Take Away - SOM 14

I am still processing the Sermon on the Mount. I have gone through the 25 posts and edited them for clarity and to revisit them for myself. Now I want to look at the applications I should be making for myself.

SOM - Part 14

The Lord's Prayer. So often recited, and it is a great model for prayer, I don't think Jesus ever intended to make this a substitution for our own prayers. Not that reciting this prayer is wrong, it just needs to be done with the understanding of what Jesus was seeking to accomplish. How ironic, that throughout the Sermon on  the Mount Jesus is trying to direct us toward God and away from ritual obedience, and so many things He stated have become a standard of ritual obedience for many.

Take Away: How easy it is to twist things into what I feel comfortable with. To take what Jesus offered and intended to be a model and turn it in to ritual. Ritual is always easier, as it does not force me to come face to face with my own sinful motives. Just go to church, tithe, pray, don't say certain words, do go to certain movies, say grace before every meal, etc. But don't get to the heart of the matter. You can pray about forgiving others (ritual), but do you do it? You can give your tithe or even more (ritual), but do you really trust God to take care of your needs? You can go through your life never having committed a murder (ritual), but do you harbor unjust anger? They say prayer changes things. I agree, and the first thing prayer should change it me.

Sermon on the Mount - Part 24

Today I want to look at verses 24-27 of chapter 7, once again focusing on who Jesus was speaking to, and on the context of the entire message.

Matthew 7:24-27

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

So first, let's look at how this passage is normally handled, when it is taken in isolation. On the surface it just seems to be about obedience to Jesus. I think most would take this in a works based sense without giving it much thought. But does that make sense in light of the context and the audience? Would Jesus really tell the people who were proud of their own obedience that what they need is more obedience? I don't think so!

Let's look at a few things about this story that I find interesting. The first is the houses. From what we can tell about the houses, they are the same. They look the same. Probably cost the same, for the house itself. They were probably both crafted with care, and expected to last a long time. But what does the house represent? Is it not the lives of the individuals? Their lives looked the same. Maybe they both went to church. Or both gave to the poor. Or both prayed before meals and at bedtime. They were decent, God fearing folk. Probably both got baptized, maybe on the same day, same church, same pastor. But if that is the case, did they both not hear the words of Jesus? Or was Jesus talking about something beyond obedience to external expectations?

What was Jesus sermon about? Was it about being a good person? Was it about external obedience? Or was it about redefining your relationship with God. Was it about moving beyond externals and moving to internals? Think about it. The beatitudes reveal a life that is humble, pure in heart, merciful. He has shifted the burden of obedience from what leaders did to the individuals, and then magnified that obedience to say that it is not just the act (external), but the internal heart that matters. You don't murder? Great! Ever call your brother a fool? Oops! You haven't committed adultery? Two brownie points for you! Ever look at someone with lust? Oops! You love your brothers? Awesome! How do you feel about your enemies? Oops! I sense a theme here, and it is not about your outward behavior. So what does it mean to hear and obey?

The houses were the same, but the foundations with different. One builder was only concerned with the house. Perhaps the only thing he did to the foundation was to smooth it off, which did not require much effort since it was sand. His efforts went into what you could see. The other builder focused on the foundation. I am thinking that a lot more effort goes into building on a rock than on sand. All that work and no one to see it. But the builder knows. 

Then come the storms. I note that both houses had storms. The builder on the rock was not exempt from the storm. It reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend once. We had been sharing our stories. After hearing some of the things I had been through, they remarked, "It's kind of amazing that you still have faith after going through all of that." To which I responded, "No, it is because of my faith that I was able to endure all of that." I am not trying to pat myself on the back, just sharing what I believe. I don't really understand how people who do not have a strong faith, a strong foundation, endure storms. Perhaps this is why so many "lose" their faith. The reality is, they never really had faith. 

