I am "The voice of one crying in the wilderness"

 

 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am

'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

"Make straight the way of the LORD,"'

as the prophet Isaiah said."  

 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 

 

- John 1:19–28 

 

Yesterday the lectionary gave us what is called the "Prologue" of John's Gospel:   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"  And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

 

 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"   He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  This John is John the Baptist.  Yesterday, we read the theological Prologue to the Gospel, which taught us about the origins, divinity, and mission of Jesus Christ the Son of God.  Today the focus shifts to the beginnings of Christ's ministry, in the witness (testimony) of John the Baptist.  Just as the Prologue gave us an echo of Genesis, by starting verse 1 with "In the beginning" (see yesterday's reading, above), so the Gospel now parallels Genesis by giving us this "first day" of Christ's ministry.  Over the course of the next several readings, we will be given seven consecutive days.  Each day parallels the themes in the same days in the creation story of Genesis.  Here in today's reading, John the Baptist bears witness to the Light -- the Christ -- in the presence of the representatives of the Jewish leaders sent from Jerusalem.  Today's reading parallels the creation of light on the first day in Genesis 1:3-5.  

And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."   Although the Gospel does not overtly state it, it was understood (and also evident through the text) that John the Baptist was an extremely significant figure at this time just prior to the public ministry of Jesus Christ.  We can see from the questions asked by these representatives sent from the religious leadership in Jerusalem what significance John had as a public figure, who was clearly considered a holy man by the people.  They ask him if he is Elijah because the Prophet Elijah was prophesied to return before the Christ (Malachi 4:5-6).  Elsewhere, Jesus indicates that John the Baptist was Elijah returned in spirit (see, for example, Mark 9:13).   Here although he is a prophet, John denies that he is the Prophet, whom my study Bible says is the Messiah, whose coming was foretold by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15-19. 

 

 Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  "Make straight the way of the LORD,"' as the prophet Isaiah said."  John the Baptist quotes from Isaiah 40:3, the word of one who prepares the way for the Christ, the Lord who is coming and will establish His kingdom.  

 

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.    As these representatives are sent from the Pharisees, they quiz John as to his purpose in baptizing.  Luke 3:3 tells us that John was preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  My study Bible comments that the call to repentance was tradition for prophets.  But John's baptism did not grant remission of sins once and for all; instead, it prefigured and prepared people for the baptism of Christ which was to come.  It notes that John is a figure of the Law in that, like the Law, he denounced sin but could not remit ("put away") sin.  Both John and the Law point to the One who can remit sin.  That is the One John says, "whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  By this language, John is comparing himself in spiritual authority to Christ, in humility declaring that in this sense, he is not even worthy to be a slave of Christ.  

 

