TODAY’S SCRIPTURE Luke 18:35-43
Usually when we see someone on the street corner preaching or calling us to “repent” or we watch a televangelist who is pleading for us to repent, our natural instinct is to turn and go in a different direction or turn the channel.
However, the people in the days of John the Baptist reacted in a different way when John came preaching in the wilderness of Judea. We read about John in Matthew 3:2-6:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make His paths straight.’”
Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
There is something special about John’s message that moves the people to repent. It is naturally hard for people to admit wrong, especially when it involves other people. Our pride gets in our way. We often stretch or twist things to make it look like we aren’t the ones responsible for the wrong instead of taking responsibility for our actions.
When Adam committed the first sin and God confronted him, he tried to pass the blame to Eve. Sadly, this has become a natural reaction. We have to learn to live up to our actions and our sins.
Today, I will…not to blame others for my actions. I am responsible for my actions and the consequences that accompany them.