Advent – Week 3
Then John said to the crowds who came to be baptized by him, “You children of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the angry judgment that is coming soon? Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives. And don’t even think about saying to yourselves, Abraham is our father. I tell you that God is able to raise up Abraham’s children from these stones. The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and tossed into the fire.”
The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”
He answered, “Whoever has two shirts must share with the one who has none, and whoever has food must do the same.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized. They said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
He replied, “Collect no more than you are authorized to collect.”
Soldiers asked, “What about us? What should we do?”
He answered, “Don’t cheat or harass anyone, and be satisfied with your pay.”
Luke 3:7-18
Produce good fruit.
Produce. Good. Fruit.
Does it sound simple or complicated to you? It seems straight forward. Kind of like my approach to gardening. I love flowers and plants and watching things flourish. But my philosophy is minimal involvement; I like only to plant, water and watch. But A+B+C doesn’t always result in flourish for the plant. In order to reach that, the plant may need help. It needs the right amount of light, it may need extra food or fertilizer, etc.
Producing good fruit has its own challenges. We may not find ourselves in the best environment. We may find ourselves undernourished. We may grow dry if unattended. It isn’t complicated, but it does require of us. The men that came to John the Baptist were each asking how the truth applied to them. They came for baptism with hearts searching change, eager for transformation. And John met them with raw challenge. He wouldn’t allow them to walk in faith that belonged to their fathers or grandfathers. It had to be their own. It had to be their choices.
So, let’s not overcomplicate it. His answers were do not complain, extort or lie. Each answer fit to the temptation that would befall that profession. The tax collector would work in an environment where the temptation to cheat and steal, to extort, might be great. He must choose to live his faith actively. The soldier could be greatly tempted to use his authority for gain or to raise himself above others. He must choose to be satisfied, to operate daily in his new identity and knowledge.
Are we any different? We lean on the faith of those who went before us. On the faith of our pastors. On the faith of authors. On the faith of friends. That yields no fruit in us. Glean from them, gain from their wisdom and take courage from the faith of friends, but make your own choice as well. When your heart is transformed within you, the fruit will come forth. And if what you are putting in is holy, then what comes out will be goodness. If you are fleeing the temptations, you will bear the fruit.
Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control.
Don’t wait. Don’t hesitate. Choose the path that produces good fruit. Make the choices, use the self-control, extend the patience and walk in gentleness. Wherever you are – work, home, shopping, traveling – let your peace, your joy, your kindness and your goodness flood out. It might give someone else hope. It might bring someone peace.
Because your good fruit brings them Jesus. Good fruit draws them in. Just as John did so many years ago. He drew them in. He challenged and confronted them. Because he knew Jesus was coming.
This week, ask Holy Spirit to help you examine your fruit. Is it good? Does it need some tending in order to produce well? Don’t shy away from God’s compassionate correction. Don’t be ashamed if you find yourself falling short. We all do. But in Him we can change. In Him we have hope.
We’ll close with a prayer by Bonnie Gray, from ‘Why it Takes Courage to Choose Joy’:
Dear Heavenly Father, Help me to hear your voice. Touch me once again. Give me the courage to be your beloved. Give me courage to choose joy.
I need you now this Christmas.
Be born in me again. Today.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
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