Sunday, December 8

Today in worship we are reading from the story of John the Baptist, as told in the Gospel of Luke.  The Gospel writers saw John as the one who Isaiah had foreseen, one who would be “a voice crying out in the wilderness,” telling the people to:   

 “Prepare the way for the Lord;

        make his paths straight.

Every valley will be filled,

    and every mountain and hill will be leveled.

The crooked will be made straight

    and the rough places made smooth.

All humanity will see God’s salvation.”

As Luke tells the story, John is Jesus’s distant relation (perhaps a cousin?).  John and Jesus are both born to unlikely parents (Mary gives birth to Jesus before it seems possible while John’s mother, Elizabeth, gets pregnant many years after she is past childbearing age).  John, like Jesus, spends his ministry pointing to what they call “God’s Kingdom” – God’s way of being in the world, a way of being that tears down injustice and builds up mercy, joy, and love.

John is an interesting character to pay attention to during Advent.  On the one hand, it makes sense: we are getting ready for Christmas – we are getting ready for Jesus to show up – and John’s ministry was about “preparing the way” for Jesus.  But, on the other hand, it can feel kinda strange.  We tend to remember Jesus for his mercy and love – John can seem harsh.  Jesus welcomed little children – John is a firebrand.  

John and Jesus are a complicated pair – John reminds us that Jesus has some challenging things to say to us, and Jesus reminds us that John’s message of repentance is ultimately fulfilled in the Good News of God’s mercy and grace.

And, yet, ultimately, the reason we keep returning to John is because he still has something to say to us.  We are invited to make ourselves ready for Jesus by practicing justice, sharing what we have, feeding the hungry, and sharing God’s love with those who are in need.

John invites us to turn towards the way of Jesus.  During the season of Advent, we take time to do that – we pray “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” – praying for Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us, to enter into our world and into our lives to save us.  This season is an opportunity to pay attention – to be on the lookout for Jesus – so that we might be ready for him to show up and change everything.