Remember 2

Luke 3:8

When my father had to travel to Europe for his job – repairing dry-cleaning machines – one of the company’s European sales representatives escorted him around. The man’s last name was Van Leu, and he was just an average man with an average job. But whenever he went to a restaurant he would make a big fuss and claim he was Doctor Van Leu. “You’ve lost the reservations for Dr. Van Leu?!” “You expect Dr. Van Leu to sit there?!”

My dad said he put on such an act that restaurant staff would really scramble to get him the best table, the best service, the best food, and so on. And it was all because of the name.

In Luke we have an account of John the Baptist giving warning to the crowds who have come to hear him. What should they do? What should they not do? Why not?

John’s comments here are addressed to the behavior that must have been exhibited by those who were coming out to be baptized by him. Apparently it had become the trendy thing to do, to go be baptized by this prophet. We can imagine those coming out were doing so because it was fitting for their position in society.

They could claim Abraham as their ancestor. They were devout Jews who obeyed the Jewish laws. They were doing the correct religious rituals.

But John was attacking their motivation. The name of Abraham was not important. It might impress this person or that, but it wouldn’t impress God.

What would impress God would be to do the holy work of a good person, one who was humble and penitent.

We can claim the title of “Christian.” We can claim that we have been attending church for years. But all of that doesn’t mean anything if we aren’t living out what it means to be a Christian. We must produce the fruit of our faith, the fruit of love and mercy and good works in the name of God.

As we consider those who have passed on in our lives, and consider the legacy they have left behind, we must think also of our own legacy. Will people remember our names and the titles we give ourselves, or will they remember the good we have lived out?

DAILY CHALLENGE: How do you live out the title of “Christian?”