Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

...

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled

And every mountain and hill brought low;

The crooked places shall be made straight

And the rough ways smooth;

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brook of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourself, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?" He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you." Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?" So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."

- Luke 1:1-4,3:1-14

In the lectionary cycle, today's reading begins the Gospel of Luke. The lectionary will continue with Luke's Gospel until the days before Christmas, so we will have the opportunity to explore it fairly fully. I believe the Gospels work well taken as a whole, in sequence. It is especially helpful to the understanding of each passage to understand it in context, and study it that way. I am repeatedly tempted to deviate from the lectionary, and turn to a straightforward study of each book and every reading in sequence until we finish the whole of a Gospel. This would give great opportunity for study (and perhaps I might take a break once in awhile and still not be out of step with the study sequence). I'd be interested in hearing what my readers think about this possibility (via email), but for now we will continue with the lectionary.

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, ... My study bible notes here: "As eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ, the disciples listened to His Good News and saw His miracles firsthand. As Luke himself was not one of the original disciples of Jesus, his Gospel is anchored on the testimony of these witnesses."

... it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. A note reads: "Luke addresses himself to Theophilus (see Acts 1:1), a prominent Gentile who has received Christian instruction, but is otherwise unknown to us. The Gospel is written as an orderly account to provide greater certainty about the details of Jesus' ministry."

Luke was a Gentile from Antioch by birth, and a physician by profession. Luke is also known as the "historian" because he dates events by reference to historical figures and events. Clearly in his introduction we read that his intention is to provide "an orderly account" to his fellow Christian minister, Theophilus. We know, also, that Luke has written the book of the Acts of the Apostles, and there is a reference there (Acts 20:6 - the plural "we") to his traveling with Paul in Paul's ministry. Luke's Gospel is written for the purpose of ministry to Christians of a Gentile background - and therefore (according to my study bible) emphasizes the challenges of mission and evangelization. The emphasis overall is on the universality of the Gospel Message.

The lectionary takes us from the first verses of the Gospel to the third chapter. Here, our "historian" Luke sets down the particular background to the narrative of events that will follow.

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, ... My study bible says, "Tiberius ruled as sole Roman emperor in A.D. 14-37, but had authority over the provinces from A.D. 11 on. Thus the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus began sometime between A.D. 26 and 28. Pilate was governor of Judea from A.D. 26-36."

... while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. A note reads: "Caiaphas was the sole official high priest (A.D. 18-36), but people recognized behind him the power of his father-in-law, Annas, a previous high priest deposed by the Romans."

And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, ... My study bible notes, "The call to repentance was typical of the Old Testament prophets, but John's baptism for the remission of sins sounds a deeper note: a symbolic washing away of sins, prefiguring that which will come. As Paul writes in Rom. 6:1-6, those who come to Christ will be buried with Him in baptism, rising to new life."

... as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying ... Isaiah the prophet is quoted freely in the Gospels and by Christ Himself. My study bible says that Isaiah "foresaw the momentous significance of the period of the Messiah and the preparation necessary for it."

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'" These quotations are from different parts of Isaiah's prophecy (see Is. 40:3-5 and 52:10). The powerful emphasis is on preparation - and a great leveling and equality significant in true judgment. There is also emphasis in these words on the universality of the Deliverer and His message of salvation.

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brook of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourself, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." My study bible notes: "Ethnic or 'spiritual' ancestry does not guarantee security in the face of God's judgment. Only faithful repentance and good works worthy of it bring salvation. Stones symbolize Gentile Christians who became children of God." There are powerful messages here that emphasize not only what will come in Jesus' ministry and teaching, but also echoing the words quoted by Isaiah . This is a "leveling" ministry. All are equal in judgment; none is judged by ancestry and inheritance. Each is on his own, standing before the Lord - with his own works, thoughts, words, and choices in the depths of the heart.

So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?" He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you." Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?" So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages." The emphasis here again - in the face of the need for repentance and preparation, is on a kind of leveling and on justice, or good judgment. This is not a proclamation of rebellion or revolution, but of a way of understanding and practicing righteousness in personal choice. There is equality of care between those who have and have not. The tax collectors, rather than collecting "more" for themselves (a common practice) must do their job with fairness and honesty. The soldiers must treat others likewise, with righteousness.

So, our foundation is laid for the coming of the Lord, as we begin our readings from Luke's Gospel. John the Baptist preaches repentance - not simply to prepare for judgment, but rather to prepare for the glorious ministry of the One who is to come, the One whom Isaiah proclaimed in his prophecy. That preparation starts us off with an understanding, a groundwork of that which is to be laid within us and our hearts, so to speak, so that we may accept the power of His word that is to come. We make His paths straight by filling in the valleys and lowering the mountains and hills. We must make the crooked places straight and the rough ways smooth. This is the preparation for the One who is to come, so that we may receive the Word. We practice this understanding within ourselves, about the basic equality between all people as the necessary requirement to understand what is to come and to accept His judgment. We do our jobs with honesty and righteousness as befits such an understanding, and we help those who need it. This great leveling is the foundation of spiritual freedom that is preached in this Gospel. Without the understanding that salvation is for all people, we cannot be properly prepared, we will not "get it." It is a time of preparation, and we must make His paths straight in order to receive. Are you ready?