Matthew 3:1-12

The “appearance” of John in the desert was impressive. He had a magnetic personality even though he had a stern message and wore severe apparel. He was a man of the desert, shaped by the austerities of the desert. There was no excess in his appearance or his message. He could cut to the bone quickly. There was no fat on his words or his body. He was transparent. He was his message. He was the voice of one crying in the desert. There was no conflict between his preaching and his person. He practiced what he preached and all honored him for being an authentic prophet. Nothing false about him. He was worth belief. He did not even have to work miracles. His words were like darts that pierced any defenses and hit the heart.

He says succinctly, “Reform your lives!” He does not say reform your rituals, reform your schedules, reform your reading habits, reform your diet, reform your clothes. He just states reform your lives. In other words reform your heart, your attitudes, your inner persons. Secondary reforms will follow.

He was especially severe with the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees were lay people who had become legalistic and pietistic about the law. The Sadducees were priests who had become ritualistic and self righteous. Both groups were a brood of vipers poisoning religion itself. They had lost the spirit of religion. It would do them no good to go through the motions of John’s baptism if their hearts were not repentant. If they were out of touch with God no ritual would avail them. They would remain barren of good fruit. Even their connection with Abraham was barren. Mere blood-ties with Abraham were of no consequence because the faith-ties had been broken.

John’s promise of a mighty Savior was enough to convert even this brood of vipers if they would but repent. John was magnetic but Jesus was the magnet. Jesus baptizes “with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Vipers evaporate before the fiery Spirit. Jesus separates the faith person from the fake person like wheat and chaff are separated. He can shake the chaff of hypocrisy from the wheat of integrity. These are stern warnings to stony hearts. Yet they can change. They can reform. They need to be as honest about their sins as John was honest about exposing them. They need to turn to Christ with absolute confidence and admiring adoration like the Baptist and they will receive the kingdom and its supreme happiness. We can hope that our repentance will be sincere, sacrificial, sacred. It will be acceptable. The fire of the Spirit will purge the evil and glorify the good in our lives. We have a Savior. We are not lost.

- Fr. Gerald Keefe