회개의 세례와 회개의 합당한 열매: 왜 회개에 합당한 열매를 맺지 못하고 있는 것일까요? 

“요한이 요단 강 부근 각처에 와서 죄 사함을 받게 하는 회개의 세례를 전파하니 선지자 이사야의 책에 쓴 바 광야에서 외치는 자의 소리가 있어 이르되 너희는 주의 길을 준비하라 그의 오실 길을 곧게 하라 모든 골짜기가 메워지고 모든 산과 작은 산이 낮아지고 굽은 것이 곧아지고 험한 길이 평탄하여 질 것이요 모든 육체가 하나님의 구원하심을 보리라 함과 같으니라 요한이 세례 받으러 나아오는 무리에게 이르되 독사의 자식들아 누가 너희에게 일러 장차 올 진노를 피하라 하더냐 그러므로 회개에 합당한 열매를 맺고 속으로 아브라함이 우리 조상이라 말하지 말라 내가 너희에게 이르노니 하나님이 능히 이 돌들로도 아브라함의 자손이 되게 하시리라 이미 도끼가 나무 뿌리에 놓였으니 좋은 열매 맺지 아니하는 나무마다 찍혀 불에 던져지리라”(누가복음 3:3-9)하는 말씀을 묵상하면서 주시는 교훈을 받고자 합니다:

(1)   사가랴 제사장의 아들 요한에게 하나님의 말씀이 임하였으므로(눅3:2) 요한은 “요단강 부근이 여러 지방을 다니며 죄를 용서받게 하려고 회개의 세례를 전파하였”습니다(3절, 현대인의 성경).

(a)   여기서 요한이 “죄를 용서받게 하려고”[“죄 사함을 받게 하는”(개역개정)] 전파한 “회개의 세례”란 “죄를 용서받기 위해 과거의 죄를 고백하고 삶의 방향을 바꾸는 행위입니다.  이는 죄의 용서를 증표로 삼는 세례 요한의 세례이며, 곧 오실 메시아를 맞이할 준비를 하는 상징적인 행위로 이해됩니다.  즉, 회개하여 죄를 씻고, 새로운 삶을 살아가며, 올바른 길을 걷겠다는 다짐을 나타냅니다”(인터넷).

(i)                  여기서 “회개”를 뜻하는 헬라어 ‘메나토이아스’(μετανοίας)의 동사형 ‘메타노에오’(μετανοέω)는 “마음을 바꾸다”, “생각을 바꾸다”라는 뜻입니다(호크마; 인터넷).

·         이 단어는 성령께서 이루시는 마음과 생각의 방향 전환을 의미하며, 이는 변화된 삶으로 나타납니다.  그것은 단순한 지적 변화로 제시되지 않으며, 구원을 얻기 위한 인간의 행위로도 여겨지지 않습니다.  오히려 참된 구원 신앙에 수반되는, 하나님께서 가능하게 하신 돌이킴으로 나타납니다(This word, most often translated “repentance,” expresses a Spirit‐wrought reorientation of mind and heart that issues in a changed life.  It is never presented as a mere intellectual shift, nor as a work that earns salvation, but as the God‐enabled turning that accompanies true saving faith)(인터넷).

-          세례 요한은 이스라엘에게 “죄 사함을 받게 하는 회개의 세례”(눅3:3; 막1:4)를 선포함으로써 하나님의 나라를 알렸습니다.  그의 요구는 윤리적이었으며[“회개에 합당한 열매를 맺으라”(마 3:8)], 또한 예비적인 것으로서, 사람들의 마음을 예수 그리스도 안에 나타나신 “하나님의 어린양”을 향하도록 이끄는 것이었습니다(John the Baptist heralded the kingdom by calling Israel to baptism “of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Lk.3:3; Mk. 1:4).   His demand was ethical [“Produce fruit worthy of repentance” (Mt. 3:8)] and preparatory, aiming hearts toward “the Lamb of God” revealed in Jesus Christ) (인터넷).

(ii)                흥미로운 점은 요한이 자기에게 세례 받으러 나아오는 무리에게 “독사의 자식들아 누가 너희에게 일러 장차 올 진노를 피하랴 하느냐 그러므로 회개의 합당한 열매를 맺”으라(눅 3:7-8)하고 말했다는 것입니다.

·          여기서 누가복음의 저자인 누가가 말한 그 “무리”란 마태는 마태복음 3장 7-8절에서 “많은 바리새인들과 사두개인들”이라고 말하였습니다: “요한이 많은 바리새인들과 사두개인들이 세례 베푸는 데로 오는 것을 보고 이르되 독사의 자식들아 누가 너희를 가르쳐 임박한 진노를 피하라 하더냐 그러므로 회개에 합당한 열매를 맺고”[예수님께서도 "독사의 자식들아 너희는 악하니 어떻게 선한 말을 할 수 있느냐 이는 마음에 가득한 것을 입으로 말함이라"(마 12:34)고 말씀하시며, 겉과 속이 다른 악한 마음과 행동을 책망하셨습니다(참고: 인터넷)].  즉, 요한은 많은 바리새인들과 사두개인들에게는 ‘회개에 합당한 열매를 맺으라’하고 말했습니다. 

-          여기서 “독사의 자식들아”라는 말씀은 요한이 악한 사람들을 지칭하며 사용한 경고의 메시지로서 이는 단순히 욕설이 아니라, 하나님의 뜻을 왜곡하고 악한 행실을 저지르는, 겉과 속이 다른 사람들을 비난하고 회개를 촉구하는 표현입니다(인터넷).

n  바리새인들과 사두개인들의 본성은 치명적인 해를 끼치고 독을 품고 있으므로 그들은 겉으로는 의로운 척하지만 속으로는 악한 생각을 품은 사람들이었습니다.  그래서 요한은 그들의 악함을 지적하고 그들이 하나님으로부터 올 진노를 피하기 위해 회개하고 ‘회개에 합당한 열매’를 맺도록 촉구하는 경고의 메시지를 전파한 것입니다(참고:  인터넷).

