A man went for his annual checkup and his doctor told him, “I have good news and bad news for you.”  The man asked, “What’s the good news?” 

The doctor responded, “Physically, you’re in perfect health. You’ll probably live to be a hundred years old.”  The man said, “That’s great!  What could be bad news in light of that?” 

The doctor said, “You have progressive memory loss.  It will continue to worsen until you’re no longer able to function normally.”  The man replied, “That’s really bad. What’s the good news?” 

Today’s Gospel reading is somewhat similar to that joke.  There is both good news and bad news in the preaching of John the Baptist.  The good news is really good, and the bad news might be really bad. 

Luke’s Gospel says that “the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ.” (Lk 3:15)  John rejected the idea that he was the Savior, but he encouraged the people by telling them that the great day of the Savior’s arrival was near. (Lk 3:16) 

John also cautioned that there is a requirement for those who want to be counted among the blessed when the Savior appears.  The prerequisite for salvation is repentance and reform.  The first section of the Gospel reading lists some examples of what repentance requires.  John instructed all the people to give alms and practice justice. (Lk 3:10-11)  He gave further instructions to tax collectors and soldiers to fulfill their duties responsibly and justly, avoiding falsehood, fraud, and injustice. (Lk 3:12-14) 

John’s preaching was intended to elicit more than mere sympathy or intellectual assent; it demanded a change in behavior and a change in patterns of thought.  This might have been bad news for those who had fallen into habits of sinful and unjust behavior.   

During John’s lifetime, it was all too common for people to acknowledge the legitimate demands of religion but to avoid fulfilling those demands.  People talked about mercy but acted mercilessly toward one another.  Government officials talked about responsibility but acted irresponsibly.  John’s preaching was intended to help his hearers see the duplicity in their lives and to experience a real change of heart that would lead to just and merciful behavior. 

Human behavior hasn’t changed significantly since the time of John the Baptist.  Bad habits, unjust actions, duplicity, and malevolent intentions are all too common today.  The good news and bad news proclaimed by John are as timely as they ever were.  The good news is that reform, repentance, and forgiveness are possible; the bad news is that to experience these, one must first abandon one’s life of sin. 

John’s preaching was so powerful and so encouraging that many of his hearers sought actively to change their lives for the positive.  John attracted quite a following during his lifetime, and some found that his preaching prepared them to become Jesus’ disciples. 

It appears, however, that others struggled with John’s preaching.  Not all who heard John’s message of repentance were motivated to change their lives for the better.  Some rejected John’s message of repentance as well as Jesus’ message of reconciliation. (Lk 7:30-31) 

There are a number of reasons why a person might reject an offer of reform, reconciliation, and renewal, but one stands out in the light of the good news contained in John the Baptist’s preaching; it is the bad news about reconciliation.  The bad news about God’s offer of reconciliation and renewal is that one must be willing to extend reconciliation to others in order to experience it oneself. 

All too often, I hear people say that they don’t feel truly forgiven even after having participated in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  As it can’t be the case that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is ineffective in granting forgiveness of sins, the feeling of not being forgiven comes from somewhere else.  Specifically, the inability to experience oneself as having been forgiven is always the result of refusing forgiveness to others. 

If I was asked to guess, I would guess that the people who heard John the Baptist preach but did not take his message to heart were hindered from repentance by their unwillingness to forgive others. 

If you find that you don’t really feel forgiven by God, even after you have participated in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I have good news and bads news for you.  God forgives without limitation, but if you probably won’t feel forgiven until you forgive those who offend you.