WHY CLEANING OUT IS ESSENTIAL

02/25/2021

Scripture Focus: Matthew 3:10-12 John baptizing and preparing the way for Jesus

Do you clean your teeth before going to the dentist? You bet I do! And I floss like I've been doing it every day.

Do you have someone clean your house? I don't, but NO SHAME if you do! (#LIFEGOALS) My friends that have a housecleaner say that they always pick up and do a quick clean before the cleaner comes.

Seems counterintuitive, doesn't it?

What about Matthew 3? Here we meet John. A bug-eating, camel-hair wearing, wilderness man. Oddly enough he had quite a large following. I'm betting it wasn't his smell or fashion that attracted the crowds, but instead, his message. He spoke of a coming King and told people to prepare. I think I'd sit down and listen too! He baptized people not for the forgiveness of their sins but the repentance... the acknowledging and turning away from their sins.

But why clean if the true cleanser is about to come?

Have you ever brought in a large grocery haul only to find that the fridge has no room? The month-old casseroles and expired salad dressings are hogging the space.

The old has to go so the new can come in.

My husband and I have been immersed in the ever-so-fun task of pulling out the original carpet of our 17-year-old house. Maybe in a year I'll stop sneezing from all of the dust. We found stains upon stains. YUCK! And then, once the top layer and the underpad came out, we were left with staples... LOTS AND LOTS of staples. After plying out approximately 3 million staples we finally had a blank surface ready for the new flooring.

Only happy because the new is coming

Do you think this is what John was preaching to the people? Clean out "the old"! Make room for "the new"!

It's of no coincidence that next he tells the people (specifically the Pharisees):

"The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

(Matthew 3:10-12)

Axes and unquenchable fire. Sounds delightful, huh?

I've previously read these verses with a lot of fear. But God kindly showed me a new perspective recently.

John describes an ax ready to chop at the roots of a fruit-less tree and chaff that needs to be separated from the wheat. Both to be burned.

The invisible (from our viewpoint) roots that can be a source of life can become a source of death.

And the visible chaff which has a purpose to protect the wheat for a while, eventually becomes worthless, and even harmful to the substance inside.

What I hear from these verses is: Look inward (roots) AND outward (chaff)... both matter!

Our inner beliefs and thoughts can get so stained and stapled down, just like my house's old carpet. It's where the devil can do the trickiest work. It's where fears and lies fester and strangle out the life-giving fruit we were made to produce. These "roots" lead us to believe we are in control, that we should look a certain way to be loved, that fear is greater than love, or that we need sex, drugs, alcohol, or stuff to feel complete. And these roots need to be chopped and burned.

AND the chaff, like worn-out carpet that once was a nice cushion for someone's feet, has to go too! Just because something once was good, doesn't mean it still is. Would it help a toddler to continue using a walker for the rest of his life? What helped him learn to walk would be the thing that held him back from jumping and running. Our phones that can be good can also get really bad. The food that tastes great can also turn into a way of covering up uncomfortable emotions. Vice versa, the healthy choices that benefit us can also lead to obsession and control. That one glass of wine that tastes great and helps us relax can also turn into numbing out and bad decisions. The exercise that strengthens our body for good work can also lead to pride and enslavement. The shopping that brings joy and necessities also can bring crippling debt.

It's a little (or a LOT) soul-crushing to think of how much yuck we have inside and outside of us.

But the story doesn't end there. Here's where it gets good!

John tells the people ...

Sure, water is great. Water is important. But have you ever tried to clean a filthy rug with just water? The dirt is very likely to not come off or to quickly come back.

Sometimes the dirt is just too dirty. It needs more than water, it needs to be burned.

That's what Jesus does.

His fire leaves behind no traces of the old.

It completely burns the visible and the invisible SO THAT we have more room for His love and truth.

His fire burns the weeds so that flowers can grow.

So that takes us back to the beginning. Why do we need to clean out with water if He can cleanse us with fire?

If we loosen the dirt and give it to Him, it can be fully destroyed.

Then He can come in and fill up the space in a better way. In the way it was meant to be all along.