When a culture or society goes sour, repentance and salvation become very problematic simply because the majority of the people measure salvation (provided it is in their vocabulary at all) by the bottom line, good health, good times or better yet a combination of the preceding with perhaps some other attainment like achieving some sort of a sense of godhood. Repentance is also elusive because defensiveness and insensitivity to the notion of personal moral accountability become the norm for the human psyche and talk about transgressing God’s law is practically non-existent simply because “God” is also an elusive entity and the only law taken seriously is the law of self preservation. Our society is now deeply immersed in a moral malaise and a growing hostility towards any god that would call it to accountability let alone the Biblical God. Because so many people in our world including even our next door neighbors think differently than we Christians do about “what it’s all about,” the church is being challenged to come up with ways of communicating the gospel and finding common ground with our pagan culture, like Paul did in Athens (Acts 17:16-34). John the Baptist and Jesus were born into a world that was very similar to our own even if the former lacked the technological advances and scientific sophistication that characterize the present. They were born into a very needy world that had lost its way big time. But they both can show the church how to proceed.
For a while (that is, until John was removed from the scene by one of the Herods), John and Jesus acted almost independently of each other as they used different tactics in addressing the fallen human condition. Both called for repentance as we understand the term, and each one spoke of salvation and the Kingdom of Heaven with John pointing to Jesus and Jesus challenging people’s notion of salvation as well as speaking about the justice of God (as did John) but also proclaiming the love of God, both of which pointed to an old rugged cross. John vigorously challenged the complacency of the religious establishment, preached a radical repentance for all, and in no uncertain terms warned of a coming judgment that was already beginning with the House of Israel (see Matthew 3:7-10); Jesus didn’t “scare” people so much as he immersed them in the love of God and let hopeless and lonely people experience grace and healing (see Luke 4:18,19) Of course Jesus could pack a powerful wallop when he encountered recalcitrant opposition from people who should have known better. Jesus really lowered the boom when he pronounced what some have called the “seven woes” against the “hypocrites” among the religious establishment (see Matthew 17, the whole chapter).
From their enemies’ perspective Jesus and John both failed because they had no clue about what success is and what failure is. But our Savior and his “press agent” were powerfully anointed and men of impeccable integrity. They cared not about “conquering the world” because they knew, Jesus more than John, that God was already in control and in His time the Kingdom of God would be visibly established. But until that time would come, these two witnesses released a powerful energy into the course of human events that would reach all of mankind (Matthew 13:31) and challenge each one to choose or reject God’s rule and God’s wisdom. Salvation would come to those who were honest enough with themselves to realize that they had “blown it” (Romans 3:23) and that rather than seeking personal justification or self-help (Ephesians 2:8.9) they would embrace Jesus atonement for their “crimes and misdemeanors” and commit to pursuing true humanity and real wholeness in Jesus Christ. We will never win the whole world anymore than Jesus or his successors did, many of us will die trying, but we will do God’s work effectively and communicate clearly when we do the work of God with integrity as we partner with the Holy Spirit who is not a concept or merely “The Force,” but God himself who empowers us to do as Jesus did: “...To preach good news to the poor... proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed..” (Again, see Luke 4:18,19 above). It won’t hurt to be real with each other, practice true community and flood the loneliness and self alienation of people with godly compassion and benevolence. Are we ready to get it done?
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