Good Fruit
What would you do differently if you thought someone was watching?
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." And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." 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." - Luke 3:9-14
Luke sets up the beginning of Jesus' ministry with a call from John the Baptist to repent, to get ready for the judgment to come.
Someone is watching and there will be hell to pay for those who refuse to change their ways.
Those who are cheating and stealing need to stop. But those who have more than they need must share with those who need. So it is not just about the sinner. It is about all of us.
To be considered good fruit, we must act out of love.
It makes sense that those who do the wrong things would face punishment, but even those who hold back from doing the just thing can suffer.
The call to be baptized is a call to change, to focus not on self but on other, to serve as an example of God's love for all humankind.
But when we spread the Gospel of Christ, telling the world that Jesus died for our sins, does that let us off the hook? Do we no longer need to change our ways?
The grace of God is freely given, but we need to accept it, and in accepting it, we set our sights on God, not on ourselves.
The sacrifice Jesus made opens the door for us to change and bear good fruit, so, why wouldn't we do that?
John set out to scare us into being good, but Jesus wants us to love one another, bearing good fruit as members of one body.
We can do that, and we can do it without expecting a reward, because the reward is already given.
That's love.
More to come...