John quickly disabused them of any such notion. Their membership in the Jewish community would not exempt them from judgment, and their salvation depended on their sincere repentance. We are tempted to think of these people's faith in their Jewish heritage as an anachronism that has little to do with us today, but that is far from the truth. We are always tempted to trust in roots rather than fruits. John warns us that none of these has any value in the absence of genuine repentance.
Judgment is at hand, and pedigree is no defense.
At first blush, this seems like a minor remedy to a major problem. At this, the rich man became sad, because he was very rich. Most of us are not rich, but we do have more food and clothing than we need. Most of us live in grander homes than necessary and drive fancier cars than we need. John calls us to examine our true needs and to share with those who have less.