(iii)              결국 요한은 요단강 부근의 여러 지방을 다니며 죄를 용서받게 하려고 “회개의 세례”를 전파하면서(눅3:3) 자기에게 세례받으러 나오는 많은 바리새인들과 사두개인들에게는(마3:7) “독사의 자식들아”라고 말한 후(눅3:7) ‘회개에 합당한 열매를 맺으라’(8절)고 말했는데 여기서 저는 “회개의 세례”와 “회개의 합당한 열매”를 좀 비교해 보게 되었습니다(인터넷):

·         “회개의 세례는 죄를 뉘우치고 마음과 생각을 돌이키는 시작이며, 회개에 합당한 열매는 그러한 마음의 변화가 삶의 행동으로 나타나는 실제적인 결과입니다.  세례는 회개로 나아가는 행위를 상징하고, 열매는 회개했음을 증명하는 증거이며, 회개를 통해 이루어진 근본적인 인격 변화가 삶 속에서 자연스럽게 드러나는 것입니다”(인터넷).

-          그런데 왜 독사의 자식들인 많은 바리새인들과 사두개인들은 회개에 합당한 열매를 맺지 못했던 것일까요? (눅3:7-8; 마3:7-8)  그 원인은 그들은 속으로 “아브라함이 우리 조상이라고 생각”하고 있었기 때문입니다(마3:9).  다시 말하면, 그들은 아브라함의 혈통이라는 사실에 기대어 구원이 보장되었다고 생각하는 안일한 태도를 버리지 못하고 있었기 때문에(참고: 인터넷) 회개에 합당한 열매를 맺지 못하고 있었던 것입니다.

n  지금 우리도 왜 회개에 합당한 열매를 맺지 못하고 있는 것일까요?  혹시 우리도 예수님을 믿어 이젠 구원이 보장되었다고 생각하는 안일한 태도를 버리지 못하고 있기 때문은 아닌가요?

(2)   하나님께서 요한에게 주신 소명[“소명은 하나님이 나를 부르는 객관적인 부르심 자체를 의미”함(인터넷)]은 광야의 외치는 소리로서 예수 그리스도의 오심을 준비하고, 주님의 길을 곧게 하는 것이었고(눅3:4), 그의 사명[“사명은 그 부름에 대한 주관적인 헌신과 결단이며 구체적인 실천”임(인터넷)]은 사람들에게 죄 사함을 받게 하는 회개의 세례를 전파하며(3절) 또한 회개의 세례를 베풀고 임박한 심판을 선포하며 예수님을 증언하는 것이었습니다(인터넷).

(a)   그래서 요한은 이렇게 선포하였습니다: “모든 골짜기가 메워지고 모든 산과 작은 산이 낮아지고 굽은 것이 곧아지고 험한 길이 평탄하여 질 것이요 모든 육체가 하나님의 구원하심을 보리라 함과 같으니라”[(현대인의 성경) “모든 골짜기가 메워지고 모든 산이 낮아질 것이며 굽은 길이 곧아지고 험한 길이 평평해지며 모든 사람이 하나님의 구원을 볼 것이다”](5-6절).

(i)                  이 선포는 메시아(예수 그리스도)가 오실 길을 준비하라는 선포로서 사람들이 마음과 행실을 바로잡아 하나님 앞에 나아갈 수 있도록 준비하라는 의미로, '골짜기가 메워지고', '산이 낮아지고', '굽은 것이 곧아지고', '험한 길이 평탄해지는' 비유를 통해 설명합니다(인터넷).

·         "모든 골짜기가 메워지고 모든 산과 작은 산이 낮아지고 굽은 것이 곧아지고 험한 길이 평탄하여질 것이요"(5절)라는 말씀은 메시아(그리스도)를 맞이하기 위해 마음의 모든 장애물과 죄를 제거하고, 겸손하게 낮아지며, 곧아져야 할 것을 비유적으로 표현한 것이고, 험한 길을 평탄하게 만드는 것은 회개하고 마음을 정돈하는 행위를 상징합니다(인터넷).

·         “모든 육체가 하나님의 구원하심을 보리라 함과 같으니라"(6절)는 말씀은 이 모든 준비가 이루어졌을 때, 모든 사람이 하나님의 구원하심을 보게 될 것이라는 약속입니다(인터넷).

-          이 성경 말씀이 담고 있는 메시지는 …

n  “메시아를 맞이하는 준비: 세례 요한이 메시아의 길을 예비한 것처럼, 신자들은 자신의 마음을 준비하고 하나님을 향해 나아가야 합니다.

n  회개와 변화: 굽은 것을 곧게 하고 험한 길을 평탄하게 하는 것은 죄를 회개하고 삶의 태도를 변화시키는 것을 의미합니다.

n  하나님의 구원: 궁극적으로 이러한 준비의 결과로 모든 사람이 하나님의 구원을 경험하게 될 것입니다”(인터넷).

(b)   요한은 임박한 심판에 대해서 선포하였는데 그 선포한 말씀은 “이미 도끼가 나무 뿌리에 놓였으니 좋은 열매 맺지 아니하는 나무마다 찍혀 불에 던져지리라”(9절)입니다.

(i)                  이 말씀은 회개하지 않는 사람들에게 대한 하나님의 심판을 경고하는 말씀입니다.  좋은 열매를 맺지 못하는 나무는 뿌리째 찍혀 불에 던져지듯이, 회개를 통해 변화하지 않는 사람은 심판을 피할 수 없음을 강조합니다(인터넷).