Subtitled: the little Lord Jesus, no sabre he takes?? It's an interesting concept and I've thought about it too - but no time to go see this year, so I'll be doing the "Christmas adverts" for Midnight I think! Someone this last week reflected on it for Thought for the Day (R4), I recall it was rather good...

Enjoyed this John. JTB seems to be a paradox, reigning fire and brimstone, then telling them to go home and share their possessions, not to cheat or extort money from others. Were Jesus' sermons written back into John's ministry or can these two images of John be reconciled? I rather like the line, 'be worthy of your repentance' as it calls people into dialogue with what is going on, rather than judgement being something far off at the end of time - if your come to be baptised - let it change your behaviour! Pob Bendith from the wet hills of North Wales

Hi John, Good to see you are back in action as it were. This is good and not a million miles from where mine went yesterday either! I always appreciate this passage, because the theologising of John seems to melt into the background. (for once!)