Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

Matthew 5:6

Last night I went to the cinema with my wife, Claire, to see Selma. This is a fascinating film that tells the story of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s attempts to enable African Americans to exercise their right to vote. Led by Martin Luther King, the SCLC sought to organise a march from Selma to Montgomery, the state capital of Alabama, to highlight their cause to George Wallace, the Governor of Alabama. This was no easy feat, since their efforts were hampered by many of those in positions of authority. Despite the non-violent nature of the protests, the authorities frequently turned violent, leading to the brutal deaths of many of those involved. What impressed me so much about the story was the way in which the Church was willing to stand up for the moral rights of African Americans, and to help the downtrodden to gain their political freedom. For me, it represented just one more example of Christians standing up for the oppressed and taking a stand to transform the world in which we live.

In this beatitude, Jesus tells us that the people of God will ‘hunger and thirst for righteousness’. They will strive to live in a way that is worthy of God, a way that represents and mirrors his righteousness. Being righteous, of course, is not what gains us entry to God’s kingdom; that can come only through acknowledging and repenting of our sins, and pledging ourselves to Christ. Having given ourselves to Christ, however, we should choose to live righteously. We should, in fact, ‘hunger and thirst’ for righteousness. Being righteous should be a key focus of our lives.

What does this look like? What does it mean to be righteous? There is of course a personal element here. We should devote our lives to serving Christ personally. We should seek to avoid sinfulness and strive for purity of thought and action. We should ensure that our love of Christ guides us through every decision we make and in every interaction with others. We should stand out as followers of Christ to those around us, marking ourselves as different to the wider world. By extension, though, we should seek to establish God’s righteous kingdom in the world. We should be leading proponents of social action, serving those who are less fortunate than ourselves, speaking up against injustice, and enabling all of our fellow humans to know God’s love. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference saw a social ill and set about trying to change the situation, to make things right. This kind of action must surely be a crucial element of our calling.

Our hunger and thirst for righteousness won’t be satiated until Christ comes again in glory. It is at this point that we ‘will be filled’. I wonder how hungry and thirsty we feel at the moment, though? Are we aware of our hunger and thirst? Or are we more attuned to the world in which we live rather than the Kingdom of Heaven, and therefore fail to notice that hunger and thirst for righteousness deep within us. Jesus is clear that a blessing awaits those whose deepest desire is to see God’s righteousness reflected in the world; we will gain spiritual fulfilment in his kingdom. Why not pray today that you will hunger and thirst for righteousness? Why not pray that you will be motivated to strive for personal and social righteousness right now?

Blessed are the meek

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5

Many years ago I found myself on the management training programme of a major company. It proved to be an interesting experience. I found that I naturally have a fairly quiet and gentle management style, which was not to the taste of my bosses. They sent me on a week-long residential course called ‘Developing Management Skills’, which they told me would ‘break me down’ and mould me into the kind of manager that they expected me to be. Actually, completely the reverse was true. I came away convinced that my way of managing people was not just effective, but potentially more effective than the style favoured by my bosses – the bombastic, borderline bullying approach. The course did, however, teach me that I should not always accept at face value what people tell me, but must be willing to fight my corner when necessary.

Time and time again the world tells us that in order to get on in life we have to be forceful, strident and not afraid to trample over people in order to succeed. That is not the impression we get from this beatitude, though. Whilst the world might be surprised to hear that it is the ‘meek’ who ‘will inherit the earth’, those of us who follow Christ should not be. Here once again we see the counter-cultural message that Jesus brings to his followers. Jesus was not afraid to exert himself on occasions, but the overriding image we get of him in the gospels is of someone who was gentle and humble in the face of others. Since, as Christ’s followers, we are striving to make ourselves more like him, we should follow his example and aspire to meekness.

Where will this get us, though? Is it possible to progress in our careers if we strive to be meek? Maybe not – but then we have a far higher calling as Christians than to a senior leadership role in our business. Equally, though, it could be said that any company that expects its staff to trample over each other and stab their colleagues in the back for promotion is one in which we should not be happy to work; perhaps we’re better off seeking other employment. The ultimate calling of Christians is to be citizens of the kingdom of heaven – God’s kingdom both here on earth right now, and after our bodies have died. If we follow Christ, the Bible describes us as ‘co-heirs with Christ’ (Romans 8:17). Since the earth and everything in it belongs to Christ, we will ultimately inherit the earth – just as Jesus tells us we will in this beatitude. What better reason could we have for working to live lives that are meek?

