I TRUST, I SHALL NOT FEAR

III SUNDAY OF ADVENT - Luke 3:10-18

During this special season of Advent, we are presented with the figure of John the Baptist and are called to listen to his preaching. Bold and fearless in speaking the truth, John was a man of integrity, faithful to his call, honest and outspoken, not afraid of calling a spade a spade. He paid with his life for his daring courage in denouncing Herod’s behaviour. And people from all walks of life went to him in search of answers. Touched by his message, people recognised the need for conversion and asked for his advice: “What must we do?”

Recognising the need for change in preparation for an uncertain future, all of us ask the same question: What must we do? What is the way forward? How can we find purpose and meaning in our lives? We may remember that someone went to Jesus with a similar question: What must I do to have eternal life? (Mt 9:16). Jesus’ answer was straightforward: Keep the commandments. And the commandments lead us to focus on our relationships with God and with others. Our destiny depends on that. Then, it is not surprising that John leads our attention in the same direction: We must pay attention to the needy, being compassionate and sharing with them what we have. If we are preparing for the Kingdom of God, then we must stay away from exploitation, oppression and violence. Wealth, power and glory cannot be the values that determine what we do and the way we live. In the end, we will be judged by the way we treated the poor and the suffering. We are called to be merciful as the Father is merciful (Lk 6:36).

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul reminds them that  “I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord”. (Phil 4:4). Indeed, Jesus wants his disciples to find joy since he wants “that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (Jn 15:11). We are called to rejoice because the Lord is coming to bring salvation. Christians live in the hope of salvation and they look forward to the future with a joyful heart. Even if we go through difficult times, “there is no need to worry” (Phil 4:6); we may approach the Father with confidence, asking “with prayer and thanksgiving” for what we need. Then, we will find peace in our hearts, the peace that comes from God.

“Truly, God is my salvation,

  I trust, I shall not fear.

For the Lord is my strength, my song,

  he became my saviour.

With joy you will draw water

  from the wells of salvation.” (Is 12:2-3).