REPENT!
As we meet Jesus in Sunday’s reading from Luke 3:1-22, we first meet John the Baptist. His sermon is not that welcoming but is something we (as individuals and as a nation) need to hear.
John “went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” and greeted those who came to him by shouting “you brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance.”
A little fire. A little brimstone. And we really do need to have the chaff burned away from our sinful selves and corporate life together. My former college professor Judith Jones says “repentance (Greek metanoia) is not mere regret for past misdeeds. It means far more than saying, ‘I’m sorry. Please forgive me.’ Metanoia means a change of mind and heart, the kind of inner transformation that bears visible fruit.”
Craig Koester from Luther Seminary says that repentance involves two movements—a turning from (repentance) and a turning toward (bearing fruit).
Let me be very direct: this past week’s attack on our nation’s capitol, police, and public servants revealed the worst in us as Christians and citizens. The delicate response by law enforcement compared to the Black Lives Matter protesters again revealed the injustice of white privilege. It is time, again and again, for repentance.
Repentance is a gift. You see, in baptism God turns us from sin and death toward forgiveness and new life. We get a fresh start. God turns us from our own selfish desires to the needs of our neighbors; from the divisiveness and partisan bickering toward unity and resolution; from being sore losers toward being grace-filled in defeat and humble in victory; from injustice toward justice; from hate toward love, and the list goes on.
After his short yet powerful sermon, the crowd wondered if John the Baptist was the promised Messiah. Instead he pointed them toward Jesus. We have a job to do, dear church: in all that we say, in all that we do, we point others toward Jesus—God’s gift of new life, forgiveness, and love freely given.
In Jesus we have a fresh start. Let us not squander this amazing gift of God’s love.
Lord, have mercy on us for the ways we come up short. Turn us from our sinful selves back toward you and our neighbors. Amen.
In Christ,
PB