I personally find this beatitude very tricky. It’s very tricky to be meek in the western world today. We are conditioned to be pushy, to stand up for ourselves, to push ourselves forward, and to strive for success. Trying to do one’s best in the career in which we have been placed whilst also being gentle and humble is incredibly difficult. That is how we are called to live, though. I will be praying in the coming days that the Holy Spirit will work within me to make me meek like Christ. Will you join me in this prayer?

Blessed are the poor in spirit

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:3

I once found myself caught in the midst of a rather tricky situation in our school. The Head of Lower School announced his retirement, and the Headmaster advertised the vacancy within our school. One of my friends (we’ll call him Roger), who had put in many years of distinguished service, including well over a decade as a form tutor in the Lower School, applied for the post. Roger was convinced that he would be given the job. He felt that he was entitled to the job. Meanwhile, another friend (we’ll call her Jennifer), who had only worked in the school for a couple of years, and was a Sixth Form tutor, also applied. When Jennifer got the job, Roger was absolutely furious. He was convinced that there had been behind the scenes machinations that led to him being passed over for the job that he felt was rightfully his. Of course, there was nothing of the sort. Jennifer got the job because she had proven herself to be a good candidate and got the job entirely on merit.

I often come across people like Roger in the context of gaining salvation. People tell me that, since ‘my’ God is loving, and they have led a good life, they will get into heaven. Other people seem to think that because they have given money to the church, or chaired the PCC, or led services, their place in heaven is assured. They believe that they are entitled to their place in God’s kingdom. Of course, these people might well have gained their salvation, but if they have, it certainly isn’t because of anything that they have done.

The first beatitude must have come as a bit of a wake up call for Jesus’ listeners, and indeed it should to us too. It is the ‘poor in spirit’ who will find their way into God’s kingdom. The poor in spirit are those who acknowledge their weaknesses, who accept that they are nothing more than wretched sinners, who accept that they are absolutely nothing if they do not crawl to the cross of Christ for forgiveness. If we want to be assured of our salvation, if we wish to be citizens of the kingdom of heaven – both in this life and the next – then we must confront our own weakness and our own failings. We must turn to Christ and admit that without him we are worthless, and ask for him to have mercy on us. We must accept that it is only through a genuine relationship with him that our future hope is secure.

Jesus’ statement that it is the poor in spirit who have a claim on the kingdom of heaven should be seen not just as a statement, but as an urgent call to us all to examine ourselves closely. Are we ‘poor in spirit’? Do we approach Christ aware of our own wretchedness? Do we pledge everything we have, everything we are, to serving him? It is worth reflecting on this today and in the weeks ahead.

The wisdom of heaven

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.

He said:

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
‘Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:1-12

Every morning I catch the 0635 from Haywards Heath to Clapham Junction. This is not a fun experience. The struggle begins on the platform where there’s always one person who chooses to stand between me and the edge of the platform. Then there are those who try to push me out of the way in order to beat me onto the train. If I am lucky enough to get one of the remaining seats I have to endure the ‘tutters’, who think it is a great imposition when someone sits next to them. To make their displeasure clear they sit with their legs as widely apart as us humanly possible, and stick their ribs into my side for the whole journey. Then there is the joy of the commuter sat opposite who refuses to give me any room for my legs. On more than one occasion my legs have taken a brutal kicking from a commuter opposite me who believed that he should be allowed more space.

Now, the temptation for the Christian commuter is to descend to the level of the ordinary rail user. It is very tempting to push through the crowds to be first onto the train, to knock people down who dare to get in the way, and to lay claim to the space around them by spreading out their arms and legs as much as possible. After all, the winner of this particular game is the person who manages to grab as much of the cramped space as it is possible to do so.

Today’s passage is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, often recognised as the most important part of Jesus’ teaching. Jesus has withdrawn from the crowds and climbed a mountain to teach his disciples. He begins by giving his disciples nine qualities that represent the characteristics of someone who is living in the Kingdom of God. In other words, here we see nine traits that Jesus expected his disciples – and us – to live up to in our lives.

These traits all turn the wisdom of the world on its head. They are what we might describe as ‘counter cultural’, that is, they go against the culture of the world in which we live. Jesus wants his followers to be poor in spirit, to know that they are inadequate. He wants them to be mourners, to be meek, to hunger after Godliness, to be merciful, and be pure in heart. Jesus expects his followers to be peacemakers, yet be persecuted. He says his followers will be blessed when they are insulted and lied about.

