(Lk 3:10-18)

Luke 3:10 The crowds questioned him, "What shall we do?"

Luke 3:11 He answered, "He who has two tunics, let him give one to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."

Luke 3:12 And there came also publicans to be baptized, and they asked him, "Master, what shall we do?"

Luke 3:13 And he said to them, "Do not demand anything more than what has been set before you."

Luke 3:14 And some of the soldiers also asked him, "What shall we do?" He answered, "Do not mistreat or extort anything from anyone; be content with your wages."

Luke 3:15 For the people were waiting, and all wondered in their hearts concerning John, whether he was not the Christ,

Luke 3:16 And John answered them all, saying, I baptize you with water: but there cometh one mightier than I, unto whom I am not worthy to untie even the strap of his sandals: he shall baptize you in Holy Ghost and fire.

Luke 3:17 He hath in his hand the fan to purge his threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into the barn: but the chaff, he shall burn with unquenchable fire."

"What shall we do?" (the crowds ask) ... "Master, what shall we do?" (the publicans ask).... "And what shall we do?" (the soldiers ask). The underlying theme on which the questions focus is love considered in its everyday life and made up of small concrete acts that range from sharing one's possessions to respecting people, their dignity and rights; from honesty and fairness in social relationships to putting a stop to one's own greed, gluttony and social arriviste, which inevitably lead to the overpowering and trampling of others. Luke sets the ethics of love as a benchmark of the sincerity of one's conversion.

"For the people were waiting ...". V. 15 introduces the theme of the identities of John and Jesus and the meaning of their missions. The people, qualified by expectation, is Israel, who for centuries had been awaiting the coming of a liberator and restorer of their kingdom Messiah. While the expectation was specific to Israel, the questioning of John's identity belongs to the whole of humanity. Waiting for the Messiah prompts everyone to question and interpret the signs of the times. The search for God is not simply a private matter, and although it can intimately involve every man, it must then lead to a confrontation with the faith of others, since the path of salvation is always a communal journey.

"John answered all saying": the answer John gives here is addressed to "all", that is to those who "wondered". Not to everyone indiscriminately, but to those who seek God in their lives. The starting point of any search is to question oneself about the meaning of one's life and to question the Word of God, from which the clarifying answer emerges. This is what must qualify the time of waiting.

"I baptise you with water, but ...". V. 16 concerns the personal confrontation between John and Jesus. The greatness of the two characters and the ages they somehow embody are defined by the expressions:

- "... he is stronger than I";

- "... I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals".

The comparison between John and Jesus is not made on a physical level, but in an exquisitely moral, indeed, ontological sense, and emphasises the absolute primacy of the coming one. The term "ischiroteros" (stronger), expresses a clear winning superiority of Jesus over the Baptist, to such an extent that the latter will declare that he is not even worthy "to untie the lace of the sandals", a task reserved for slaves. However, the relationship between the two is not even comparable to that between master and slave. In fact, while what distances the master from the slave is only the social position of one towards the other, here the distance is on an ontological level. The substantial diversity of the two characters, and the distance that separates them, is revealed by the substantial diversity of the two baptisms: "I baptise you with water ... he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire'.

We note how the name of Jesus, with whom John is confronted, is never mentioned, but he is referred to through two expressions: 'he is stronger than I am' and 'I am not worthy to untie the lace of his sandals'. The halo of mystery and unknowability that surrounds the mysterious unnamed refers us to the very mystery of God, knowable by his workings, but unreachable in his Name, which reveals the very essence of his Being.

The action of John's baptism is placed in the present, which is the very time in which he operates, that is, the Old Testament time; a time that finds its fulfilment and conclusion in him. His action therefore is the preannouncement of another action that is placed in the future and that recalls the ultimate and definitive action of God. This is why Luke says 'he will baptise you', because the future is God's space. It is therefore the comparison of two times: one preparatory (A.T.) to the other (N.T.), the one converging and finding its fullness in the other. The first time (A.T.) is characterised by water, the second (N.T.) by the Holy Spirit and fire.

The figure of Jesus is characterised by two verbs, one in the present tense ("one comes"), the other in the future ("he will baptise you"). The present indicative "he comes" speaks of the dynamism of a constant presence operating in the midst of men. This, however, is not exhausted in the present, but is projected into the future. The action of his coming is therefore dynamically projected forward, almost as if to signify how the Jesus event, with his coming, already opens a future space in the present, or rather, the action of Jesus is a future that already operates in the present.

It is significant then how Luke plays on the term "baptise with": John baptises with water; while when he speaks of the future baptism, the Greek expression says: "he will baptise you in (in) the Holy Spirit and fire". The difference is substantial. In the first case the water is only a symbolic instrument, which although preaching the future of the Spirit, nevertheless produces no effect; whereas in the second case there is a direct divine action that places man in the world of the Spirit, which is the very dimension of God.

Jesus' baptising action is characterised not only by the Holy Spirit but also by fire. His baptising, therefore, is not only the door that introduces man into the ultimate and definitive dimension of God, but also subjects him, consequently, to his judgement. The last time, therefore, is marked by two fundamental elements: a) the coming of God in the midst of mankind and operating in the person of Jesus, defined as the one who constantly comes, and directly challenges every man; b) the judgement, which discriminates humanity on the basis of the response given.

The judgement is therefore taking place and the parameter of discrimination is precisely the Holy Spirit, who has been poured out upon us in baptism and confirmation. It has already placed us in the divine dimension, it has already made us holy, and it now asks us to conform our lives to these spiritual realities in which we already live even if not yet fully. If we conform to the wind of the Spirit it makes us worthy wheat for the Lord, otherwise it will become burning fire that devours us like chaff for eternity.

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Revelation - exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers - Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants compared - In defence of the faith

(Buyable on Amazon)