Christian Fruit Cakes and keeping with repentance

during our young adult Bible Study each monday night we have been eacsing through the book of luke. the opportunity to read one of the 4 is always refreshing to me. the word is such a treasure. few things in life bring out such passion. such longing.

chapter three intro's big bad john the baptizer.

picture this...try and loose thoughts of your pastor for a bit, what with all the khaki pants and dress slacks, maybe even a sweater vest...talk about you paradox. picture a grizzley sort of a man probably covered in BO and clothed in camel skin. hair all dishoveled and long gnarley beard. standing outside of town preaching, after he has spent the previous week or so handing out flyers for the preaching event.

he did not go to the city to preach. they came to him.

and when he spoke, he did not greet them with words of all is well, rather, he called the temple grazers a "brood of vipers" and told them to "bear fruit in keeping with repentance."

at the right time through an eternal God, this freak was sent to prepare the way for the king of heaven.

I can hear it now..."your best life now!" no, wait, that was sunday on tv.

what I can see and hear is God warning his people and telling them to live like they know him.

sounds kinda old fashioned huh?

let's get this straight...

after 400 years of silence from God, he sends this fruitcake from the wilderness and this is what he tells those who comes to hear him preach...

to the religuous he calls snakes and tells them to act like they know God...heritage is not enough.

to the crowd he tells them to meet the needs of those hurting around them.

to the crooked he tells them to be honest.

to the soldiers he tells them to stop shaking people down and be content.

now correct me if I am wrong, but did't Jesus say the same thing? didn't Jesus travel around Judea preaching "repentace" and treating people with respect, helping folks, being honest and bear fruit???? and aren't most religous people still kinda snakey? you do know that if Jesus showed up today, he would not come to the church 1st. if you do not know that, then you are reading a different Bible than me.

funny how after 2000 plus years, we find it really important to add the words prosperous and wealth to a line of fruit that does not come from the same tree. we are not peddeling jelly or preserves.

man I love this stuff.

here's a thought...the fruit John was talking about may not be "evangelism", it may not be what we think it is. maybe it is that grin that folks see and ask what the deal is. maybe fruit is what is given out to those who are hungry and see the tree in our lives.

maybe, just maybe, our lives do not bear fruit because there is no change. no interest, no passion, no...tree.

no fruit...no tree...axe is ready to cut and throw it in the fire.