Matthew 3:7-12

“Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor.’” vss. 8-9a

Complacency is perhaps the greatest enemy for people of faith. John the Baptist accused the Sadducees and Pharisees of presuming that their proper heritage was all that mattered to God. He tells them in no uncertain terms that God doesn’t care about their ancestral connection to Abraham. All that matters in the eyes of God is fruit. John would likely have the same thing to say about our national or denominational pride. We can gloat about our proper Lutheran theology and bask in our relationship to Catholicism and it doesn’t mean a thing! We can even fall back on our personal relationship to Jesus, hoping to get some credit there, but it’s only rubbish to God, something worthy only of a garbage heap. John does hold out some hope though, when he indicates that he’s not the last word from God–that honor belongs to Jesus, and even though Jesus too emphasizes the importance of fruits, he also empowers us through the Holy Spirit to lead fruitful lives. When the fire of the Spirit burns away our complacency we are reborn and equipped to live as God intends. The hungry are fed, the naked are clothed, and the poor hear the good news. And it’s all grace, both for us and for them!

Thought for the Day: When has complacency been an issue for me?