"I'll take, Jesus will make my life better for 1,000 Alex" 

"The clue is, These people look good on the outside, but when trouble comes they quickly fall away."

"What is, Who are people who build their houses on the sand."

Edited 2/14/2022

Sermon on the Mount - Part 12

Today I want to look at verses 43-48, once again focusing on who Jesus was speaking to, and on the context of the entire message.  

Matthew 5:43-48

(43)“You have heard that it was said, ​‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  (44)But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  (45)so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  (46)For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  (47)And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  (48)You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

So here we have a wrap to the section of examples Jesus gave to show that it is more than just our obedience that makes a relationship with God. He starts with, This is the way you have been doing it, love your neighbor and hate your enemy. This makes sense to us, as false teaching often does. Not that Jesus is giving a false teaching, I believe He is exposing a false idea that it is okay to love your neighbor and hate your enemy. It plays upon our own sense of what is fair. We are often manipulated by our own conceptions of what is right. Like in the AT&T commercial here. In the ad, Lily gives a little girl a lollipop, then gives her brother a bigger one. The girl says, "That's not fair!" Lily responds, "At AT&T we think it is only fair that all customers get our best deals." Then she exchanges the girl's small lollipop for one equal to her brothers. But what is not fair about getting a free lollipop? Small or big, what is not fair is that this girl is complaining about a gift that Lily was not obligated to give at all. Maybe I am too old school, but fair is to take the lollipop, whatever size you get, and say Thank-you.  To be fair, she did nothing to earn the lollipop. It was a gift. But what AT&T wants is for us to walk away from the ad thinking, "What a great company! They know how to treat people fairly." But for how long did AT&T only give new customers such benefits? Gotta love marketing! Baaaa! <-Sheep sound

Jesus shares what is fair in God's economy.  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. What is fair, Jesus seems to be sharing, is for you to treat others, not as they have treated you, but as God has treated you. Remember the Golden Rule? Matthew 7:12, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." It is not about treating others as they treat us, it is treating others as we wish they would treat us. Huge difference! And the basis for this idea comes from how God has treated us. It is only when we realize the enormity of God's grace on us that we can do this.

Now the teaching makes sense. Why turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, give to others, etc.? It is because we see how God has treated us! We see a God who is rich in grace and mercy, and want to pass that on to others, not out of some moral obligation to appease God, but out of the joy we have in serving a God who has granted us salvation and more. This is the relationship that God desires we have with Him.

Edited 2/7/2020

Sermon on the Mount - Part 10

 Today I want to look at verses 27-30, once again focusing on who Jesus was speaking to, and on the context of the entire message. 

Matthew 5:27-30

(27)“You have heard that it was said, ​‘You shall not commit adultery.’  (28)But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  (29)If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.  (30)And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. 

So if you have read the previous posts, you know that I believe that Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, was specifically trying to show His audience the path to restoring relationship with God as it was in the Garden of Eden before the fall. What I am seeing as I read through and meditate on this sermon, is that it is very different from how Jesus is sold today. Certainly it is not politically correct, nor is it seeker friendly to tell people to tear out their eyes and throw them away. Imagine if a preacher said that from the pulpit today! They would likely be fired by the end of the week, pending a slew of phone calls and a few emergency board meetings.

Was there temptation before the fall? There must have been at least some, because the serpent tempted Eve with his lies before she took of the fruit. (Genesis 3:1-7) Adam and Eve did not just fall for a lie, they knowingly ate in disobedience of God's command. (Genesis 3:3) So when did the fracture occur? When did they sin? Was sin only the physical act of disobedience, as many believe, or is there more to it? I believe that Jesus is showing us the there is more to it. The law says do not murder, but I say do not be angry without cause or throw out insults (previous post). The law says do not commit adultery, but I say do not look at a woman lustfully. (Vss 27-28) Jesus is making sin more that just the physical act, but the heart that leads to the act. So when people, whether it be the leaders in His time or leaders today, do things that while maybe not in technical violation of the law miss the heart of it, that is sin. When others do things that while maybe not in technical violation of the law miss the heart of it, that is sin. Perhaps the break did not occur until they partook of the fruit, but the fracture began when they were tempted, and started to think that maybe that fruit wasn't so bad after all, maybe I would like to have the knowledge it brings and be like God.