 In today's reading, John's Gospel gives us a "first day" of Christ's public ministry.  Note that in this first day, Jesus has not yet made an appearance.  He is alluded to by John the Baptist, but even John the Baptist will indicate in the following reading in this Gospel (Thursday's reading) that at this stage, he does not know who the Christ is.  These details tell us something very important for our own lives of faith.  Most of the time, we tend to think of these great saints and figures of the Gospels as having a spiritual wisdom that has so much to teach us that they are something akin to omniscient.  But, in effect, we see John's great humility teaching us much more about who and what he is than we can imagine for ourselves.  John's humility -- in stating that he personally is not even of rank enough to be a slave to Christ -- is a great key to who John is.  John is a prophet who has dedicated absolutely everything in his life to serving God.  He has no wealth.  In dress he bears resemblance to Elijah; Matthew tells us that John "was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey" (Matthew 3:4; compare to the description of Elijah in 2 Kings 1:8).  It is in great humility that his detachment from worldly things is so complete in order to serve God.  It is John's great humility that effectively enables him to be not only the final but also the greatest of all the Old Testament style prophets.  As we enter into Lent, this is the right time to think about our own humility.  The traditional fasting practices of Lent are meant to help us cultivate detachment from worldly things, to all the more focus on Christ at the center of our identity, and helping us to lead our lives in the fullness of His way for us, even as individuals.  There is yet another element about John on display in today's reading, and that is that his fidelity to mission is so complete that he is able to prophesy and prepare people for the Messiah, although he does not know Him.  While we have the stories of the prophecies regarding John the Baptist and Jesus in the stories of their mothers, the cousins Elizabeth and Mary (in Luke 1, 2), the revelation of the identity of the Christ will come to John only at the time of Christ's Baptism.  So John the Baptist carries out the fullness of his mission without knowing the identity of the Christ, even until the moment this is revealed to him.  As such, we can take a great lesson in this story in terms of our own lives.  Unlike John, we are not all prophets, but even this greatest of the prophets (Matthew 11:11) does not know all the answers nor the outcome of his ministry; neither does he know the Christ for whom he's preparing the people.  This should equip us to understand for ourselves that although we do not know the outcome of our lives nor our efforts as those who would also be Christ's followers, we are to carry on day-to-day even in a state of unknowing.  There are some things we know, and some we don't know, but faith is always an ongoing process in a life that unfolds through time.  We don't have all the answers, but we can follow John's example of humility and even a state of faith despite our unknowing, and be confident that this is simply the way things are, and the way things always were.  Let us, like John, cultivate the detachment that allows us to remain in this place of both humility and unknowing, even as we pursue our faith.  This is the right mindset to cultivate for Lent, for all of its associated historical practices are meant to help us to develop just such a detached state of mindfulness, and a focus on Christ, even in the midst of unknowing.  Let us take confidence in John the Baptist's example. 

 

 

Make straight the way of the LORD

 

 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may given an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said: "I am

'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

"Make straight the way of the LORD,"'

as the prophet Isaiah said."  

 

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bathabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

 

- John 1:19-28 

 

Yesterday we read what is called the Prologue to John's Gospel:   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"  And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

 

  Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"   He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  The theological Prologue to John's Gospel was in our previous reading (see above), and in today's reading the focus shifts to the beginnings of the ministry of Christ.  Just as the Gospel began with the words "In the beginning," evoking Genesis 1:1, so Genesis is paralleled in this beginning of the story of the ministry of Christ, which covers seven consecutive days.  In today's reading we're given the first day, the witness of John the Baptist.  

And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may given an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said: "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the LORD,"' as the prophet Isaiah said."  John the Baptist is a prophet (indeed, he is considered to be the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets), but he is not the Prophet, the Messiah, whose coming was foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).  John quotes from Isaiah 40:3.

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bathabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.  On this first day given in John's Gospel, John the Baptist bears witness to the Light -- the Christ -- in the presence of authorities sent from the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem.  My study Bible suggests that this parallels the creation of light on the first day in Genesis 1:3-5.  John baptizes with water for repentance, a traditional call for prophets.  His baptism did not grant remission of sins once and for all, but was a prefiguration and preparation for the baptism of Christ, which he indicates here to those sent from the Pharisees.  My study Bible comments that John is a figure of the Law in that, like the Law, he denounced sin but could not remit ("put away") sin.  Both John and the Law point to the One who can remit sin.