The world looks at these beatitudes and sees folly. It is not the meek who are powerful in their eyes; they are the ones who are trampled into the dust of the world. It is not those who set out to make peace who achieve glory, but those who lead triumphant armies. It is not those who acknowledge their own weaknesses that become great, but those who put a positive spin on their character, their personality and their achievements.

This, though, is the way of God’s kingdom. Those who will achieve glory in God’s kingdom are those who accept their weaknesses and their failings, who put their needs and demands behind God’s priorities for their lives. To be ‘blessed’ by God means making oneself a servant to those around us, being willing to turn the other cheek, to not join in the madness on commuter trains but to leave others to their foolishness and rise above it.

How hard that is. How difficult it is to consciously go against the flow of the world . But how great the reward that follows for those who choose to live this way, for they will be blessed by God. They will inherit the earth, and the very kingdom of God itself.

So why not today and in the days ahead try to live in a way that is counter-cultural, to leave the world to its foolishness, and instead embrace the blessed lifestyle of a follower of Christ.

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Matthew 4:17

My parents took me to church from a very young age. As a child, there are various stages of church life. Initially, I sat at the back and played with toys from a large, brown, plastic box. As I got a little older I attended Sunday School, leaving the grown ups in peace. Then, when I reached an age deemed to be old enough, I stayed in church for the sermon, and attended Sunday School after that. It was at this stage that I started to think that, actually, church was quite dull. I had no real interest in listening to some bloke at the front droning on about something or other. That was probably true until I went to university, and was persuaded by a friend to attend a church in a village close to our campus. It was there that I discovered that actually, preaching could be interesting, thought-provoking, and, dare I say it, incredibly powerful. After listening to the vicar of the church I few times, the sermons actually became the highlight of the service rather than the dull bit sandwiched between the songs.

There is something about listening to a powerful preacher faithfully expounding the word of God that has the ability to make a person sit up and think. I have not the slightest doubt that Jesus was just such a powerful preacher. Certainly preaching was of vital importance to Jesus; it is one of the very first things we see him do.

In today’s verse, we see Matthew’s first record of Jesus preaching. And what a way to start. He didn’t kick off with a humorous anecdote but went straight for the jugular, just as John the Baptist had done. “Repent!” Jesus commands. “Turn away from your sin, ask for forgiveness from God, and start a fresh, new life,” he essentially says. He knows that left to our sin we are dead. Jesus does not want that, since he loves all people. His number one priority for those listening to him was to accept that they were sinners and renounce evil.

Why is it so important for Jesus to make this his opening statement in his teaching ministry? Because “the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Through his life, and his subsequent death, Jesus began ushering God’s kingdom into the world. Ultimately we will not fully experience God’s kingdom until after death and judgement, but it has nevertheless “come near.” Those people who follow Jesus’ commandment to repent are citizens of the kingdom of heaven, ambassadors of Christ in a sinful world. And the day will come when our current world of sin will pass away, and the kingdom of heaven will be fully revealed. That’s why it is so important to repent; it is our only hope of gaining citizenship of the coming kingdom, the kingdom that is now near, but someday will be here.

What can we learn from today’s passage? Well, we see the importance in Jesus’ mind of quality preaching that does not duck from the central issues of the gospel. Secondly, Jesus calls on all of us to repent, and turn from our sins. Finally, Jesus makes it clear that the kingdom of heaven has come near; if we repent we are almost like the advance party of the kingdom, waiting for the day when it will full come. Why not join with me in saying sorry to God today, and making a resolution to consciously avoid sin and temptation so that we might be better citizens of the kingdom of heaven?

Man shall not live on bread alone

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:1-4

I’ve always struggled to know precisely what elements make up a square meal. It’s something like protein, carbohydrate, and vegetables – I think? Having got that far I struggle with what protein and carbohydrates actually are! Am I right that meat is protein, and that potatoes and pasta are carbohydrates? What about rice? Despite my appalling lack of knowledge (which I promise to rectify post haste) I have, somehow, managed to remain fit and healthy!

I like today’s verses because they place the importance of diligent Bible study right up there with food as a source of nourishment. Jesus, having been baptised by John, found himself driven by the Spirit into the wilderness in preparation for his ministry. Whilst there he finds himself tempted by the Devil. Jesus chose to fast, and by the time the Devil appears in the verses above, I should think that Jesus must have been rather hungry. The Devil spies this potential chink in Jesus’ armour and goes straight for it. You’re hungry, the Devil seems to be saying to Jesus, and you’re powerful. You’re the Son of God, he says. Why not just command the rocks to become bread and you won’t be hungry? Jesus knows what the Devil is up to, though. He knows that he is identifying his weaknesses and attacking him in these areas.