In this passage, Jesus gives some advice for avoiding sin, stay away from it. No matter how near and dear it might be to you, separation from God is worse. Even if something as beloved as your own hand causes you to sin, get rid of it. I do not take this literally (the part about the hand) , and hopefully that does not make me one who is changing the law to suit my own self, but I know that if my right hand is doing something sinful, and I cut it off and throw it away, my left hand will soon take over the task. I believe that Jesus is showing us that we may have to make sacrifices rather than alter the meaning of God's commands.

We love clichés. You hear them a lot. One that comes to mind, when dealing with material possessions is that we don't really have to surrender all, but just "hold on to the things of this world loosely." Makes me think of it in terms of, don't drop it, let God knock it out of your hands. But how hard does God have to knock it for you to let it go? Again, I don't have the answer to that question, it just makes me think. I want to be obedient. I have possessions. At what point might those possessions cost me eternity? That is a scary question. Jesus has a habit of asking scary questions. Thank goodness for the clichés that answer them.

Edited 2/6/2022

Sermon on the Mount - Part 8

Today I want to look at verses 17-20, once again focusing on who Jesus was speaking to, and on the context of the entire message.  

Matthew 5:17-20

(17)“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (18)For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. (19)Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (20)For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

These verses are crucial to understanding what is going on in the Sermon on the Mount. Some think that Jesus came to bring something new to religion, when in fact that is not true at all. What He did want is to restore things to where they were in the very beginning, before man got a hold of religion and corrupted it. Jesus is not saying at any time, as He was accused of, that the law did not apply to him. In fact, He says in these verses that not even the smallest piece of the law will go away until it is all accomplished. But it is important that we distinguish between the laws that were given by God and those that were added through tradition or interpretation by the Jewish leaders.

Jesus makes a statement, that "whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven." I wonder if those listening realized that when the leaders altered the laws that they were doing this very thing. Take Matthew 15:1-6 for example. God said honor your parents, but they said they could give to God instead of caring for them. Using their gifts to God as a way to avoid what God commanded. Brilliant, if your goal is to get what you wanted, even if it means abusing what God states. If seeking to do the will of God, however, not so brilliant.

Jesus goes on to say, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The people viewed their leaders as the holiest of all people, surrendering their lives to the pursuit of God. And yet He says that to enter the kingdom of heaven, one must be more righteous than them. They gave all they had and it was not enough? Yes, exactly! No matter how much I try, I cannot put God in my debt, let alone can I hope to repay the debt I owe. For God to be in my debt He truly would be sixpence none the richer. Such a statement might seem as removing all hope for anyone. But Jesus is not seeking to remove hope, rather He is seeking to restore it. The self-righteousness of the leaders was not enough. In fact, it stood in the way of real righteousness. The righteousness that it takes to enter heaven must exceed that of the leaders of the time. Real righteousness comes by faith in the son of God. It comes by relying on the righteousness that Christ gives, and not on our efforts. (Romans 1:17, 3:21-31; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 2:21; 3:6; Philippians 3:9; Titus 3:5) 

This is not to say that we are not accountable for our actions. It is just that our actions alone to not make us righteous or unrighteous, but they do reveal our righteousness, along with  the motivation behind them. Actions alone do not determine our status, nor does faith alone. Jesus will actually deal with this idea later in the sermon, so we will come back to this idea later.

as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)

Edited 2/4/2022

Sermon on the Mount - Part 4

 Today I want to look at verse 5. But I want to look at it in the context of the entire message of Jesus, as well as what I believe is His overall intention in the sermon. Remember, He is speaking to Jewish leaders and common Jews, and is not seeking to bring in a new religion, but rather to restore things to what they should have been from the very beginning.

