It Takes All Kinds
Matthew 3:1-6 NKJV
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”
4 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
John the Baptist had quite a ministry. And he was quite a character. We almost took for granted that this guy was out in the wilderness, eating bugs and honey. He was dressed in a camel’s-hair robe, topped off with a leather belt. One thing we can surmise about John, he wasn’t starting any new fashion trends in Israel. Camel’s hair could not have been comfortable. Today, John may have been known as an influencer, but I wonder how many people would adopt his strange eating plan.
His message was not particularly comforting. Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand. He called the religious leaders who came to him sons of snakes. Even his message about what Jesus would do involved the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire. And that Jesus would clean out the threshing floor, gather the wheat, and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. I am not sure what all that entails, but it certainly sounds daunting. A lot of fire.
And yet the people came to him. Israel had not seen a move of God in hundreds of years. It had been four hundred years since the last prophet spoke—over four hundred years seemingly without God doing anything. But God was doing something. The birth of John and the birth of Jesus that happened within months of each other ushered in a new day for Israel, and all humanity, for that matter; it’s just that what God was doing was not yet evident.
But when the word of God came to John, he began to speak, and God began to move. And the people came to him, being baptized and confessing their sins. John came to prepare the way for Jesus. For the first time in hundreds of years, the people of Israel were expectant. And God was about to do amazing things.
Application
John the Baptist is a great example of the diversity of ways and people that God uses to accomplish His plan. John was considered a great prophet but did not work signs and wonders as did many of Israel’s prophets that preceded him. But he still had amazing results, and people were still reached. John did not look like a regular person, but God still used him. He was eccentric to say the least and had a hard-hitting message, but he was still effective.
God uses us within the parameters of who we are. It’s not one-size-fits-all with Him. The only conformity our Heavenly Father expects is that we are all being conformed to the image of His Son. We all look different, but at heart we are all looking more and more like Jesus.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for using me to reach people in my world. I don’t have to copy anyone to be effective for you, as long as I am a good reflection of Jesus.