John provides hints about the future

December 17, 2006 -- Third Sunday of Advent

By Fr. Michael Stubbs

	Fr. Mike Stubbs

The word "prophet" often conjures up images of a person peering far into the future. In fact, my dictionary defines that word as "one who foretells future events." We might even equate "prophet" with "fortune teller."

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But in the Bible, the word "prophet" originally meant "a person who speaks on behalf of God." The prophetic utterances could well include future matters, promises or warnings of what God might do. At the same time, it would be a mistake to limit those utterances to the future and exclude the present.

The Old Testament prophets often criticized people for their immoral behavior. Their teachings would frequently try to guide people in their lives here and now. Sometimes the prophets would issue a general criticism of the entire population. At other times, they would target specific individuals, such as the kings.

In the gospels, John the Baptist is a figure who bridges the Old Testament and the New Testament. Even though he is living at the time of Jesus, he acts like a prophet of old. He announces the arrival of the Messiah. The promises God made long ago will soon be fulfilled in Jesus.

At the same time, John also castigates people for their immoral behavior. Eventually, when he tries that with King Herod, it will cost him his head. But in Sunday's gospel reading, John offers his moral teachings to the general population.

Three different segments of the population approach John with the question, "What should we do?" It is first of all significant that the questions should be three in number. By choosing to list three, Luke is following the tendency in folk tales called the rule of three. Having three elements in a story allows for the building of some suspense, while at the same time keeping the story short.

The first question comes from the crowds, who represent people in general. John urges them to be generous with the poor. Specifically, he instructs them, "Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise." The restriction to only one cloak anticipates Jesus' instruction to the disciples, "And let no one take a second tunic." (Luke 9:3)

The second question comes from the tax collectors. John exhorts them to be honest. "Stop collecting more than what is prescribed."

The third question comes from the soldiers. John warns them against taking advantage of their authority. "Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages."

These moral teachings of John fit in with what we would expect of someone following in the footsteps of the Old Testament prophets. At the same time, John's teachings point to themes which will assume great significance in Luke's gospel. Throughout his gospel, Luke will emphasize the responsibilities of the Christian community towards the poor. He will also display a suspicion towards material wealth, which he will view as posing a danger to the spiritual life. As described by Luke, John the Baptist becomes a prophet who hints at what lies ahead in the remainder of the gospel.

(Fr. Stubbs, a priest of the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas, has a master's degree in theology from Harvard.)