Locusts and Honey

In those days, in the wilderness, A man named John was sent. “Heaven’s kingdom is at hand; He calls you to repent! The one Isaiah told about, The one for whom we wait. Prepare a highway for our God; Prepare and make it straight!” Now John wore clothes of camel hair, And locust were his meal. His beard: unkempt. His manner: crude. The Christ: who he revealed. The people flocked to hear him preach, For they were drawn to him; He baptized them with water, truth, And they confessed their sins. But when the leaders came to hear, He took a different path: “You brood of vipers, who warned you About the coming wrath? And don’t you presume Abraham, And claim him as your own, For God could raise his children up From right among these stones. For those unwilling to repent: The axe laid to the root. The whole tree tossed into the fire Unless you bear good fruit. For I use water as a sign That you might turn and live, But He who comes brings Spirit, fire, Is able to forgive. The wheat, He gathers in the barn And thus escapes his ire; The chaff, He throws upon the heap And burns up in the fire.” (from Matthew 3)