Dig Deeper into Sunday’s Gospel: Read Luke 3:10–18

When I ask you to think of John the Baptist, what are the first few words that come to mind? 

Perhaps the word cousin or maybe locusts? You might think of the River Jordan or repentance. You might even imagine a man dressed in animal skins with a scraggly beard, tangled hair, and dirty fingernails.

But how about the word joy?

Have you ever associated John the Baptist with joy? It's not a common connection, I know. He's often seen as more brooding and intense than joyful or delighted. But this week, as we celebrate Gaudete Sunday, we're reminded that joy is indeed a part of John's message.

In the verses just before our gospel passage begins, John likened the crowd following him to a brood of vipers drawing wrath upon themselves for calling themselves children of Abraham but whose actions did not merit such a title, warning them, “Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Luke 3:9). 

Not the most joyful of messages, but let’s keep going.

Instead of dismissing John’s claims, the people asked for his advice and suggestions for bringing about change. John seized the opportunity to denounce their less-than-stellar behaviors. He specifically called out groups of individuals who had exploited and manipulated their positions of leadership and authority—those entrusted with power and status but utilized it to profit at the expense of the very people they served. John warned them that someone mightier than himself was coming who would wield a “winnowing fan 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” (Luke 3:17).

Denouncement. Winnowing fan. Chaff thrown into an unquenchable fire.

Hmm…and where’s the joy? 

If you are struggling to see the significance of this gospel for Gaudete Sunday, press on, my friend. Remember, John the Baptist was once the baby in his mother’s womb who leaped for joy as the sound of Mary’s greeting caused Elizabeth to proclaim, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:42). John’s joyful in utero leaping mimics that of King David as he rejoiced and danced before the Ark of the Covenant as it was led to the temple in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:12–15).

John's joy in those early moments of recognizing Christ in Mary's womb never left him. It likely fueled him during his time in the wilderness, lifting his spirits as he began preaching, baptizing, and calling for repentance. John knew Christ and fully comprehended that His arrival meant salvation was near—when true intimacy and communion with God would be offered to all. And he just could not wait.  

His message is meant to challenge and convict us, as it did the crowd in the gospel. John preached repentance and baptized people who were ravished by arrogance, pride, and self-righteousness, people not unlike ourselves. His challenge to all of us is to do better, to be fruitful before it is too late, before our sin and selfishness lead us to become like chaff—the inedible part of the grain, the part that is of no use to the master. 

There is no joy to be found in the chaff as it is gathered together and thrown into the unquenchable fire. 

Where can we find joy then? According to the baptizer, it is the fruit of our radical love and charity for others.

To the crowd at large, “Whoever has two tunics should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise” (Luke 3:11). To the tax collectors, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed” (Luke 3:13). And to the soldiers, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages” (Luke 3:14). Think of the needs of others, of those entrusted to you, those who are under your authority and engage with them uprightly, generously, honestly, and with integrity.  

Joy comes when we forget ourselves and choose to decrease so that Jesus can increase in our hearts. True joy is found in the space left empty by our repented sin, where our open hearts allow the Holy Spirit to rush in and fill us with a desire for virtue and holiness.   

My friend, repentance readies us. But it is not the end. Make no mistake, evil spirits are on the prowl for a soul washed clean by repentance (Matthew 12:44–45). It would be wise for us to fill that space in our hearts where sin once occupied with a desire to follow Jesus’ commands: to love and serve God and others, to steward the gifts He has entrusted to us for the service of His kingdom, and to serve with radical charity and love toward everyone—even our enemies—in a way that bears witness to love Himself. The more we love like Christ, the more like Christ we will become, the more virtuous we will desire to be, and the more we will be able to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4).

Our world desperately needs a genuine Christian witness to radical love and charity. This calls for Christians who are willing to transcend class systems, racial and ethnic divisions, poverty lines, political affiliations, and immigration statuses. We need a profound love for our neighbor that reflects Christ to all and acknowledges each person as an unrepeatable, immortal soul who is divinely designed and inspired; Christians who cherish each individual as one who is rejoiced and sung over by our Creator (Zephaniah 3:17) and who love no matter the cost, because we know it was Jesus who first loved us. 

Joy comes when you make space in your heart for someone else. John understood this better than anyone, for when the time came, he humbly stepped aside before the Lamb of God, saying, "[T]herefore, this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:29–30).

As we light the pink candle on our Advent wreaths, may we ask for John the Baptist’s intercession so that our joy will be complete—found not in ourselves or what we accomplish but in how we love as Jesus taught us. After all, they will know we are Christians by our love.

With you on the journey,
Jeannine

Food for thought or journaling…

How can I keep my heart filled with true joy when so much about our world tends to want to steal it away? What is one small way I can show radical love or charity for a neighbor today? 

Come, Holy Spirit. Fill me with a desire to love the Lord, my God, more than anything else in my life. And when I don’t, fill me with a desire to repent, to turn back to You in humble surrender and ask for mercy. Ignite within me a desire to radically love others, to share the gospel message through acts of charity, and to be bold in inviting others to know You. Let Your joy be my strength, Lord (Nehemiah 8:10). Saint John the Baptist, pray for us. Amen.