- The Ornament: The Scallop Shell / The Sandals
- The Scripture: Luke 3:7–14
The Surface Reading
We usually view John the Baptist as the eccentric uncle of the New Testament. We picture a wild man in the desert wearing itchy clothes (camel hair) and eating bugs (locusts).
He’s the hype man for Jesus—the opening act who warms up the crowd. When we hear his message—”Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!”—we typically interpret “repent” as an emotional state. We think it means feeling really sorry for our personal sins so we can get ready for Christmas.
A Closer Look
Guide: N.T. Wright
To understand John, you have to look at his geography. He is in the wilderness, at the Jordan River.
New Testament scholar N.T. Wright argues that this isn’t random; it is a symbolic re-enactment.
The Jordan River is where Joshua originally led the tribes into the Promised Land. It is the border.
By calling the people out of Jerusalem and back to the river, John is pressing the reset button on Israel. He is declaring that the current system (the Temple, the empire, the king) is broken.
John is leading a new Exodus. He is saying, “We need to go back to the beginning and enter the land again—not with swords like Joshua, but with washed hearts.”
His outfit isn’t a fashion mistake; it is a uniform. He dresses like Elijah. He is signaling that the Prophetic tradition—which had been silent for centuries—is back. The silence is over. God is coming to settle the score.
The Lens of Shalom
Guide: Dr. Joel Green / Lisa Sharon Harper
But the biggest surprise is John’s sermon. When the crowds ask him, “What then should we do?” to prepare for the Messiah, John doesn’t tell them to pray more, fast more, or go to church.
He gives them economic instructions.
• To the crowd: “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.”
• To the tax collectors: “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” (Stop exploiting).
• To the soldiers: “Do not extort money.” (Stop using violence for profit).
Dr. Joel Green notes that in Luke’s Gospel, you cannot have a relationship with God without fixing your relationship with your neighbor.
Lisa Sharon Harper adds that for John, repentance (metanoia) isn’t just feeling sad; it is redistribution.
John quotes Isaiah about “making the paths straight” and “leveling the mountains.” This is justice language. You cannot welcome the Messiah if you are hoarding wealth while your neighbor freezes. Preparing the way means bulldozing the mountains of inequality so that God’s Shalom can flow freely.
The Question
We often try to prepare for Christmas by buying more things. John tells us to prepare by giving things away.
Look at your closet. Look at your pantry. Look at your bank account.
If you applied John’s two coat rule literally today, what would you need to give away to “make straight the path” for Jesus to arrive?
Leaven in the World 
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