Matthew 5:5

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

It is a matter of disposition. He is saying that the blessed are the meek, the humble. Not only does this go along with so much of what He taught, it also goes against the prevailing religious culture.

Example 1: The parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14) In this parable we have the leader and I note several issues. Both go to the temple to pray. The Pharisee stands by himself. Why? Because he was too good to stand with sinners or even common people. Not only is he concerned with his desire to stay "clean,", but he thought of himself as better than those type of people, and he confirms this with his words. He prayer is to thank God for his status, and to thank God the he was not made like other men, even like this tax collector. He then lists his accomplishments, fasting and tithing. The tax collector also stands by himself, but not because of his ego or pride or status. It is because of his shame. He does not see himself as better than others, but rather as a sinner and it brings shame to him. It states that he would not even "lift up his eyes to heaven." Makes me believe that the Pharisee did just that, almost as if he could look God square in the eye, and not feel any remorse for himself or feel the true holiness of God. The tax collector, however, even beat his breast, and rather than site accomplishments, he pleads for mercy. Which prayer was answered? Not the Pharisee's, for he did not even ask for anything, he just lifted himself up in the presence of God. It was the tax collector who "went down to his house justified," according to Jesus. Not justified by what he had done, but justified by God because of his repentant attitude. 

Example 2: In the parable of the Wedding Feast (Luke 14:7-11), Jesus talks about the attendees, and how they would come and sit, choosing the seats that we reserved for the honored guests. Imagine the embarrassment of being asked to leave your seat because that seat was actually reserved for someone of greater importance. Jesus tells them to choose the lowest seat. Now imagine the joy when the master of the feast comes in, notices your choice, and brings you up in front of all to a place of honor. By choosing the lowest seat, you can only move up! This is a story about attitude, the mindset we have when approaching God and others. Are we willing to be a servant? Are we willing to put others first, so that when we stand before God, He might reward our attitude, not for the actions themselves, but for the humble heart that brought them about.

So many other examples that could be given. But wasn't Jesus whole life about exemplifying this principle? Philippians 2:5-8 "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Imagine intentionally leaving heaven to come to earth to be beaten, abused, and die on a cross for the sins of others. Mind blowing. This should be our mindset. Blessed are the meek.

I think this is a tough mindset. Sometimes, we can even get to a place where we become proud of our humility. We get to a place were we have surrendered so much that we think that now God owes us our reward. But the truly humble don't do it for the reward, they do it because like the tax collector, they recognize their sinful state and the true holiness of God. Equality with God is not something we can grasp, nor can we put God in a position where He owes us anything for any reason. Jesus knew this, and even though He Himself was perfect, He modeled it that we might believe it.

Edited 2/4/2022

Romans 12:1,2

SCRIPTURE

Romans 12:1,2
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

LANGUAGE

Appeal (Vs 1)  παρακαλέω parakaleō; to call near, i.e. invite, invoke  — beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) exhort(-ation), intreat, pray.

COMMENT

Let's begin by talking about the interpretation of this verse. The word "appeal" (ESV & RSV) is rendered "urge" (NIV, NASB, & HCSB), beseech (KJV & ASV), and "encourage" (CEB). How you interpret Paul using this word seems to determine your understanding of this passage. It Paul issuing a command or is he inviting others to join him. As I look at the Greek meaning (above), and from what I gather of Paul in the context of what he is saying, this is an invitation to join him in his journey as a follower of God. The "therefore" in my opinion, refers to what Paul has been saying in 11:33-36, where Paul is basically singing in praise of God, and how He is superior to us in all ways, and is as such deserving of all praise. So he invites us to present ourselves before God as a living sacrifice because of the mercy of this all powerful and all knowing being, who has provided salvation. This is why we worship. It is not, and cannot be a command to earn God's favor. That is what the world says and offers, pay your penance and give God His due so that you can get your due. But our offering is always going to fall short. Do you want to know what God's will for you is? Love Him, then you will know his will for you.