John points to the Light, as my study Bible explains, and he indicates that he baptizes to prepare people for the coming of the Light, the Christ.  This is the work of a prophet, to prepare people for the Lord.  The traditional call of the prophets, as my study Bible explains, is to repentance.  If we consider carefully what this means, it's a reminder to all of us of what we need to do throughout our lives, to orient ourselves toward God, even a sense of a meeting with God.  Repentance is, in a sense, a declaration that, as the Psalmist declares, "Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight— that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge" (Psalm 51:4).  In other words, it is the Lord to whom we turn to set our steps straight, even when our errors concern others.  We look to God to find the ways we need to lead our lives, and to come to terms with whatever we need to do to set things right.  John echoes the word of Isaiah when he declares that he is the voice of one crying in the wilderness:  "Make straight the way of the LORD."  The call to repentance, the call to make straight the way of the LORD, is a call to communion in some sense; both are figuratively calls to turn to face the Lord, in communion and relationship -- and to the righteousness necessary to do so.  It is a call to us that, no matter where we are in our lives, whatever it is that we are in the midst of doing or whatever concerns us, to turn toward the Lord and to consider this our primary need that sets all else in place, in righteous order.  This is because righteousness means "right relatedness."  So the sense in which the prophets call to repentance, in which John the Baptist calls on the people to make the paths of the Lord straight, is a call to righteous order, to set ourselves in right relatedness to God, and by extension to neighbor, for as Christ said, the two are inseparable (Matthew 22:34-40).  While John the Baptist's call is given to us as the "first day" of Christ's ministry, let us note that it should be a reminder to us that we need to do this all the time:  when we pause for prayer, we take time to "make His paths straight" and orient ourselves toward God so that we set our own lives in order.  John reminds us of Christ's words given to us at the end of Matthew's Gospel (Saturday's reading):  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."   We should know that the Lord is with us always, so that we turn to Him and make straight His way in our hearts.

 

 

Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight

 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.  Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.  Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king.

David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.  Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa.  Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah.  Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah.  Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah.  Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.

And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel.  Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor.  Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud.  Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Mattham, and Matthan begot Jacob.  And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

* * *

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"  For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.'"

Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.  Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

- Matthew 1:1-17; Matthew 3:1-6

 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:   Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.  Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.  Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.  Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king.  David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.  Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa.  Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah.  Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah.  Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah.  Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.  And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel.  Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor.  Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud.  Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Mattham, and Matthan begot Jacob.  And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.  We begin a new cycle with readings from the Gospel of Matthew.  Matthew gives us a genealogy of Jesus, answering the question, "Who is He?" and beginning with an understanding of His birth.  The name Jesus means, "O, Lord, save," according to my study bible.  The first thing we learn about Jesus is His role as Savior.  Christ, of course, means "Anointed One," in other words, the Messiah.  That is, the One who is filled with the Holy Spirit.  My study bible tells us that though the Son alone became Man, God the Father and the Holy Spirit work in Jesus Christ to save us.  Matthew's genealogy clearly shows us Jesus' Jewish identity as human being, from the lineage of Abraham, the father of all Jews, and of David, Israel's greatest king and prototype of the royal Messiah.  Matthew's genealogy reveals that the Son of God identifies so strongly with the human condition that He takes it on Himself and becomes part of it -- His ancestry includes both the righteous and the wicked, "faithful kings and murderers, Jews and Gentiles, kings and peasants" (says my study bible).  Through Abraham, God established the Old Covenant, but also promised to bless all the tribes of the earth:  Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of that promise, Abraham's greatest Son.   It should be noted that while Jewish genealogical lists normally included only men, here Matthew is unusual in giving us women ancestors of Jesus (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba).  Each one was either a Gentile or a sinner.  My study bible says that this declares God's graciousness and the calling of the Gentiles into the Church; it also emphasizes the role of women in God's plan of salvation, and anticipates the place of the Virgin Mary in that plan.  There is a special place for King David in this lineage.  David was anointed by the Prophet Samuel, and made king.  David, in turn, through his psalms, was revealed as a great prophet.  David, says my study bible, foreshadows both the royal and prophetic nature of Jesus Christ (Psalm 109).  David was both adulterer and murderer, and so functions also as a type for all repentant sinners.  Psalm 51 remains the great psalm of repentance for all the Church.  Matthew names Joseph as Jesus' immediate predecessor; Old Testament marriage laws assign hereditary rights on both adopted and biological sons.  However, when Matthew writes about "Mary, of whom was born Jesus," of whom is feminine in the Greek, and refers only to Mary and not Joseph.   It emphasizes He was not begotten of Joseph.

So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.  The genealogy is arranged in three groups of fourteen generations.  My study bible says that fourteen is the numerical equivalent of the consonants in the name David, which underscores Jesus' descend from David.  It also shows the division of the leadership of the Jews:  under judges until David, under kings until Babylon, and under priests until Christ. 

