Hard words

Noted this morning, spa-side under a cool, blue sky and warm, Arizona sun from Matthew 3: the first we learn of Jesus' ministry is from John the Baptist's prophecy. The Baptist's own words to the pharisees and saducees who were looking to flee the wrath to come were hardly sweetness and light. Comparing himself to Jesus he notes that though he is baptizing only with water unto repentance "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." So the first we learn of the Christ is His searing discernment. And didn't He call the religious leaders much worse than John did? Just an interesting note to me as I begin rereading the gospels to learn more about this Man who died for me. May God make His servants in our day as manly as was His prophet. And may the Church lose some of its Victorian sentimentality that puts such a high value on "nice".