It’s a definite challenge. Repentance. And John the Baptist was taking no prisoners.
In Matthew 3:8 it says that when the Pharisees came he challenged them to prove themselves repentant. ‘Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart].’
Harsh but true.
Even today that same call goes out. It can be too easy to be somewhat like a Pharisee, full of opinion about how others should be living, posting views about how you can’t call yourself a ‘proper’ Christian if your life is about the ‘wrong’ things and not ‘spiritual’ enough.
I think the words of John the Baptist are a great reminder to us all. Let YOUR life prove YOUR change of heart. Maybe it’s a call to each of us as individuals to concentrate on ourselves and how we live out our faith rather than being too concerned with how we think everyone should be doing.
