Read | Matthew 3:1-12
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” For he is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said:
A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
Prepare the way for the Lord;
make his paths straight!Now John had a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn. But the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.”
Click here to listen to the Scripture in ESV.
Notice the self-control on display as John the Baptist lived simply and pointed away from himself and toward Christ. Where are you tempted to seek attention or excess? How can you practice humble restraint this week?
Focus
Each week we are focusing on a different classical virtue, a habit of excellent character, and exploring what small steps you can take today to cultivate that virtue in your life. This week, we are looking at the virtue of temperance, or self-control. Temperance sometimes has a bad reputation in our culture as being unnecessary asceticism or total abstinence, but, in reality, it is denying a lower pleasure in order to say “yes” to a better one. Like saying “no” to the lower pleasure of doom-scrolling on your phone for hours on end in order to say “yes” to being present with your neighbors, clients, coworkers, friends, and family.
One way to grow in temperance would be to choose one source of attention or excess you reach for habitually (social media, food, shopping, recognition, etc.). For one day this week, fast from it. Each time you feel the pull, pause and quietly redirect, focusing on this Scripture, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30), and then return to the task in front of you.
Pray
Gracious Father, teach me the temperance of John, who lived simply and pointed away from himself. Free me from the pull of attention and excess, and help me decrease so that you may increase.
Going Deeper
If you are also following the BibleProject’s One Story That Leads to Jesus reading plan, complete today’s reading.