The real Nativity

Matthew 3:7-10

But when John the Baptist saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

John the Baptist - Just the sort of not-so- shadowy figure you want crashing into your Nativity scene. Motion activated - so that he can hurl insults at everyone who comes within range- “You brood of vipers” and other assorted curses.

He’d sit well alongside the asses and camels and the cute little shepherds and angels.

And his voice would easily carry over the baby who “no crying makes”.

He’s like that no-filter elderly relative who comes for Christmas dinner and spouts their narrow bigoted rhetoric, managing to take a swipe at everyone around the table, with a whole spectrum of objectionable views. The one we humour because it’s just a once a year necessary evil.

Yet people flocked to see this wild man in the wilderness.

They queued up to be insulted.

And they went back for more.

Tired of fake news, they craved the plain speaking.

With everything in turmoil, recognising that even their heritage was no longer enough to see them through, they were ready to listen to this charismatic crazy.

JtB didn’t just condemn and convict.

He offered an alternative.

And the people were just desperate enough to go for it.

As desperate as folk today, hurling hopelessly toward a General Election, where viable options seem to be in short supply.

Maybe it’s time to put away those cute sanitised nativity scenes and cribs.

And let John the Baptist crash the party.

Shaking us to our roots.

And holding us to practising what we preach - indeed stop preaching and just practice, for the love of God.