Reclaiming Jesus Above All Else
I probably should have checked with my old Greek professor before I throw out a Greek word, but I am pretty sure my memory of those three years of Greek has me on safe ground. If I mislead anyone because of not using the word metanoeo correctly, I will of course repent. Yes, metanoeo is the Greek word for ‘repent’ in Matthew 3:2, and while there is never a bad time to repent, Matthew called those of long-standing faith to repentance, so maybe those of us who have been following Jesus for a long time could also take a moment to see if we have drifted away from our core belief in Jesus.
It had been about 400 years since the time of Malachi when John the Baptist appeared, preaching his message of repentance. And in his opening message in Matthew’s gospel, the message is clear. Something new is happening, and it is time to repent or to change one’s way of thinking. John the Baptist even quoted the revered prophet Isaiah in his first recorded teaching:
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”
The average Jewish citizen heard the prophet’s words and demonstrated their repentance through public baptism in the Jordan River.
But when John the Baptist saw the religious leadership, those who were well trained in all the teachings of law and prophets, coming towards the Jordan River, the scruffy-looking prophet had strong words: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
The well-trained Pharisees and Sadducees would have likely thought of Genesis 3 when they heard this rebuke from John the Baptist. To call them a brood of vipers harkens back to the serpent in the garden of Eden. The contrast is that they may think themselves to be pure and righteous leaders like Abraham, but based on their life’s choices and arrogance, they really are rooted in sin.
Matthew’s gospel and John the Baptist’s words in particular are introducing that the new covenant was coming, and to accept it, one must follow the savior king they were about to meet. Loyalty to anything other than to Jesus will fall short of pleasing God.
So what is the relevance for us today? As we near the season of Lent we would do well to evaluate if we are giving preference or allegiance to anything other than Jesus our king. It might be just me, but there seems to be a growing fascination that somehow our faith has something to do with our political beliefs. Reading through social media on any given day, I see fighting and arguing about which party is more constitutional and that somehow one political party is more ‘Christian’ than another. As we read through the gospels, it seems clear that Jesus called his earliest followers, and us, to follow the kingdom of God over any and all kingdoms of this world.
I am challenging myself to consider whose voice I will listen to as the political infighting continues. The axe at the root of the trees might suggest that now is the perfect time to realign with Jesus above all in every way and in every decision. Here are some appropriate questions for us to wrestle with:
Have my faith and my political views become so enmeshed that I have trouble loving others who do not share my political views?
Do my political views align with the teachings of Jesus regarding loving my enemies and loving the poor?
Do I consume more political news and opinions and find myself discussing them more than I consume God’s word and how it is shaping my life?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then John’s call to repentance and to a new way of thinking and behaving might just be the message we need today. It is only Jesus who can transform our hearts and minds in such a way that we can reflect the image of God in the world today. If someone can easily recognize us by our political party but not by our loyalty to Jesus, then now is the time to repent.
Father, we confess that in current culture we are tempted to get sucked into cultural battles and make them our focus instead of focusing on the life you call us to in Christ. Forgive us. Today we repent of the times we have allowed other voices to block our view of you. Fill us with your Spirit and change our lives, that everyone might see the love of Christ in us today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Matthew 3:1-12 ESV
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