Peace & Freedom: SALT’s Lectionary Commentary for Advent Week Two

Second Week of Advent (Year C): Luke 3:1-6 and Malachi 3:1-4

Listen to SALT’s “Strange New World” podcast episode touching on these two passages: “Understanding Christmas - Part Two: Silent Night.”

Big Picture:

1) This year we’ll be walking together through the Gospel of Luke. The journey began last week with a kind of “flash-forward” from Luke 21: on the verge of his descent to the cross, Jesus warns of difficult days ahead, assuring his disciples that God will make everything right in the end. This week, we “flash back” to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, turning to Luke’s account of John the Baptizer appearing in the wilderness — and from here on out we’ll move forward more or less chronologically. It’s a little bit like when a film starts with an arresting scene from late in the story, a glimpse of the breathtaking drama to come — and then rewinds to begin at the beginning.

2) As we enter Luke’s masterpiece, it’s worth remembering what sort of thing a “gospel” is. Originally intended to be read aloud, Luke is a kind of story-sermon meant to declare good news — euangelion or “gospel” — in ways that provoke listeners to reflect, repent, believe, and serve the wider world. It’s a decidedly practical, poetic work of art, layered with multiple levels of meaning and grounded both in Luke’s immediate situation and in the broad, astonishing sweep of salvation. In short, a “gospel” is a form of strategic storytelling that aims to change your life.

3) The second week of Advent traditionally centers on lighting a candle of peace, a light to shine against the shadows of conflict and war. Accordingly, this is an excellent week to think, preach, and reflect on war and peacemaking, conflict and reconciliation, hearts full of violence and the lion laying down with the lamb.

4) In this week’s reading from Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, the prophet speaks of a “messenger” who will prepare the way for God’s arrival. Christian interpreters have often identified this messenger as John the Baptizer.

Scripture:

1) Like other classical Greek authors, Luke begins by situating his story in time, listing imperial, regional, and religious authorities of the day — an intro that, at first glance, seems skippable. But look again: Luke is using this literary convention to make a profound and audacious point: the last figure he names in the list, John the Baptizer, is both a) a relative nobody compared to the eminent officials, and b) the only person on the list given divine authority. The phrase Luke uses here — “the word of God came to John” — is identical to the phrase used in the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of Hebrew Scripture, in the Book of Jeremiah (“Jeremiah...to whom the word of God came;” see Jeremiah 1:1-4). Luke’s point is clear: despite appearances, the real power and authority resides neither in the imperial palace nor the sacred temple, but rather in a scraggly figure, alone in the wilderness, preaching repentance. Beyond the coordinates and control of the empire — God is on the move!

2) The Greek word for “repentance” here is metanoia (from meta, “change, and noia, “mind”); today we would say, “change of heart” or “change of life,” a thoroughgoing and ongoing shift and reorientation. Accordingly, the visible sign for this change John uses is baptism, an immersive rite typically reserved for Gentile converts to Judaism: the complete immersion in water signifies a complete transformation of the convert. But John is calling on all the children of Abraham to undergo this baptism; it’s as if he’s saying, We all require conversion, not just the Gentiles. For a new day, a new era is at hand! Change your minds and hearts and lives! Come and be baptized for the sake of forgiveness of sins — for God is coming near!

3) The word Luke uses for “forgiveness” in this passage is aphesis, “release.” The idea here is to be released from sin, as if from a form of captivity or enslavement. Like a new Exodus, the people of God will emerge again from the wilderness, that hallowed place of freedom and intimacy with God; be immersed again in the Jordan River, that hallowed place of transition; and enter again the promised land. Thus the great poetic form of Exodus returns, the divine signature of salvation. And sure enough, Jesus goes on to announce his public ministry in clear terms of liberation: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because God has anointed me...to proclaim release [aphesis] to the captives” (Luke 4:18). Finally, for Luke, this freedom isn’t reserved for a select few — it’s for every creature under heaven! In this Great Exodus, “all flesh shall see the salvation of God!” (Luke 3:6; see Isa 40:5).

4) Likewise, Malachi’s vision of the final redemption is animated by a profoundly inclusive dynamic. God’s messenger doesn’t separate righteous levitical priests (“the descendents of Levi”) from unrighteous ones, or cast the latter into outer darkness. Rather, the messenger purifies them all, cleansing and freeing them from sin, thereby making their offerings — and by extension, the entire community on whose behalf their offerings are made — “pleasing to the LORD” (Mal 3:4). The prophetic metaphors in this passage are all cleansing or sanctifying images, not excluding or ostracizing ones. A refiner cleans and strengthens metal; a fuller cleans and beautifies textiles. And just as refiners and fullers transform and preserve metal and cloth, baptism transforms and preserves the people baptized, restoring them to their dignity, beauty, and freedom as children of God.

Takeaways:

1) Both because this week’s traditional Advent theme is “Peace” and because Luke is a subversive Gospel of peace written during a time of military occupation, this may be the perfect week to name and explore the realities of conflict in our lives today. Particularly in this age of polarization, God is calling us toward greater peacemaking between peoples, groups, and individuals — and Advent is a season both to long for God’s shalom and to become candles of shalom in the darkness.

2) In the Book of Exodus, the Hebrew word for “Egypt” is mitzrayim, literally, “the narrow places.” Luke presents Jesus’ ministry as a New Exodus, a liberation or “release” (Greek aphesis) from the narrow places of sin, oppression, enslavement, violence, conflict, and despair. A new era of God’s shalom is dawning, John insists, his voice ringing out like a new Jeremiah — but shalom isn’t simply the absence of discord. Rather, it’s the presence of genuine freedom, liberation from whatever is holding us back from becoming living testimonies to God’s good news for all creation, bar none. Our lives are full of “narrow places” (think: hostilities, resentments, addictions, apathy, stress, injustice, ecological ruin) — and Jesus is coming to “proclaim release to the captives” (Luke 4:18).  

3) As we prepare for this New Exodus, John challenges us to change our hearts, minds, and lives — for the days of peace and freedom are truly coming! Make way! Remove the obstacles! The Prince of Peace approaches — not on a warhorse like other authorities of the day (Tiberius, Pilate, Herod), but rather as a humble prophet, teacher, and healer, God’s beloved child born homeless in a manger.

Listen to SALT’s “Strange New World” podcast episode touching on these two passages: “Understanding Christmas - Part Two: Silent Night.”