This is the message the Lord addresses to us today, as we prepare for Christmas, the coming of the Lord which we will celebrate soon, and also the coming of the Lord when our time will come to depart from this earth. We all have to make choices in life for which we will be held accountable. The question that we should ask ourselves is basic. The question is not about petty things in daily life, but rather about our basic attitude and behavior, particularly our relationship with one another. Are we trying to help others, to serve, to sacrifice for others, especially the less privileged or are we somehow using, perhaps even abusing others to our own advantage? It is not always easy to discern this, because we are all afraid, we may have to change, and so we tend to blur the picture.
We can at least make an honest attempt to look into our own lives, lest we deserve the stern words of John the Baptist from the gospel text this Sunday, “brood of vipers”. The best way to find out about us is still the golden rule, look at the fruit in order to know the tree.