How does Jesus respond to the Devil’s temptation? By showing the importance of God’s Word. By quoting scripture (Deuteronomy 8:3), Jesus shows that a thorough knowledge of the Bible is a useful defence against the Devil and can stop him at a stroke. By quoting the verse he does, Jesus also makes clear that food for our bodies is not enough to truly sustain us. We also need to feast on “every word that comes from the mouth of God” to sustain our souls. We need to nourish our souls with God’s word, as well as nourishing our bodies with food, if we are to lead healthy lives.

Every day I struggle to find time to read the Bible. Most days I find myself fighting tiredness, or poor concentration, or just general busyness as I try to read God’s word, the Bible. Yet Jesus is absolutely convinced of the importance of feasting on the word of God. If we don’t nourish our bodies, they will become weak, and eventually wither and die. The same is true of our souls – if we don’t nourish them, they will wither and die. We need to make the study of God’s word a key priority in our lives. Maybe, like me, you find this a struggle. But maybe, like me, you’ll keep recommitting yourself and try to find time each and every day to feast on “every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

At that moment, heaven was opened

As soon as Jesus was baptised, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:16-17

The Baptism of ChristThe first half of the Lent term for me is full of Parents’ Evenings. I had two Year 8 Parents’ Evenings last week, and I have a Year 6 Parents’ Evening next week. These events are usually fine; yes, I probably would rather be at home with my wife, but there is something quite nice about being able to sit down with the parents’ of one’s pupils and discuss their son or daughter’s progress with them. This is especially true if their child is performing well, but is even the case if they are not; Parents’ Evenings are a great opportunity to discuss potential problems and work on a resolution. It is always fun, too, to watch pupils’ faces as they sit down; they are usually well aware of if they are about to receive high praise, of if the interview is going to be a little more awkward for them. It is an absolute delight to watch the faces of pupils who receive praise; they are so happy to be told that their teacher is pleased with them and that they are doing well.

In the verses above we witness the moment when Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. John baptised him with water for repentance, even though he knew Jesus to be entirely free from sin and blameless in the eyes of God. He pushed him beneath the waters of the river Jordan, which represented cleansing from sin, and rebirth into God’s kingdom. As Jesus was symbolically ‘born again’ and came up out of the waters, three incredible things happened.

Firstly, ‘heaven was opened’. The borders between the kingdoms of Earth and God’s heavenly kingdom, which had been closed since the fall of humanity were reopened. Jesus was installed as God on Earth, as Immanuel, as he began his work to draw humanity back to God and enable humankind to enter God’s kingdom. This foreshadowed the work that would be completed by Jesus’ death on the cross on Good Friday and his subsequent resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Secondly, the Spirit of God, taking on the appearance of a dove, descended from heaven and landed on Jesus. Jesus had always been both fully God and fully man, a consequence of his parentage, but at this point, in case there was any doubt at all, the Holy Spirit anointed Jesus as the one sent from heaven.

Finally, God proclaimed from heaven, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased’. God the Father identified Jesus as his son, declaring that Jesus was indeed the Messiah that had been promised through the ages. The Messiah was not merely a representative of God, however, as many had thought. The Messiah was in fact the son of God, God born into the world as a human being to live and work amongst us. The message of love, of hope, of eternal life was too important and too earth shattering to be entrusted to any ordinary human being; the message that God wants his people to hear is so important that he sent his son to preach the Gospel.

Not only that but God so desperately wanted to restore humanity to its pre-fall condition that he was willing to sacrifice his only son to redeem the world. And God knew that Jesus would do this, and do this well. He did not need to wait for Jesus to act in order to lavish praise upon him.

God did not love Jesus for anything that he had done, but for the simple virtue that he was his son. At the time of his baptism, Jesus had yet to perform miracles, heal the sick, teach the crowds, and certainly had not yet been nailed to the cross, died, and risen to life again. Yet just for being his son, God was proud to state that Jesus was his own and to declare his love for him. Unlike my pupils who I tend to praise after the event, God praised his son right at the start of his ministry.

There is so much for us to take in within these two simple verses. We see Jesus identifying with us in our sin, and choosing to be baptised. We see Jesus anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Son of God. And we see God proclaiming his love for Jesus, a love based solely on Jesus’ identity, and not on his actions. We begin to see the Trinity of God at work.

