The kingdom of heaven is at hand!

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.'"

Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

- Matthew 3:1-12

In yesterday's reading, we were introduced to John the Baptist through Mark's Gospel. We received the prophecy quoted in today's reading from Matthew, and we also learned of John's baptism for repentance, in preparation for the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. See Prepare the way of the LORD. Today the lectionary takes us into the similar passage from Matthew, who adds a little extra for our understanding, as we move through Advent.

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'" My study bible has quite a few copious notes on nearly every verse of today's reading, which I find of great interest. Here it says that "the wilderness of Judea is the barren region descending from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea. Preparation for Jesus' ministry begins with the call of John the Baptist to repent (v. 2). The reason: the kingdom . . . is at hand. Repentance, which always accompanies belief, is a total about-face. It is a radical change of one's spirit, mind and heart, a complete reorientation of the whole of one's life and being. It is the necessary first step on the way of the LORD (v. 3) and is followed by the confession of sins, the decisive act of baptism, and an actual change in one's life, the 'fruits worthy of repentance' (vv. 6, 8-12)." "The kingdom of heaven is at hand!" is essentially the same message Jesus will teach His apostles to use as they are sent on their first mission, and Jesus Himself will also teach using this phrase. John the Baptist, who is a prophet, is seeing the reality of that kingdom, and preparing all for its reception.

Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. My study bible notes that, "John's ascetic lifestyle is in conformity with that of the Jewish sects, such as the Essenes, who made their home in the wilderness and whose purpose was to prepare for the coming Kingdom of God. His clothing is typical of a prophet. Elijah, who also wore a leather belt (2 Kings 1:8), was the prophet expected to prepare Israel for the Messiah (17:9-13; Mal. 4:5,6). Monastics especially follow in Elijah's and the Baptist's mission of repentance and prophecy." The note in my study bible reflects the tone of Matthew's Gospel, and it's significantly different in shape, if you will, from the similar reading in Mark's Gospel that we read yesterday. Here, there is a strong emphasis on expectation and the repentance necessary to receive that kingdom. What does it ask of us in preparation? John's asceticism and chosen humility is a key to the answer to that question.

Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. A note reads, "People are baptized by John, confessing their sins, so that they may be prepared to receive the Messiah. Such preparation is usual in coming to faith. Confession of sin is a sign of repentance and is essential to baptism even today. John's baptism, however, was for remission of sins only, purifying people for the coming of the Messiah and helping to deliver them from the wrath to come; it did not confer regeneration nor adoption as a child of God (v. 11), as does Christian baptism." Repentance here centers on coming to terms with the reality of one's internal spiritual life. To confess a sin is not so much to make a list of faults, but to be aware of one's state of spirituality. It is the beginning of understanding of relationship to Creator, and where we stand in terms of the spiritual journey that will be asked of us as we seek to meet that kingdom.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" A note teaches, "The Pharisees and Sadducees are skeptical of John's mission and oppose Jesus. Sadducees, members of the high-priestly and landowning class, controlled the temple and the internal political affairs of the Jews. Denying the resurrection of the dead, they had no messianic hope. The Pharisees were a lay religious movement centered on the study of the Law and on strict observance of all its regulations. They believed in resurrection and solely on the power of one's good works according to Mosaic Law, and that the Messiah was only a glorious man. John's epithet for them, brood of vipers (12:34; 23:33), sharply denounces their malice as being influenced by 'the snake,' the Adversary, Satan (Job 1:6)." Clearly, John's scathing remark shows his attitude toward the Pharisees and Sadducees, and his opinion of the religious leadership. It mirrors Jesus' attitude toward the hypocrisy of those who will criticize both Himself and John the Baptist. We are clear on where we stand: John is a charismatic preacher, widely believed to be a prophet, who speaks out against the established religious hierarchy - and who will be beheaded by their ally in political authority. This is a kingdom breaking through into a place of its adversaries, those who will try to stop it, and to destroy those who bring its reality to us.

Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, . . . My study bible says, "Repentance, confession, and baptism lead to fruits worthy of repentance, a way of life consonant with the expected messianic Kingdom (see Gal. 5:22-25). If no fruit appears, sacramental acts and spiritual discipline are useless." Why begin this process of self-revelation, the change of true repentance, unless it comes to fruition? Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit - and it is up to each one to reveal the work of the Spirit in themselves, the gifts it brings and develops. These are the fruits worthy of repentance.

". . . and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones." A note reads here: "The warning that from these stones (Heb. 'ebanim) God can raise up children (Heb. banim) is a Hebrew play on words. God does not admit fruitless children into His house; He creates new children from the Gentiles." Stones are an important spiritual metaphor for the human beings who will make up this Church in the future. This same term will be used by Jesus in replying to the criticism of the temple leadership, as His disciples welcome Him into Jerusalem, and later in Peter's Epistle when he refers to the members of the Church as "living stones" who comprise the "spiritual house" with Christ as the cornerstone. To "bear fruits" is to be such a "living stone."

"And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." A note says, "Even now shows that the Baptist anticipates divine judgment on God's people through the coming of the Messiah (v. 12). Fire, a symbol of destruction, often describes the final judgment (see Is. 33:11; 66:24; Ezek. 38:22, 39:6; Zeph. 1:18)."

"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." A note here says, "John's baptism of water only prepares for Christ's baptism of water and the Holy Spirit. Christ baptizes in fire, for as the grace of the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire, so is that grace poured out in baptism. In John's culture, a slave would carry the king's sandals. Thus John powerfully contrasts himself with God's Son, Jesus the Messiah." John's testimony as prophet sums up a tremendous picture of this kingdom breaking through into our midst, but it is a kingdom of tremendous energy, of fire - and it will winnow that which cannot accept its energy and use it to bear fruits of love and spiritual beauty.

"His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." A note here reads, "The figure of winnowing the threshed grain from the chaff is a metaphor for divine judgment, which always separates good from evil." The fire John mentions is a very important symbol, because it is one that works in all ways to build this kingdom: it gives energy to those who will use it, it is the power behind the understanding given to "each in one's own language" at Pentecost, it is the test of every soul, so that we go through experiences that teach us to discard that which we do not use, which is not a part of the yielded fruits of the spirit, and move on more deeply and fully into that kingdom. It also burns that which cannot accept and hold its reality.

Judgment, then, seems to rest in our attitudes. Can we accept this kingdom? Can we "bear fruits worthy of repentance?" Can we make this transition out of one state of mind and into another? Will the fire enliven us, instill in us new energy and creativity and power and communication and understanding, or will it burn? Can we give up the things that cannot stand in this fire? In a sense, it is all up to us. But the Holy Spirit with which we will all be baptized and anointed will do Its work, and it is to separate, to reveal, to transform. It nurtures and builds, gives wisdom, and consumes that which stands in the way. It is also a cleansing and purifying fire. Where do we stand in that fire? Can we, too, be the living stones who build this "spiritual house," this "holy priesthood," that offers up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ? (See 1 Peter 2:5.) The sacrifices we offer are the things we submit to that fire, as we discard from ourselves that which does not fit in this kingdom, and change through repentance, or "change of mind" as the original Greek word translates - so that we become the stones that stand, and bear fruits filled with the energy of that fire. How does the fire of the spiritual energy of grace teach you to go forward, to cast away the parts of yourself you need to discard, and to build up your life with the fruits of its love? This gift does its work in us, but we do our part to prepare to receive it, so that we bear the fruits worthy of the gift. For today, let us look to the light of Advent as the luminous blazing fire of the Spirit that is our gift.