Wednesday / Fruit of Repentance
Read Matthew 3: 7-10 (NLT)
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
Think
The Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to John for baptism, which seems like a good thing. But John knew they were only hedging their bets–trying to have it both ways. By following their laws strictly, but also getting baptized for their sins, they were making sure they were covered. In his anger at their hypocrisy, John tried to explain that it didn’t matter what outward show they displayed. What they needed was to actually live lives that showed they had repented. They were supposed to bear fruit that showed the change in their hearts.
I think John got so angry because he knew they wouldn’t really change. They were just making a show of religious observance. What they only wanted was to have the best of everything, including an easy road to salvation. But true salvation requires work and obedience. The Pharisees and Sadducees wanted an easy path. But their lives didn’t produce the good fruit which would have shown their true repentance.
I’m often guilty of wanting the easy way, too. I get lazy and skimp on my Bible and prayer time. I decide it’s OK to skip Worship one week, I tell someone I’ll pray for them, but then forget to. Sure, these may seem like small things, but really, they’re all signs of selfishness in me. I decide my own ease, comfort, and desires are more important than the Spiritual Disciplines God wants me to follow.
My faith journey has all these currents of ebb and flow; times of growth and stagnation. But, ultimately, I need to keep close to God, so I keep producing the fruit God truly wants from me.
Pray
Heavenly Creator, you know me completely; You know my heart and my true motives. I know how you want me to live, but sometimes I just can’t resist taking the easy road. Forgive me and guide me back onto the path you choose for me. Help me to stick to your plan and produce good fruit for you, fruit that shows the true repentance of my heart. Amen.
Do
Spend some time considering the various Spiritual Disciplines. There are many to choose from: prayer, Bible reading, meditating on the scriptures, silence, serving others, worship, fasting, or journaling, to list a few. When you’ve considered the choices, make a personal To-Do list of three or four. Set yourself a schedule to practice these for a week. Watch as God comes alongside you and see how your faith grows and deepens through this time.
The View from Mt. Hope 