Matthew’s story of John the Baptist reminds us of his remarkable life in the wilderness, uncompromising calls for repentance, direct confrontation with corruption and championing for justice at all costs. He lived by anything but the cultural norms.
John’s vision of redemption meant complete destruction of the world. But Jesus comes along to show us that God’s love can transform.
The world is pregnant with the kingdom of God. Bruised and confused, the world is the one God loves so much that he became a part of it with Jesus.
We can’t pretend the world today is the kingdom, but we don’t need to burn it to the ground. We need to live radically to see all human beings with the love of God. Loving the world and one another to be destined for redemption not destruction.
