His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.” vss. 17-18
Luke 3:15-18
Occasionally, when this Gospel passage is read as a part of worship, folks will actually laugh when they hear that Luke called John’s message “good news to the people.” It’s hard to see how being burned with unquenchable fire could possibly be considered “good news.” It only becomes good news when we realize that Luke is connecting the burning of chaff to cleansing and not destruction. It’s a message about the restoration of our broken world! It’s also true that as we move through these holidays some people really are having a hard time hearing any good news about anything. For them the carols, feasts, and family gatherings are reminders of sad losses—for one reason or another some loved ones have gone missing! In their estimation Christmas just isn’t the “happiest time of the year” that the carol says it is. Fortunately Christmas is more than a cultural holiday! For believers its message is the good news of the healing that comes for them and the whole world through the Christ of Bethlehem. So even if we are feeling blue by this time of Advent, we can at least remember that today’s candle is pink, and Christ really is the joy of the world.
Thought for the Day: Why is Christmas good news for me?
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