The beginning of the good news[a] of Jesus Christ.
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way,
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight,’ ”
so John the baptizer appeared[e] in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I have baptized you with[f] water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
-Mark 1:1-8 NRSV
Crying Out in the Wilderness
The Gospel of Mark is a wonderfully dramatic account of Jesus’ life and teaching. It immediately grabs us with an ancient prophecy telling of one who would come from the wilderness proclaiming a message of urgency and hope, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” You can almost see the scene as in a movie which opens with the prophecy written on the screen. The words fade as a figure comes into focus. He is in the wilderness; that place where no one abides. One is never safe in the wilderness. There are wild beasts, rogues and thieves, vipers.
People are venturing out into that wilderness in groups for protection, to see this new preacher, perhaps a prophet himself. He is described as clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he eats locusts and wild honey. A very strange sight to see. But there’s something familiar about his looks. Oh yes! The prophet Elijah was described exactly like this in the ancient Hebrew scriptures! He was taken up into heaven in a chariot of fire and some say he will return to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah.
Now we hear this man speak. His name is John and he is referred to as “the baptizer” because he preaches a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. His message is this:
“The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
We have already had quite a ride in just the first eight verses of Mark’s Gospel, and we haven’t even been introduced to the main character yet! That’s because — he is coming.
And that’s where we are in Advent. This is a holy season filled with possibilities. The Christ is coming and we’re waiting. Waiting to celebrate the birth of the child. Waiting for the Savior to come again in power and great glory. However, this waiting is not a passive time. It is a call to preparation. Where is that call coming from? Well, from the wilderness, of course — just like in Mark’s Gospel.
While we are familiar with wilderness in the world, there is another wilderness with which we tend not to be so familiar. It is an inner wilderness. It is an unsettling place because it is not subject to the critical, rational human mind. We tend to be fearful of going into that place because we’re not certain what we will find, or what will find us. Yet this is the very place where we will find, and be found by, the One we so desperately seek to know and be known. Prayer and meditation are our pathways to and through this wilderness. There is a voice calling, crying out to us from this very place, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” But how do we prepare the way of the Lord? To where are we making these straight paths?
Our preparations are inward and outward. Inward preparations are prayer and meditation. These are ways to be still and know that God is God. We pray, making our fears, concerns, and desires known. We meditate, being in stillness of body and mind, and allowing for God’s gentle response that quiets our fears, calms our concerns, and addresses what we truly desire. Then there are the outward preparations which include service and love. Both are outwardly directed to others. They are intertwined. We serve best when we serve from a place of love. We often discover love as we engage in service. The main thing is that we are actively engaging the world in service and love.
Well, where do all these straight paths we are preparing through prayer, meditation, service and love lead? Where is the Lord going on these straight paths? Straight to your heart! Where else would the Lord be going? Heed the voice calling from the wilderness, and let this season of Advent be a blessing for you.
The Rev. Bill Holly