Practice What You Preach! (Matthew 23:1-12)

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 23:1-12
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

COMMENT

Problems with the scribes and Pharisees as leaders:

• They preach, but do not practice
• Not willing to bear the burdens they place on others
• Do deeds to be seen by others
• Love the attention their roles provide for them

This is not, in my opinion, a cry against the Prosperity Gospel preachers of that day or today. It is actually much worse. It is a cry against those who would misuse the teachings of the Bible to give them something they are lacking, without understanding the direct relationship such teachings have to themselves.

Preach, but do not practice: This is done by some who believe that God has called them to a superior role over others, while denying God's sovereignty over themselves. Preachers who tell others from the pulpit how to live (don't smoke, drink, watch porn, curse, etc.), but fail to live perfect lives themselves. When we make the Gospel about how to live right instead of why we love God, we shift the focus and lose the correct focus in the process. You might say, "But the Bible tells us many things we should and should not do." You would be correct, but those do's and don'ts are not an end themselves, but rather a result of showing us what it means to love and honor God. When we become a living sacrifice, we do so "in view of God's mercy." (Romans 12:1-2) So we do it because we have seen God and His mercy for us, and it draws us onto a love relationship, not an obligation to do good for the sake of salvation.

Not willing to bear the burdens they place on others: When you see yourself as God's chosen messenger, it is going to affect you. Jesus did not do this. Paul did not do this. They saw themselves as God's servant as well as the servant of those God sent them to minister to. I have dealt with pastors who did not have time to talk to me, told lies, stole from the churches funds, and worse. I once had a pastor say at the end of a weekend retreat, "I just realized that we did not spend any time in prayer this weekend, but it is okay, because we are doing God's work." Really? Is that the same message he would preach to the congregation if he were speaking on prayer? Or do different burdens go to the people in the pews?

Do deeds to be seen by others, Love the attention their roles provide for them: Some give preachers a place of reverence, just because of the title. In some faiths, they go so far as to call them "Reverend," Pastor," or "Father." They sometimes wear clothes or other additions to their wardrobe to indicate their status. And for some, that is where it ends. They talk a good talk, they preach morality, but as far as knowing Jesus, I have to have a question mark. But they do love the praise. I think of a story I read in one of Mark Batterson's books. As I recall, his father had taken him to a Super Bowl game, and he wanted to take his son. So he got on Twitter and asked if there was someone who had tickets he could obtain. God heard. He not only got tickets, but all he had to do for them was preach at a church. Not sure of all the details and not interested in rereading the book, but it just stuck me then as it does now, that this is a misuse of his place and privilege as a minister. Your thoughts?

Bear in mind, this is not just a warning against those in leadership. Anyone who pursues the things God offers over God Himself needs to repent. I will just end with with verses 11 and 12: The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

No Soup for You! (Matthew 8:5-13)

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 8:5-13

LANGUAGE

Vs 10  marveled - θαυμάζω thaumazō; to wonder; by implication, to admire: — admire, have in admiration, marvel, wonder.

COMMENTS

Remember the passage in the sermon Jesus just finished where he says, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." (Mt 7:21-23)? I think this passage follows that train of thought.

A Roman Centurion, leader over a group of 100 soldiers, comes to Jesus on behalf of on of his servants. I imagine he thinks much of this servant, as this leader does not send someone to get Jesus, but goes himself. I also imagine that if he wanted to, he could have sent for Jesus, and the expectation would have been that if Jesus did not come, there would be consequences. So from the start, we see a certain sense of humility in this man.

