Weekly Lectionary Spotlight
Jarena Lee | Matthew 3:1-12
December 7, 2025
“In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ … 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. … His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:1-12
Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13;
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“…the Lord made bare his arm; some were arrested under the power of God, and fell to the floor crying for mercy, while believers were strengthened in the faith of Christ”
Jarena Lee
Listen to Dr. Smith’s Weekly Advent Reflection
Scripture: “In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ” Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore, bear fruit worthy of repentance, and 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; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:1-12)
*These AI-generated images are artistic recreations that evoke the world these women inhabited. They are imaginative renderings of their time and faith, not literal likenesses.
Bible Passage
Her Interpretation: Welcome, beloved friends and family, to this Second Sunday of Advent, December 7th, 2025. Today, as we draw nearer to Christmas, let’s read these Bible verses hand-in-hand with the voices of African American women—preachers, writers, artists, and activists—who help us hear the Spirit anew.
In the mid-1830s, in Brooklyn, New York, Jarena Lee preached on verse 12 at Asbury Church, describing a night when “the Lord made bare his arm; some were arrested under the power of God, and fell to the floor crying for mercy, while believers were strengthened in the faith of Christ”. For Lee, Matthew 3:12 is not distant or abstract. It is urgent and alive—God sifting and sorting, not to condemn, but to liberate and renew.
Lee saw the “winnowing fork” and “unquenchable fire” as metaphors of Spirit-driven transformation. The fire isn’t only judgment—it’s revival, mercy, and radical change for those willing to let the animating power of the Spirit infuse their lives. She witnessed bodies stirred, spirits shaken, believers renewed. In her testimony, the threshing floor is both altar and battleground—a place where repentance leads to new life, and hope is kindled by God’s relentless work.
This Advent, Lee calls us to see life as a dynamic, divine gift—full of possibility and immediate for every soul. Matthew 3, as she preaches, it is a summons: step into God’s movement, be sifted, be set free. The goal is always transformation, never mere punishment.
The points below will help you continue to ponder.