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Gospel: Matthew 3: 1-12
John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:
A voice of one crying out in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair
and had a leather belt around his waist.
His food was locusts and wild honey.
At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,
and the whole region around the Jordan
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our father.’
For I tell you,
God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.
Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit
will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,
but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.
I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand.
He will clear his threshing floor
and gather his wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Out of curiosity, I Googled, “funny Christmas card greetings.” Here’s what I found.
One card had a dog sitting in front of a snowman with a twig for an arm. A thought bubble emerged from the dog, who was wondering, “Is he ever going to throw that stick?”
Another said, “Three wise men?” … “Be serious.”
Perhaps my favorite was an older woman seated with sunglasses on, a string of pearls, and a cigarette on her lips. Next to her was the caption: “This year instead of gifts for Christmas, I’m giving everyone my opinion. Buckle up.”
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Any of those Christmas cards would be better received by family and friends than a card sent using the language of John the Baptist in today’s Gospel.
“Repent, you brood of vipers! Merry Christmas!”
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John the Baptist is widely known for his brutal honesty and fire-and-brimstone style of preaching.
But, as stinging as his words can be, he is one of the most important figures in the Bible leading up to Christ. In fact, it’s he who opens the door, allowing Jesus to take center stage. Before John, there had not been a prophet in Israel for four hundred years.
So, when people realized a great prophet was in their midst, they flocked to him in droves.
Today we find John baptizing people along the banks of the Jordan River. Imagine a large group of people standing in line, idly shuffling their feet, their clammy hands in their pockets awaiting their turn.
The simple fact that each has made the journey into the desert is an external admission of an internal wilderness. Something in their life had gone awry.
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Here Matthew makes a sharp distinction between the Jews who genuinely want to amend their lives and the snooping scribes and Pharisees, who are described as merely “coming” to John’s baptism.
The crowds, on the other hand, are soaking wet; they’re actually being baptized after acknowledging their sins.
The religious leaders’ insincerity is what provokes John’s sharp criticism of them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you of the coming wrath? …Produce good fruit of your repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ “
There was a belief in Israel that simply being a descendant of Abraham entitled them to participation in God’s covenant, freeing them from divine judgment. It was other nations – not them – who were defiled or impure.
It would be like Christians saying today, “I had twelve years of Catholic schooling.”
“I was an altar boy.”
“I’m a priest.”
As if having had an experience of the Church, or being culturally Catholic, is enough to get us into heaven.
John brazenly puts that belief to bed.
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Jesus himself speaks about the gate leading into heaven as being narrow. Those who presume themselves safe will say, “Lord, we ate and drank in your presence!” (A possible reference to Eucharist…) And, “We taught in your streets and synagogues!”
Yet, sadly, the Lord may say to some, “I do not know you.”
While the path to salvation has been paved by Christ’s bloody, loving march to Calvary, any person who hopes for eternal life is expected to repent and amend their life. This verb, “repent,” literally means a re-ordering of priorities.
Anyone who does not consistently live with God as number one in their life is in need of repentance. I know, at times, I am. I can hold myself, my schedule, my interests, even my sins as more important or desirable than the Lord.
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Still, we need to temper the fear of divine judgment with the true nature of the Judge. The tribunal we face is not that of public opinion; rather, the pierced, merciful heart of Christ, who has, “loved us and given himself for us.”
Divine judgment is far more about God’s infinite mercy than it is about our shortcomings.
In fact, Christ is so merciful – as evidenced by eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners, and forgiving people like the woman caught in adultery – that, when John the Baptist was being held captive in Herod’s prison, he sent a messenger to Jesus, asking:
“Are you the one who is to come?”
It seems even John, a doomsday prophet, was humbled by Christ’s infinite compassion for humanity.
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Today we might consider: “Where has my life taken a turn into the wilderness? In what ways do I need to repent, returning God to first place in my heart?”
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Many Christmas cards will be sent this season, perhaps even the card warning, “Instead of gifts, I’m giving everyone my opinion. Buckle up.” But the message the Lord sends to us is this:
Repent, and believe in the Gospel.
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Image credits: (1) scottandsadie.wordpress.com (2) My Merry Christmas (3) The Skit Guys