Luke 3:7-14
7 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.”
10 And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” 11 In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
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.
Every year, when it come time to write Christmas cards, one of us will say: “You know, the perfect Christmas card would have a picture of John the Baptist raving on the front with the words, Merry Christmas, You Brood of Vipers. Inside, it would say, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come!”
John the Baptist does have a powerful message for today’s mainline congregations who feel entitled to a comfortable and prosperous existence: 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.
Somehow, along the way, we’ve confused the guaranteed existence of the Church of Jesus Christ until he comes again, with a guarantee for particular expressions of that Church. John the Baptist made it very clear that Jesus’ criteria for good ministry is not the pedigree of the people. It’s the fruit that the ministry bears.
As we lament the decline of our beloved mainline denominations, are we also ready to look into the mirror that Jesus is holding up for us? John the Baptist tells us that, if we aren’t up to the task, God can easily raise up others to take over for us. It’s a sobering and humbling message, but it may also be the word of hope we’ve been longing to hear…
Prayer: Lord Jesus: Thank you for continually reminding us that relationships are more important than institutions, and that we exist to give glory to You. AMEN