Today's Scripture
TODAY’S READING SCHEDULE: 1 Chronicles 22-24; Luke 3
Produce Fruit – Luke 3:3-14
3 John went throughout the region of the Jordan River, calling for people to be baptized to show that they were changing their hearts and lives and wanted God to forgive their sins. 4 This is just as it was written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
A voice crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way for the Lord;
make his paths straight.
5 Every valley will be filled,
and every mountain and hill will be leveled.
The crooked will be made straight
and the rough places made smooth.
6 All humanity will see God’s salvation.”[d]
7 Then John said to the crowds who came to be baptized by him, “You children of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the angry judgment that is coming soon? 8 Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives. And don’t even think about saying to yourselves, Abraham is our father. I tell you that God is able to raise up Abraham’s children from these stones. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and tossed into the fire.”
10 The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”
11 He answered, “Whoever has two shirts must share with the one who has none, and whoever has food must do the same.”
12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. They said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13 He replied, “Collect no more than you are authorized to collect.”
14 Soldiers asked, “What about us? What should we do?”
He answered, “Don’t cheat or harass anyone, and be satisfied with your pay.”
What does this passage mean to me/us?
To all the people who came to be baptized, John called out and said, “You children of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the angry judgment that is coming soon?” It is kind of harsh for the people who came all the way out to the wilderness to hear the word. We remember a message was shared with those who needed to hear, and they came to understand.
John says, as people of God, baptized, we are to “Produce fruit that shows [we] have changed [our] hearts and lives.”
Our life is a reflection of what God is doing through us. However, when we have so much of ourselves, our thoughts, ways, experience, we block what God is doing through us. Producing fruit means that we let God rule in our lives, and as a result, we will do good work.
Is God ruling and leading our life?
Prayer
Lord, may your will be done. Help us to be united to your will, and see how you make your ways!
In Christ Name we pray, AMEN.
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