This passage begins with John the Baptist preaching in Judea that God's kingdom is near and lives must be changed. Many people gathered to hear his message and confessed their sins and baptized into changed lives.
The part that stood out to me the most were verses 7-10, where the Pharisees and Sadducees come to get baptized because everyone else seemed to be doing it. They may have also wanted a quick fix to be prepared for God's arrival. You could sense John the Baptist's frustration with them when he says:
"You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit with keeping in repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' because God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
It's obvious that John the Baptist could not stand those that try to take advantage of God's grace, as if they deserve it or are entitled to it. He completely calls them out and explains the reality of the situation. I relate much more to the Pharisees and Sadducees in this passage. Not that I feel entitled to enter God's kingdom, but I often think that if I do certain things it will increase my chances of eternal life. For example, doing my QT's everyday or praying every morning on a consistent basis is all I need to do in order to be "safe."
But I know it's more than that. I need a life change that is accordance to God's will. What is His will for me or you? I know it's in His word and that's where I ought to start.
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6 comments:
I definitely agree with you Esther that I so often fall into the trap of thinking like the Pharisees and Sadducees. I just go through the motions or 'rituals' to keep me on the 'safe' side.
So thankful for God's grace that he forgives me over and over and accepts me even though I do not deserve. I'm also thankful that we are starting this daily reading and accountability so we can all stay in the Word and try not to fall into the same traps.
...I identify myself with the P's and the S guys too! but like Christine, am thankful for the God of 2nd chances and He who provides godly friends to keep accountability... praise God for this blog!
what an excellent commentary, esther! i think you've analyzed the passage exactly right.
it's easy to despise the pharisees and sadducees except that we're so much like them.
they were concerned only with appearing outwardly righteous.
as long as they didn't do "bad" things, went to church, gave their tithes, and did their religious duties, they thought they were in God's kingdom.
can we identify with this thought process?
but john reminds us that the gospel is concerned with something infinitely greater. "even now the axe is laid to the ROOT of the trees" (v 10).
God means to deal with the heart, the "root" of the person, out of which all words, actions, intentions, desires and motives flow.
how do we know we are God's children and have truly repented and been born again?
why, we "bear fruit in keeping with repentance" (v 8). if our lives do not consistently bear this fruit, then we are not in the kingdom. plain and simple.
for "every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire" (v 10).
may God give us ears to hear and the heart to believe the words we have read today.
I agree with you too, Esther. I'm totally a Pharisee and Sadducee. It's easy to justify our faith and that we are Christians with the deeds that we do for the church or each other. We are lead astray so easily because we focus so much on logistics of Christianity and judge our walk with God through our deeds alone and not by our faith like the Pharisees did.
God's love is truly amazing because He can love such flawed people enough that He would even to send people like John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. He sends people into our lives to make way for the Holy Spirit but are we too stubborn to open our ears and listen?
Thank you for a good post Esther! I confess that I was the one who was like Pharisees and Sadducees thinking I get to get all the privilege of God's children since I'm a paster's kid.
Speaking of bearing good fruit, it is important to ask ourselves if I'm a good tree or not. Then, what's good fruit? As I believe the good fruit should be 'change of my life' and 'change of lives of people aroud me'. To achieve these, we need to be a good tree stood on God's words and prayer. Are you a good tree bearing good fruit?
Today, I was convicted of the importance of what kind of heart/attitude we come to God with.
I realized that often times, it's for our sake not so much for God we seek Him-i.e., as Esther pointed out, to be "safe". I do often turn to God to feel safe from my troubles and to pray for the safety of others that might be facing troubles... Today was not so special or extraordinary but I feel so blessed to realize how much God wants us to seek Him to know and worship Him. As sinners, we can't know or worship Him without first turning from our sinful ways. Perhaps that's why the first preaching we hear from John the Baptist is for all to repent. Today I felt God's desire for us to turn to Him and come to know and worship Him...and all these things will be given on to you. For a heart that is reconciled to God, there is no room for needless worries or wants or even empty rituals and routines. I also remembered that repentance should be a daily exercise. I pray that as we turn to God each day, we will all "bear fruit in keeping with repentance" on a daily basis.
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