"what Should We Do Then?"

“What Should We Do Then?”

Luke 3:7-18

John the Baptist has appeared on the scene in order to prepare the people for the coming of Christ, the Messiah, the Kingdom of God incarnate in human form.

“He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

He said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance…

…The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

The people are at a loss as to what they should do after they repent…

…after they ask forgiveness for their sins, and seek to turn from their sinful ways and become the people of God.

What is this “fruit in keeping with repentance” they ask?

What does it look like?

We need direction!

“What should we do then?’ the crowd asked.”

And John’s answer is in keeping with the message of the entire Bible.

It is in keeping with the message of Jesus.

It is what we, as human beings, created in God’s image are called to do and called to be.

It is what it looks like when we are living our faith.

It is what “saved” people do.

It is God’s desire for us.

It is living in love for God and our neighbor—repenting from our self-centeredness, our greed, our arrogance, our hardened hearts and bearing the fruit that naturally comes from true repentance.

John answered them and John answers us: “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same…”

…tax collectors shouldn’t collect more money that they are required to collect…

…soldiers shouldn’t extort money, accuse people falsely—we should all be content with our pay.

He doesn’t mention the Levitical Laws.

He doesn’t mention the things the Pharisees are concerned with—following rules and regulations that no one can keep and judging those who fail to keep them.

He doesn’t shake the Levitical Laws in their faces—instead, he calls them to practice love in action.

They aren’t doing these things.

And this is why he calls them a “brood of vipers.”

They are…we are…to repent from our selfish and corrupt ways and give and share and love and care.

And, after all, isn’t that the hardest but most important thing we can do?

This is the Bible.

People want preachers to preach the Bible—and here it is!

Share your clothes; share your food.

Don’t steal and oppress people.

Live modest lives.

Be content with what you have.

Put your money where your mouth is.

Allow God to turn your apathy and hate into a passionate living and loving—a radical living and loving for God and others.

It breaks God’s heart when we get caught up on the judging, the rules, being modern day Pharisees rather than true disciples.

And the reason it breaks God’s heart is that it breaks the heart of the world.

According to an NPR article posted this past week children and young adults in this country—generation Z--are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis.

Even before the pandemic began 1 in 3 high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, a 40% increase from 2009 to 2019.

And the suicide rate went up during that time by 57% among children and young adults ages 10-24.

The pandemic has made all this even worse.

Can you imagine: 1 in 3 high school students are having persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness!!!???

This is the same age-group of which only 20% have any relationship with a church and 60% have never even been in a church and don’t even know what happens in a church.

I have no doubt that there is a direct correlation.

And I also have no doubt that all the blame does not fall on the shoulders of their parents or the children themselves.

I am convinced that most of it falls on us.

We are not being the Church that Jesus Christ or even John the Baptist has called us to be.

We are not LIVING in LOVE.

We are not sharing our food; our clothing and living lives of unconditional, non-judgmental love.

Instead, and for many good reasons, the world sees us as hatemongers, greedy, hypocritical, too political and even dangerous.

And if that is how the Church of Jesus Christ is perceived and in many ways living out, what IS there for young people to put their hope in?

The people who John the Baptist called a “brood of vipers” were good church people.

The people John the Baptist called to repentance were the Children of Abraham—the children of the Promise—God’s Chosen Ones.