: Permission granted by Watertown Catholic Community, window found at St. Henry Church, Watertown.

Luke 3:10-18

The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What then 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 Messiah. 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.

Background:

In Luke’s Gospel, John is associated with the Old Testament prophets to prepare for the coming of the messiah. One of the expectations at the time was that a messiah would bring a political transformation. John too looks for a Messiah, one who will come with the Holy Spirit and fire. He will bring judgment and usher in a new age that would be free from Roman domination. This more radical expectation is expressed in the three verses that are omitted from the Lectionary between last week’s Gospel and the text for this week.  

“He [John] said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance; and do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our Father,” for I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Luke 3:7-9)

But as Luke continues, John’s message is tempered with the political hope of freedom from Rome. The Gospel for the third Sunday of Advent passes over John’s harsher words.

Three times the question is asked of John, “What should we do?” John is calling everyone to repentance, a repentance that is demonstrated by a change in how one lives. John does not ask that people join his austere life in the desert, or even ask that they work to end the harsh reality that people lived with daily.  He asks them to make changes in their daily life that are possible. Each time John is asked, “What should we do,” his response indicates that they should live out their given role in society, being faithful to their responsibilities and considerate of others, but not taking advantage of others. 

Luke understands that John’s call to prepare for the coming reign of God is addressed to everyone, not just the religious faithful.  Luke is making sure his audience is aware that even tax collectors and soldiers were responding to John’s call to conversion. The fact that John was instructing them as to how they should live also suggests that their conversion had awakened in them a sincere effort to live differently.  The tax collectors of the day were more like toll collectors that would collect a fee as people and goods would pass their post. Often, they were people who could not find other types of work, and they were forced by circumstance into this way of supporting themselves. They collected a fee as people and goods were crossing roads or bridges, or entering the city gates. The soldiers referred to here were likely guards who were assigned to protect the tax collectors. Both were despised because they were aiding an occupying Roman government. But they are included by Luke in his Gospel as coming to John for baptism.

Reflection Questions:

1. Have there been times in your life when you felt a need to make a significant change in the way you lived? What do you remember about that experience? What did you do to express that desire? If that is not your personal experience, have you experienced that sense of transformation in others?
2. In the second part of today’s Gospel Luke states, “Now the people were filled with expectation.” Do you recall times in your life when you have been filled with expectation? What do you remember of that experience?
3. Can you also recall times when you lived without hope or expectation?
4. Are there people around you who seem to live without expectation? Do you experience hope for them?
5. How are the people in your community offering a sense of hope?
6. If John the Baptist were alive today and you asked him, “What should I do,” what do you think he would say?
7. Of all the people who were coming to John for baptism, why would Luke single out soldiers and tax collectors?
8. John seems to know himself, who he is and who he is not. He also asks people to live within the limits of their life. Can you talk to God about your desire to authentically live your life, or some other aspect of your present life that this Gospel touches?