Matthew 3:1-12

“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 the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 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; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; 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

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My Two Cents….

I can only imagine that the fiery prophet, John the Baptist, scared children. He frightens me! Fire and brimstone - a call for repentance - chaff burned with unquenchable fire. These are not the warm and fuzzy images that I want to wrap myself in as I cozy up to the crackling flames in my fireplace. Instead, this is the kind of image that makes me want to run away or at least grab a fire extinguisher.

Two things pop into my mind when I read the story of John the Baptist. The first involves the conflict between my discomfort with this passage and the delight that others have with it. "Fire and brimstone" Christians seem to relish using the imagery of hell as a motivation to inspire discipleship. Their image of Jesus is akin to that of a cosmic Santa who is making a list and checking it twice. Naughty or nice? Your answer means more than coal in your stocking.

I have grave concerns with this way of understanding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Not only do such judgmental approaches run afoul of the compassionate ministry of Jesus, as recorded in the scripture, but they form insular communities that have a hard time loving beyond themselves.

The second thought that pops into my mind when I think about John the Baptist is that I need to do some personal inventory. Whereas I don't think John the Baptist's preaching ought to set the tone for Christian preaching, I am aware that I need to pay attention to what he says. Repentance is a need in my life. Like the crowds that went out into the wilderness from Jerusalem and all over Judea, I could use a spiritual realignment.

I have wandered away from the path of loving my neighbor. Heck, I get so caught up in things that I sometimes forget to love those who are closest to me. At times, I don't show love to the first person I see each morning in the mirror. Sometimes, I exhibit a 'lack of love' in what I say and do. At other times, I miss the mark through my inaction and silence.

As much as I don't want to admit it, the way that I'm living heads in a direction opposite of where Jesus wants me to be going. Not always, mind you, but enough of the time that it is problematic. My sinful paths harm my relationships with others.

"Stop! Turn around!" I hear the booming voice of the prophet cry out to me. It's time for adjustment. The kingdom of heaven is at hand.In Christ’s Light,

Walt

Permission granted to share today's content with family and friends.  Copyrighted 2019. Walt Lichtenberger

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