Today we hear the prophetic words of St. John the Baptist. They are words of judgment and yet we are told he announced “the Good News”. John has been sent to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord who will bring salvation. In St. Luke’s Gospel, Jesus links salvation to what we do with our possessions. John’s words of judgment arouse the people from their complacency but prepare them to receive the good news of salvation which Christ will bring.
We may sometimes wish that God would leave us alone – get off our backs. But St. John the Baptist and the prophets tell us that this is the worst thing God could do. Left to ourselves we get lost following whatever desire we have for possessions, money or just a comfortable, quiet life. St. John the Baptist still points to a deeper freedom beyond the enticement of comfort or possessions. It is a word of judgment that leads to the good news of salvation. And this is why we rejoice today because we know that beyond the pain and inconvenience of change we can rejoice in Christ’s presence as He comes to us this Christmas.