“John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ⁹ Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Luke 3:7-9

John says, “Bear fruits worthy of repentance.”  John calls for a change of life-style that reflects the genuineness of our repentance. By suggesting that false love is no love at all, repentance then, that is not sincere, is not repentance. How do we know that one is truly repentant?  As the old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” How one lives, determines their priorities and commitments, forms their personal relationships, and follows their passion for peace and justice through unplanned acts of compassion, mercy, and love – all of this gives evidence to how we live repentant lives. Understanding that we owe everything to G-d, and understanding that our faith and fruit bear witness to our response to G-d’s love, mercy and grace, then our life-style should be a witness to that relationship with G-d.  We may not feel worthy of grace, but grace is a free gift – from a G-d who loves us unconditionally. That alone should help us to bear fruits worthy of repentance.

Now what are those fruits? Well, we each need to discover our own gifts and how we can share them. Repentance leads to reflection which leads to discernment which leads to action.

Pastor Dave

²² When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”), ²⁴ and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” ²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

²⁹ “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹     which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.” Luke 2:22-32

Joseph and Mary go about the process of fulfilling the requirements of the Jewish law – the baby Jesus is circumcised and Mary performs the rite of purification. And to top it off, they receive G-d’s blessing through the sudden appearance of Simeon and Anna. I think this episode merits careful reflection among modern Christians. We have seen a slow reduction of the observances of religious requirements and rituals in our churches – fewer and fewer children are receiving religious education. Fewer are participating in confirmation, and our churches are reducing the requirements for reception into membership.  We also have seen fewer and fewer adults involved in religious education over the years as our secular world takes over our lives. The Jewish law taught that G-d was to be honored throughout our lives — in our rising up and lying down – in our going out and our coming in — and in how we dress and what we eat. In other words, simple rituals of honoring G-d permeated their everyday lives.

How are we doing in our everyday attempts to honor G-d? How many pray before meals? How many participate in family bible study on a regular basis outside of the church? For many of our friends and neighbors, religious ritual has been reduced to attending church on Christmas and Easter – and the occasional wedding, funeral, or baptism. How far will we allow the rituals of celebrating the presence of G-d in our lives in this society to slide until G-d is considered “retro”, a “throwback”, or “old school?” In other words, how do we help people find G-d again?

Pastor Dave