“Bear Fruit In Keeping With Repentance!”

“Bear Fruit In Keeping With Repentance!”
When John the Baptist called out to “prepare the way for the Lord” making straights paths, filling in valleys and making rough ways smooth, he did not expect the populace to take up pick-axes, spades and shovels and go out for road maintenance. He didn’t expect us to go reconstruct some modern macadamized highway! Although the broken impassable nature of our roads are a reflection of our straight-jacket mentality!
It was, and still is a call for us to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” It was, and still is a voice crying for the need for spiritual rejuvenation and social cohesiveness. Baptism is only a symbolic act to signify the change of mentality that must take place when the message of salvation is fully received.
It isn’t a call to individual piety alone but a call to be one another’s keeper. We are like parts of the same body and all serve to keep the whole body functioning.
Being one another’s keep entails care and concern. “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”
People should respect the ethics of their various professions and vocations. Tax collectors for example should not collect more than they are required to. And soldiers should neither extort money nor accuse people falsely. They should rather be contented with their pay.
These are the fruits worthy of repentance; indicators that all mankind has seen God’s salvation wrought through Jesus Christ(Lk.3:1-14). By this we become new creations. When we become new creations we see Jesus Christ in the Other; so we deal with the person as if s/he was Jesus Christ himself.
Prayer: Holy Spirit lead me not only to repent but to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!