December
13, 2012: Daniel
Daring Daniel's
previous reflections
The fruits of repentance – Third Sunday of Advent
Zephaniah
3:14-18; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18
John the Baptist stands again in our midst and without playing the game of politeness, he calls us a ‘brood of vipers’. He warns us of the approaching judgment and tells us not to be so sure about our salvation based on our religious affiliation or genealogy: “And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children of Abraham” (Luke 3:8).
In
the movie of Franco Zeffirelli, ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ John the Baptist -
played by Michael York - engaged himself in a dialogical sermon with the people:
John – Do not think you will be saved by your rituals, by going to the Temple. It is not the sacrifices the Lord demands. Bring no more vain offering says the Lord. I delight not in the blood of bullocks and the lambs. The sacrifice God’s demands is the repentant heart.
Somebody – What do we do then to be saved?
John – Change your hearts; take the right way. The Lord says my ways are not your ways.
A Pharisee – Why speak as none of us know the way to salvation? We know the Law as well as you and we try to obey it!
John
– To those of you who deem themselves just and pious, I say that you must
bring the fruits of repentance.
Sharing
John does not define what repentance is. To those who come to him asking for advice, he has a word about sharing, ‘the man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same’ (Luke 3:11). That seems to be the first fruit of repentance that John expects. It is directed to the affluent of our societies. It is based on the premise that all of us are brothers and sisters.
Ihsan Khan, a Pakistani taxi driver on the streets of Washington, D.C., for years played the lottery. On November 7, 2001 he won a $32 million jackpot. He did not opt for the life-style of a millionaire in the US. Instead he returned to his hometown in Pakistan, trying to improve the lives of his own people. When the earthquake of 2005 hit the country, Ishan Khan was in the forefront helping pay for medicines, food and shelter from his own pocket. To those who came to admire his generosity, he said: “You help and then you leave it to God and mankind to judge you. That’s how it is.”
Few
of us, however, may hit the jackpot. Yet, it does not prevent us from finding
our own ways to share our material blessing with those who are less fortunate.
It takes only $10 a month to sponsor a child somewhere in Asia. Just look around
and search for those with whom you can share your tunic or food.
Justice
To the government officials, John has this advice, ‘Don’t collect any more than you are required to’ (Luke 3:13), and to the militaries, ‘be content with your pay’ (Luke 3:14). John would be perplexed knowing the scale of corruption present among politicians, militaries and police. It is really disturbing because those professions are created to serve, to defend, and to protect. Those people are given the mandate to create a social order where every person can live in peace and security. Therefore, it is so important that they play by the rules shunning bribery and corruption.
An online Arab News carried a story of low-salary worker of Dubai Court, Al Ghamdi, refusing to accept a bribe from an estate developer worth thousands of USD. Those were his words that justified his action: “I did not want the SR2 million bribe because I know it is not lawful money. I will never feed my children with money from a bribe. If I had done what he asked, I would have felt guilty for the rest of my life.”
Bribery and corruption are about justice. Those who have power and money believe that they can avoid accountability and force their own agendas. By calling them to repentance, John the Baptist reminds them that their profession has an impact on the lives of many. If they can stay faithful to their call of service, the whole of society will benefit immensely.
However, sharing and justice are not the only fruits of repentance. There are many other fruits: faithfulness in marriage, being responsible in school and work, honesty in dealing with others, and taking seriously your religious conviction and faith, for example. All of these fruits spring up from the tree of God’s commandment (Deuteronomy 5:5-21), which is rooted in God’s love and faithfulness.
The roots are the most important part of any tree, because the live-giving substance taken from the soil is transported to the stem and the leaves, making the tree grow and produce fruits. Which means that repentance cannot happen without the experience of God’s love and faithfulness. “I baptize you with water,” – says John, but immediately he added that somebody else is coming who “will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16). A true repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit within us that cleanses and purifies our hearts and minds from all stains of sin.
It
is the Spirit who makes us realize that God is deeply involved in our lives and
that He cares and means well for us. It is the Spirit who convicts us of our
wrong doings in dealing with God and our neighbors. It is also the Spirit who
sets us free from the slavery to any distractive addiction. Being baptized with
the Holy Spirit and fire, we are renewed in our inner being and become a new
creation. Yet, this baptism will not take place without our involvement. As
people were coming to John, asking him for his water baptism, we also need to
come to Jesus with a request of being baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Those who were coming to John were escaping the coming of God’s judgment. We,
who are coming to Jesus, long to begin a new life, which is marked by joy,
peace, kindness, and most of all by lack of anxieties and worries: “Have
no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God” (Philippians 4:6).
Conclusion
John
the Baptist challenges us today to come out with concrete actions that show our
repentance. He also points out to the necessity of baptism with the Holy Spirit
and fire in order to produce the fruits of repentance. What should we do then?
First, we come today to Jesus with this sincere plea: “Lord Jesus! Baptize us
with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Then, moved by the Spirit we search for the
opportunity to bear the fruits of repentance in homes, places of work, and even
streets. Christmas is fast approaching. Apart from buying gifts, let us do
something special, different, and extraordinary for our loved ones, co-workers,
and others we are going to meet during these days.