Repentance

“Repentance”

Matthew 3:1-12

[Read Mt. 3:1-12]

I was once asked to preach a revival at a neighboring church, and when I accepted the host pastor told me, “Don’t hold back. The harder the preaching, the more they like it.” That statement took me by surprise. I’m still not sure if that was true of those folks, but I know my own congregation wasn’t very receptive to “hard” preaching! Those Sundays I would be met with cooler greetings and very few comments after the service. And I suspect that’s the norm for most congregations. In fact, one of the advantages of inviting an outside speaker to lead a revival is that they often have a more prophetic and confrontational edge in their preaching than the congregation’s pastor.

John the Baptist was as prophetic and radical as any evangelist who’s ever preached, a fearless prophet who called the Jewish people to repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. He came in the spirit and power of Elijah, one of the greatest of Israel’s prophets. And, based on the words of the prophet Malachi in the final prophecy of the Old Testament, it was believed that Elijah would return: “Behold, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6). We can hear both a promise and a dire warning in this prophecy: in Elijah’s return there would be either the opening of hearts, or the curse of God for those who resisted.

John had been living in the wilderness--a desolate, very rugged landscape--and his message was just as unvarnished: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” He preached that very direct warning boldly and clearly, and many of his listeners took it to heart by coming forward for baptism. This is all a very familiar story for most of us, almost too familiar. But what does that really mean, to repent?

The dictionary defines repentance as “to feel or express sincere regret and remorse about one’s own wrongdoing or sin.” Repentance requires sincere, heartfelt remorse. It takes our sins and their consequences very seriously as an honest, conscientious recognition of flawed character and the harm it’s caused.

You may have heard some people say that they don’t have any regrets for how they’ve lived their life. Really?! Don’t they realize the destructive consequences of their sins, both to others and themselves? Or is denial just an easier way out? We all have plenty of reasons to regret mistakes we’ve made, not only through our words and actions that have caused pain and done harm, but also those things we haven’t done and should have. Anyone who claims to have no regrets has forfeited taking responsibility for the condition of their soul. And that isn’t an option for any of us, in God’s eyes.

The first step in any form of healing is to admit that we have a problem, and to name it. In spiritual terms, repentance, a sincere remorse for our sins, is at the very heart of our salvation. John the Baptist came preaching that message, and when he saw ”godly sorrow” he baptized those souls in the Jordan River as an act of remorse and renewal. (Our own baptism represents a similar sign of repentance and a cleansed heart.)

It must have been an inspiring experience to witness John’s radical commitment to his message, to sense the authority in his preaching, and to be among those who responded by “confessing their sins” (v.6) and going forward to be baptized. But when John saw the self-righteousness of Israel's religious leaders who had come only to observe this scene as bystanders, as though they were exempt from the need to repent, he challenged them harshly, saying in effect, “You brood of vipers! Don’t think you can rely on your religious heritage to save you. Show evidence of your own repentance, or know that God’s judgment will fall. It’s already begun.”

We see later in the gospel that John was equally fearless in confronting Herod over his unlawful marriage to his brother's wife, resulting in his imprisonment and ultimately his beheading. So we can assume that he was just as bold and fearless in how he preached to all those who came to hear him in the wilderness. And those who responded knew that he was speaking a word from God, and that they needed to hear it, although it wouldn’t have been easy to accept. The truth often hurts before it heals.

It’s always better for us to hear the truth, so that we can take it to heart and change while we still can. You may have heard the saying, “As we grow older, we don’t really change--we become more so.” (Repeat.) I don’t know about you, but that scares the heck out of me. Our habits only become more ingrained over time, and there are unhealthy patterns I certainly don’t want to reinforce. So, it’s imperative that we turn towards the good, before it’s too late.