Calling Out to You
(Matthew 3:1-12 below)
John the Baptist, First Baptist, no less....Sorry, couldn't resist. John was Jesus' first cousin. Nothing is said of their relationship prior to their adulthood. Sometimes I wish we had more fill in the blank info on the years not recorded in scripture. John and Jesus had to have known each other growing up. In John's adulthood, he has either been called by God and/or seen who Jesus really is and has gone forth to notify the world of the impending ministry of Jesus. John has seen who Jesus is and John knows what he must do. As so many who come face to face with Jesus and so many that have come to Jesus since, John has to tell, John can't keep quiet, John wants EVERYONE to know.
John is in the desert. People have to come out to him, away from their homes. They are told to make straight paths for the Lord. I think this is quite telling. We are told to come to Jesus, leave our earthly ways, venture into an area where we are totally dependent, a desert of sorts, void of our earthly comforts. The story is telling us, pull away from the things holding you, come out to an area of total dependence, one where you aren't the provider, one where God provides.
Let's look deeper at John. He's one of a long list of Biblical misfits - those that society wouldn't see as significant, intelligent, having any purpose to attract any attention, except maybe scoffing and stares. God does with John as he often did in the Bible and in our day today. He calls John out to speak for Him. Calls him right where he is. Just as he is. John is probably one of the original granola and spring water folks. Not looking for attention, fame, fortune - just looking to do what God called him to do. And do it, he did. John called out for people to repent and be baptized. Called them to make a straight path for the Lord. Give God a straight path to their heart. The people confessed their sin and were baptized. Washed clean on the inside with an outward show of faithfulness.
The religious leaders came out to see what was causing people to go into the desert. John sees them, knows their purpose, maybe he can feel that they and their like are afraid of a personal, faith driven belief, not a belief on laws, regulations, connecting all the dots to favor with God. John has most likely grown up around these legalists and sees their teachings connected to the Law as a soon to be way of the past. He calls them a brood of vipers. A family of snakes. A community that breeds evil, a system that drives people away from God, a method of self dependence, not God dependence. John strikes right at their faith - don't rely on your past, your heritage, your rules of living. Instead John tells them, they must produce repentant fruit, fruit that is aligned with living a Godly life, not following stringent rule based religion. John then tells them that the ax is going to fall on their system of belief, their years of structure and law. He goes on to let them know that they aren't special. If God wants children who are "dumb as rocks", He will raise up the rocks to be "children of Abraham". What a blow this must have dealt to the religious leaders of the day. Can you see that in today's church? Let's see how it might go: The head of the administrative council goes to the pastor and states, "You know, our family, two generations ago started this church. We have always been here every Sunday, tithing faithfully, teaching Sunday school, why if it weren't for us, Sunday nights and Wednesday night services wouldn't even exist. But you know, our family has always been the owner of xyz, inc. and our largest client is the establishment you preached against on Sunday. Our family can't have you down talking our money source - you understand, don't you?" Now, just as then, the true faith in God will be the divining rod, the standard by which life will be measured. Jesus is coming to cut down the legality and emptiness of their religion and plant seeds of love, seeds of grace, forgiveness and joy. Jesus will be doing away with the hollow existence and live with us.
John goes on to say that his water baptism will be replaced by baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire. A baptism that will not only cleanse the repentant person, one that will set afire with the Spirit of God to serve and follow Jesus - the Spirit that will change the world. John relegates himself as a lowly servant not worthy to carry Jesus' sandals. A humble gesture to point to the true saving power, not to himself. John then states that Jesus will be harvesting the wheat and burning up the chaff, an uncomfortable picture, but one of accuracy as to the final judgement that we all will face.John has announced Jesus' coming. The common people have recognized the need for repentance and the "religious" ones are scoffing at the possibilities of this message that John is bringing. We are all searching in a wilderness for that "God shaped hole" that is in us all. Let us find Jesus, count ourselves as humble servants and continue to change the world with Jesus working through us.
1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 3This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' "[a]
4John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10The 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.
11"I baptize you with[b] water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
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