The Second Sunday of Advent-The Rev Melanie Lemburg
2 nd Sunday of Advent Year A December 4, 2022 It’s the 2 nd Sunday of Advent. Do you know what that means for this day? It means it’s “Grumpy John the Baptist Sunday!” Every year on this Second Sunday of Advent, we get a picture of John the Baptist, who is a key figure in all four gospels, quite unusual. And boy, is he in rare form today. There is something strangely compelling about John the Baptist; all these different people are going out into the wilderness to hear what he has to say. And today, he targets the Scribes and the Pharisees, two competing segments of Judaism of the day—not unlike how Christians in the Republicans and Democrats of our day are at odds. So, it’s interesting that in Matthew’s gospel, which we know was written to a primarily Jewish audience, John goes after the most religious people who have come out to hear him. “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance…