The First Step: Read Matthew 3
Focus Verse: “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadduccees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” (3:7-8)
The Meditation: A God for the godless
I once asked a friend of mine who worked at a coffee shop what was the worst day he had to work.
“Sundays...” he said in a huff.
“Sundays, really?” I asked. “Is it because you can’t get to church and worship yourself?”
“Oh no,” he said. “I’ve just found the rudest people always come into the shop on Sundays.”
“Before church?” I asked. “Or during?”
“Neither,” he said. “After. After church, people come dressed up all nice like they’ve been to church and come in and treat me terribly. They’re rude and obnoxious and insist on getting their own way. No, of all the days I work, Sundays are the worst.”
I don’t know what to think of this. On the one hand, I want to say, “Of course church people act that way. We’re a hospital for sinners, not a country club for saints. There’s no perfect people within our walls. Only imperfect people struggling with their imperfections.”
On the other hand I know that religious people should know better. We should know how to behave and how to act. We should know that our every action reflects upon Christ. What we say and how we say it attracts or repels people from Christ. We should know that.
And we should know better too. Scripture is full of direction on how to act toward our fellow human beings. Paul says: “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4:5). Yet how often are Christians known for their judgement...not their gentleness. By James we are told, “...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”(James 2:17) And yet, right out of church, we pass by those in need, whispering excuses to ourselves, blaming them for their own misfortune. We know we shouldn’t put anything above our worship. After all, Jesus himself says: “You cannot be a slave of two masters...”... but how often do we “miss” church because we think ‘there’s nothing in it for me.’ Or ‘my kids have gone through Sunday School. I don’t need to be there anymore...’ How often have we said we are sinful and need repentance in church but done the very thing we repented of outside the church doors?
Maybe that’s what John the Baptist was thinking too as he watched the religious people of his day come down to the river to be baptized. Maybe that’s why he reserved his harshest words in Matthew for the Sadducees and Pharisees. Those super-religious people coming down for baptism. Maybe that’s why he said what he did...
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fuit in keeping with repentance. And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (vs. 7-10)
John is blunt to say the least...and harsh and judgmental! And to the religious people at that! Bear fruit worthy of repentance. What is John talking about? I don’t need repentance! I don’t need change. What is he implying? That I’m flawed? How dare he! How dare John talk to us, good righteous people like that. How dare he suggest that we’re not living out what we preach and teach and believe! Doesn’t he know who we are? Doesn’t he realize who we are and who we’re related to? Our great-great-grandfather founded this church! Our father helped build the new addition we’re sitting in! We ourselves have served on council ten years running. Who does John think he is?
If John’s words get under our skin, maybe that’s our cue to listen. We too have gone “down to the river” for repentance, only to return and live our lives in exactly the same way as before. We have stood up for confession and forgiveness at church, only to go home and gossip about our neighbor that very night. We’ve gone down to the altar to give our lives to Christ only to return and beat our spouses and children up with our words and deeds.
We are the religious that John is ranting about.
And the criticism will not stop with John. Over and over again, Jesus will take up this theme in Matthew, commenting and interpreting the Torah, encouraging new ways to participate religiously. Jesus will criticize fasting and prayer, giving to the needy and the oaths we make. He will alter the meanings of laws. He will set the bar at an incredible height. He will demand perfection. “Be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect...”
Jesus will, in effect, blow the religious world apart. Those who think they’re secure in their own righteousness will find the rug pulled up on them. Those who are confident that they have the answers, will find themselves sadly mistaken. Jesus will take up repentance and demand that everything is laid at God’s feet. Everything!
This Christmas, amid all the many things we’ve determined to give God, may the Holy Spirit help us give our hearts to God. May He open our eyes to the avenues of repentance he is calling us to. And may He enable us to make meaningful changes to our lives, becoming fruitful trees of righteousness for the world to taste and see Christ. Amen.
Questions to ponder...
1) Think of your experience with religious people. Were those experiences good or bad? What stuck out in your mind about your experiences?
2) Would you consider yourself a religious person? Why or why not? How do you take John’s words if you are? Do they apply to you?
3) If you were approached this way, would you change your life? What brings people to truly change how they live?
A Prayer to Pray...
Almighty God, your servant and prophet, John the Baptist, crying out on the banks of the River Jordan still calls us to repentance and change to preparing for your coming. Inspire and enable true repentance in us, that what we say and do might reflect the love of Christ within us, in whose name we live and die and pray, Amen.
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