When the people of Israel come out to John to be baptized (Luke 3:7-14), he rebukes them sharply:
“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance…Therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit and thrown into the fire.”
It’s obvious that John is not pleased with whatever the people had been doing–but his command is a bit…vague. What are “fruits worthy of repentance”?
The people, understandably, want some more specifics:
“What shall we do then?”
John’s answers came as a bit of a surprise, to me, at least.
If I were forced to name some “fruits worthy of repentance”, I don’t know what I’d come up with.
I can guess at what the most popular responses might be if I queried members of my church.
Religious acts: Going to church. Reading the Bible. Praying. Tithing.
Avoiding “worldliness”: Not cussing. Not drinking. Not watching R-rated movies.
Intangibles: Being at peace. Being joyful. Loving people.
There’s nothing wrong with these things. There is certainly Biblical support for doing the items on the first list. There’s some Biblical support for not doing the things on the second list. And the third list includes items that are described in Scripture as “fruit of the Spirit.”
But what does John think of when he thinks of “fruits worthy of repentance”? What does he have to say to the questioning masses?
To the general public, he says:
“He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food let him do likewise.”
To the tax collectors, who used extortion to pad their own coffers, he commanded:
“Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”
To the soldiers, who used their positions to bully and cheat, he directed:
“Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
John’s “fruits worthy of repentance” look oddly…societal.
Could it be that the proper display of the “fruits of repentance” is not simply found in internal, private acts?
John seems to suggest that the fruits worthy of repentance are what we might call “social justice.”
It’s clothing the beggar, feeding the homeless, not exercising our personal privilege at others’ expense. It’s not defaming others, not exacting personal grudges.
Ephesians 4 (v. 25-32) supports this view that repentance results in changed actions and attitudes towards our fellow man.
“Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor’ for we are all members of one another. ‘Be angry and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place for the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearer…And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”
What do fruits worthy of repentance look like in my life? What do they look like in yours?
It means being silent when someone misuses me. It means speaking only what brings life to the hearer. It means working diligently and giving freely.
It means putting off my SELF-love and demonstrating love for OTHERS.