There are important lessons for us, too. If Jesus, free from sin as he was, chose to be baptised, we should take this rite very seriously, and if we have not been baptised, consider whether this is something we should do. If we have been baptised we are reminded of the importance of our baptismal vows, that we have renounced sin and turned to follow Christ. Do we live in a way that reflects this? Finally, do we love our families, our friends, and our fellow people simply because of who they are, or do we base our love solely on their actions? True, unconditional love has no limits or restrictions. What an important reminder that is this morning!

It is proper to do this to fulfil all righteousness

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, ‘I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?’

Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.’Then John consented.

Matthew 3:13-15

I’m always slightly nervous doing something when I know that there are people around who could do it better. When I played my flute in a church ensemble in Colchester, I was very aware that the other musicians around me were much better than me. The violinist I sat next to had a PhD in music, after all! I feel the same when I’m preaching in church; there will always be people in the congregation who I know could do a far better job than me. Indeed, I feel the same way posting my Biblical reflections onto the internet; there are many, many people out there who could do a much better job of explaining God’s word than I can. You may be one of those people!

I imagine that John the Baptist may have felt like this to an extent in the verses above. He had been baptising people in the river Jordan in recognition that they had repented of their sins and determined to live a better life for God. All the while John had been speaking of a more powerful person who would come after him, who would baptise not with water but with the Holy Spirit and fire. Then, who should turn up, but the very person he had been speaking of – his cousin, Jesus, the Son of God, the promised Messiah. I imagine that on seeing Jesus he as only too happy to stand aside and let him take over. John knew that whilst he was only a prophet, Jesus was God himself.

John was understandably shocked, therefore, when Jesus told his cousin that the reason he had come to the river was to be baptised – by John! John tried to argue with Jesus, saying, ‘I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?’ He was incredulous at Jesus’ request. He knew that Jesus had no need of baptism. He had baptised with water for repentance. Implicit within his baptism was the idea that people were sinful and needed to repent. Yet Jesus, the Son of God, was free of sin. He had no need to repent, and therefore the symbolism of baptism was unnecessary.

Jesus told John that yes, John should baptise him, and that he needed to do so right now. He told John, ‘let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness’. Jesus knew that if he was to fulfil the role that God had marked out for him, he needed to identify himself fully with his people, the ordinary sinners of the world. How else would he be able to take the sins of the world on his shoulders and die to save humanity if he had not fully identified with us in our sinfulness? What we see in Jesus’ request was his foreknowledge of what was to come. He knew and understood his principle mission, and he knew that this would lead him to death on the cross.

In these few verses we get our first glimpse of Jesus as an adult. And we already see him determined to identify himself with ordinary people – the people he had come to save. Jesus was ‘Immanuel’ – God with us. Here, right at the beginning of his ministry, Jesus is keen to identify himself with the rest of humanity, sinners who have turned their backs on God. What a remarkable picture that is, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, passionate to know and understand us in our sin.

He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire

I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His 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.

Matthew 3:11

My wife recently took me to see Noah and the Whale perform at the Brixton Academy in London. She had managed to keep it a surprise and I was thrilled when I found out that we were off to see one of my favourite bands perform live. Noah and the Whale have produced some brilliant tunes in recent years, and once I’d found out who we were going to see I couldn’t wait for them to take to the stage. Unfortunately, before they appeared we had to sit through forty minutes from the support act. Now, they were okay, don’t get me wrong, but they had neither the talent nor the music of the main act.

John the Baptist often often gets overlooked as merely the support act, warming up the crowds before Jesus appeared. That is perhaps a little unfair; he was an incredible prophet who came bearing the news that the long-awaited messiah was shortly to arrive! And that is what we see in today’s verses. We see John at the river Jordan baptising the crowds in anticipation of what was to come. A baptism by John was by no means meaningless; after all, in the verses that follow, Jesus himself chose to be baptised by John. John’s baptism was an important sign; by being baptised a person was showing that they had repented of their sin, had turned to follow God, and begun a new life of service to the Lord, the creator.

John is happy to share that Jesus’ baptism would be even more significant. “He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire,” he proclaims. Baptism by Christ, or baptism into Christ – the baptism that we celebrate in the Church to his day – signifies not only that a person has chosen to repent of their sins. Baptism is a sign that shows that they have asked the Holy Spirit into their lives. It is symbolic of accepting the power of God himself into every aspect of their person, their hearts, their minds, their souls. Baptism signifies that they have pledged to follow Christ, and to allow God to work in them, and to guide their thoughts, their words and their actions. Baptism in Christ is symbolic of a complete transformation of a life. A baptised person is demonstrating to the world that they have opted not to live a life dictated by their own whims and desires, but have pledged that they will make a concerted effort to live the life that God has marked out for them.

