Prepare The Way

Paula Shockley
2 days ago
2 min read

John the baptizer outside of a modern city — Created using ChatGPT

1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for him.’ ”

(Matthew 3:1-3)

John the baptizer - dressed in animal skins and eating insects - called people away from the temple, away from the culture, away from the everyday, and out to the wilderness. And the people went! He implored them to repent and be baptized. And they confessed their sins and went with him into the water. He spoke boldly to political and religious leaders without being openly rebuked (though he was eventually killed). In John, the people didn't just see an oddly dressed, oddly smelling, zealot. They saw Elijah, and they understood his presence and his call as a sign that God was about to do something big. They understood that the last time they, as a people, were in the wilderness, God was leading them from slavery to freedom. This realization brought comfort to the downtrodden and trepidation to the powerful. John was sure in his conviction and his role - he was not the main event,

he was preparing the way.

John's message is for us, but so is his purpose. We too are called away from the establishment's corruption - to repent of the ways we've been complicit or silent - to be baptized into God's way of justice and reconciliation. Today, in John's place stand those denied access to HIV/AIDS treatment, generations of refugees, immigrants afraid to leave their homes, and so many more for whom justice is a dream. They call out from the wilderness, where God longs to lead God's people from bondage into freedom. As we prepare for Jesus to be born anew in our hearts we are also called to prepare the way for Jesus' return by joining voices with those in the wilderness - speaking truth to oppressive powers and unjust leaders. The hope and peace of God's already-and-not-yet kingdom requires clean, yielded hearts and hands more ready to give than to receive.

1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;

from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—

the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

the Spirit of counsel and of might,

the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—

3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,

or decide by what he hears with his ears;

4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,

with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;