Stones to Children of Abraham

I was going to entitle this blog, "Observations regarding the ministry of John the Baptist," but there was just too much to share. However, in the light of today's holiday, I was struck by one phrase that appears in two translations.  Great multitudes were going to hear John, confessing their sin, and being baptized in the Jordan River. John though had strong words for the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to be baptized. 

Matthew 3:8-9

"Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father'; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham."

Luke 3:8 echoes these verses, though it directs them at all of the multitudes. 

The thing I find interesting is that the great majority of the people dwelling around the Israelites would also have claimed Abraham as their father. Those the Pharisees and Sadducees would have considered unclean were actually their cousins, if you will.  So to boast of being a descendant of Abraham was not going to be enough to bring them redemption.  Just about anyone, just shy of the stones, would have claimed Abraham. Some such as the Midianites were from a line born of Keturah, a concubine after Sarah's death. Many also were descendants of Ishmael, born of Hagar. 

Ishmael. God promised to make a nation out of his descendants as well, because he too was Abraham's son. A nation indeed. Muslims trace their spiritual genealogy to Ishmael, just as we as Christians trace our lineage through Isaac, through whom Jesus was born. 

Earlier I mentioned a holiday, and some of you are wondering what I could be meaning.  Today is the Muslim celebration of remembrance of the sacrifice made by Abraham. While Genesis 21 is clear that the sacrifice was regarding Isaac, the child of the promise, Muslims understand the sacrifice to have been of Ishmael, the first born unto Abraham by Hagar. In fact, many traveled this week to the place they believed the sacrifice occurred to experience a closeness with the site and their ancestor. More precisely, a journey at this holiday is one of the five pillars of their faith, in hopes that they will be guaranteed entrance to paradise. Many these days are scared of Muslims because of the actions of a "few." While the "few" are large in number, they are small compared to the greater group that are just trying to do the best they can from what they know. Can we show them mercy as God showed mercy to Ishmael when he was sent away by Abraham? 

For us, it is not enough to point to Abraham, or any other hero of the faith, for our position with God. It's not even enough to know who Jesus is, for even Satan knew and still tried to tempt Jesus. John said that we must "bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance," because he went on to warn, "every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Am I bringing forth fruit in accordance with repentance, according to the grace which I have received? Am I rooted and grounded in Jesus to be able to bring about that good fruit?