Then, when Jesus offers to go with him, he tells Jesus that such action is not needed. In fact, he says that he is not worthy to have Jesus as a guest. Chew on that for a moment. A Roman Centurion not worthy to have a poor, itinerant rabbi to visit his home. Wow! Next level of humility. The Centurion goes on to say that he does not have to see Jesus there, but that he just needs for Jesus to say the word, and he trusts that his servant will be well. He reasons that he does not have to individually speak to each soldier and then follow them and watch them to know that his orders are followed.

The text says that Jesus "marveled" at his faith. I like the idea that the word translated marveled also carries the idea that Jesus "admired" his faith. Imagine, Jesus looking at your faith and admiring it. That thought sends chills through me. But why did he marvel or admire this man's faith? I see a couple of reasons. One, this man was not a Jew. Somehow he knew of Jesus, he knew of the miracles, he knew of the power this rabbi possessed. Yet among those who should have known more, those who had the Old Testament prophets and their teachings, those who studied the Scriptures and even memorized huge portions of them, they did not have such regard for Jesus. Two, this man did not need to see to believe. Remember Thomas, who would not believe until he saw that scars on Jesus' body? Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." His own disciples had issue with this! But here is a man who simply trusts Jesus at His word.

So back to Matthew 7. The scribes and the Pharisees thought they were doing the will of the Father, even to the very moment they has His Son crucified on the cross. Many today, think they are doing the will of the Father. They might go to church, give, and live a righteous life. But go back to the wise and foolish builders, what was the missing piece? What is the will of the Father? Is it not to believe in His Son? Not a statement of faith, a prayer, a ritual followed through with, but the complete understanding that Jesus is God's Son, and that by dying on the cross He paid the price for our sin. And if that is truly believed, then a change of life takes place. Without the foundation of rock, the house will not stand. Without belief in His Son, no place at the feast in the kingdom. No soup for you!

The Preaching of John the Baptist - Matthew 3:1-12

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 3:1-12 (ESV)

QUESTION

John the Baptist preached repentance. I sure would love to know what those sermons sounded like. Based on the description of John and his future behavior with Herod, I imagine them to be fiery and dynamic. But what about the content? Oh to have just one podcast or youtube clip to be able to listen to the content! The main question I have is, was John preaching repentance as an act of obedience, or a response to a greater message? And if a response to a greater message, why say that John preached repentance? (I think we can apply the same to the idea of baptism, since this was also a major component of John's message.)

ANSWER?

I think the answer to the above question as to whether he preached repentance as an act or response can be found starting in verse 7.

7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruit in keeping with repentance."


This verse seems to clarify that John was not preaching an act of obedience. If he were, why make such a statement to the Pharisees and Sadducees? The repentance that John was preaching required fruit as its proof. If you truly have a repentant attitude, then it will show beyond the mere statement, "I repent." While I have no access to what John spoke of when he preached, since it was guided by the same Holy Spirit as guided Jesus, I must assume that the message was in line with that of Jesus. I think of His most famous and longest recorded sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, which quickly follows this account.

Teaching about how we are the salt of the earth. True repentance would cause one to take on the qualities of salt, preserving and adding flavor to the world. Mere obedience would not. Teaching about anger. Jesus' teaching on anger goes beyond the mere obedience of "Do not be angry," but goes on to say that even as small an action as calling someone a fool make him liable to the fires of hell. He goes on to speak of the need for reconciliation. Teaching that goes beyond the mere obedience of "Do not commit adultery" to the saying that even to look at a woman with lustful intent is to commit adultery.

I think it goes back to the idea of Joseph being called a just man when he would not subject Mary to shame. Obedience dictated that he should have had her stoned. But holiness said otherwise.

John preached repentance. But I believe it was so much more than what we consider repentance to be today. John was sent to prepare the way for Jesus, and in doing so, his message had to be one that brought more than just a response of mere obedience. It had to be one of total commitment. That is why his statement to the Pharisees and Sadducees was so strong. Just as strong as it would be today, if we showed up to hear his message.

But that's just my opinion.