Baptism is also a sign that a person has been marked as one of God’s people. The baptised person, therefore, will be safe from God’s judgement. By dedicating their lives to following Christ, God’s holy fire has cleansed their soul and purged it of sin. As a consequence, a Christian will not face the fire of damnation, but can be assured that they will instead experience eternal life with God in his heavenly kingdom.

John had a clear understanding of baptism. His words should serve as a reminder to those of us who have been baptised of the transformation that our lives should have experienced. Are we still dedicated every day we live, every breath we breathe, every word we say, every action we take, every thought we think, to serving Christ? Or have we become stale in our inaction? For those who have not been baptised, John’s words could perhaps serve as a call to seek out baptism. Perhaps it’s time to take the plunge?

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance

But when he [John the Baptist] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptising, he said to them: ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And 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. The axe has been laid to the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Matthew 3:7-10

In the verses above we witness John the Baptist at his most ferocious. He had established himself as an intriguing figure and on the day in question, he was to be found baptising people in the river Jordan. Earlier in the chapter Matthew records that John had attracted people ‘from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan’. Huge crowds of people had flocked to him in order to be baptised. They were confessing their sins in the hope of obtaining God’s forgiveness and receiving a fresh start. Clearly he had caused quite a stir in the area.

Indeed, as we read in the verses above, John had made such a splash that he attracted the interest of the Jewish religious leaders. The Pharisees and Sadducees, keen to see what all the fuss was about, took a trip down to the river to see what John was up to. On seeing them, John lashed out at them, calling them a ‘brood of vipers’. He spoke of ‘the coming wrath’, the judgement that could lead in one of two directions: eternal life or eternal death. John was in no doubt about the fate of the religious leaders.

John was extremely critical of the religiosity of the leaders and their belief that this would be enough to redeem their souls and gain them eternal life. Whilst they were outwardly showing remorse for their sins, John clearly did not believe that they had shown true repentance. If they had, they would be producing fruit, showing outward signs of their relationship with God. That fruit was lacking, however. There was nothing in their actions or their words that showed that they had a true relationship with God. John concluded, therefore, that these prominent figures had not truly repented of their sins; their remorse was lacking, and their religion was merely theatre, intended to gain the admiration and respect of their communities. In reality, John could see that spiritually, they were rotten to the core.

John warns of the consequences of failing to truly repent. “Every tree that does not produce good fruit,” he said, “will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” This would be the future of the Pharisees and Sadducees unless they changed their ways and truly turned to God. Since they were not bearing fruit, their lives would end and they would be forced to endure the fires of hell.

John knew that the religious leaders of the time were convinced that their historical connections and their their position in religious society would lead to their salvation. They had clearly been known to announce that they were, after all, the children of Abraham, the great father of the Jewish faith. They believed that this was sufficient to win favour with God. John could not be more critical of this attitude. Being a child of Abraham does not have the weight that they thought it had. Indeed, John knew that it was largely irrelevant. If God was simply looking for children of Abraham to welcome to his kingdom, he could make the stones on the ground into more deserving candidates for salvation than the Pharisees and Sadducees. Relying on historical connections was not enough to gain acceptance by God.

John understood that if anyone was to gain a place in God’s kingdom of heaven, there was one thing that they need to do; repent of their sins. This was his clarion call, “repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come.” The repentance that John was calling for was true repentance, however, repentance that leads to changed lives, to lives that outwardly display and reflect the love of God.

These powerful words of John the Baptist give us much food for thought. If we claim to follow Christ, clearly we should examine ourselves, our attitudes and our actions. Do we think that we have gained salvation simply because we attend Church every week, or because we’re on the coffee rota, or because we serve on the PCC? Do we think that we have been saved because of who our parents, or grandparents, or great-grandparents were? If we do, John wants us to be clear that we are wrong. The only way to gain admission to the kingdom of heaven is by repenting of our sins, saying that we are sorry to God, turning from evil, and allowing his love to transform our lives.

I wonder if all those of us who claim to be Christians really do ‘produce fruit in keeping with repentance’? Do we love God? Do we love our neighbours? Have our lives truly known the transformational love of Christ, who took on our sins when he died on the cross? Or do we claim to be Christians but in reality continue living as if we are not?