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"  For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:   "The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.'"  The lectionary takes us from the genealogy of Jesus -- His beginning as incarnate human being, to the preparation for His ministry, in the work of John the Baptist.  It links one birth with another, just as in the very early Church, our celebration of Christ's birth and also Jesus' baptism by John in the Jordan (called Epiphany, meaning "Showing Forth") were celebrated on the same day.  So His birth as incarnate human and also the birth of His ministry as Christ are importantly linked in today's reading:  we read the preparation for both, giving us an idea about the central question of the Gospel, "Who is Jesus?"  John the Baptist, considered the greatest prophet, and also cousin to Jesus, quotes from Isaiah (40:3) in preparation for the work of the Messiah, the ministry of Jesus Christ.  John preaches in the wilderness, a man devoted to God, preaching repentance in preparation for the Lord.  We "make His straight" through repentance.

Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.  Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.  John was a towering figure of his own time, and many of Jesus' early disciples were first John's disciples.  My study bible tells us that his ascetic life conformed to that of the Jewish sects such as the Essenes, who lived in the wilderness and whose purpose was to prepare for the coming of the Kingdom of God.  This gives us an idea of the tremendous expectation among the people awaiting the Deliverer, the Messiah.  John's clothing, my study bible says, was typical of a prophet (it mirrors that of Elijah; see 2 Kings 1:8).  The early monastic movement of the Church in the immediate centuries after Christ was patterned after John's manner of life.  We see John's popularity as a holy figure in the people who come for confession, from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around Jordan -- the center of Jewish religious life.

Today's Gospel reading selection is all about preparation, beginnings.   Matthew tells us, in these readings put together here, about the importance of preparation as beginning.  Repentance is the key here, both in the central figure of King David in the genealogy, and in the ministry of John the Baptist.  David is known not just for being a great king, but as a figure of faith.  Even having committed great sins, he goes to God in penitence and acute awareness of his sin.  He is not a king given over to himself as sole law-giver, but remains a man of faith in God, as one who "fears God," reveres God.  John the Baptist teaches all about repentance, as preparation for the Lord -- for God -- to make His paths straight.  It gives us a clear sense that repentance is the way to make the path of Christ straight, so to speak, within our own hearts.  It's our awareness of our own state before God that clears the way for God's work in us.  Nothing is impossible to God, the Lord can do anything.  But we also have our own "work" cut out for us, a practice of humility, that helps our capacity to realize God's work in us, clears the way of the stumbling block of a "hardened heart" -- one that will not see and hear, in the language of Isaiah and other prophets which Jesus will quote so often:  giving us "ears to hear" and "eyes to see."   (See for example Isaiah 6:10.)   Lent is meant to be a time of such preparation.  It not only prepares us for Easter but it also shores up our own "work" in preparing ourselves through its historical practices of prayer and fasting.  We "make room" for God through such practices.  In imitation of the great prophets like John the Baptist, we simplify our lives, taking time out for the Lord, "making His paths straight" for His work in us.  Christ's Incarnation is the single central event in the world's history:  from one side and another, we pivot right there, all paths lead there.   In the Old Testament books we see the figure and face of Christ in so much that we read, and in our present time we look at history since and we seek His face in all things.  Today we ask ourselves how we best follow His commandments for our lives, our world.  What does it mean to love one's neighbor as oneself?  How do we prepare to understand what He asks of us?  How do we "make His paths straight" for the work of His Spirit, the illumination of His Light in our lives?  Today we focus on something a modern world doesn't appreciate much:  preparation.  We want instant gratification, prayers answered to our specifications just because we ask and have a sense of faith as belief.  But the whole history of the Church, and of the Old Covenant before the Church, teaches us about preparation and its central importance.  As human beings, we also have things to do, a way to fix our sights and our hearing upon something, preparation to make for the Lord.  We can't neglect what and who we are.  We lose when we forget about preparation and focus and the discipline of training our thoughts, even our bodies in expectation of God's great gifts, God's grace.  As human beings, we are integrated: body, soul, and spirit.  Notions of preparation and "making His way straight" have always taken this into consideration, and understood the nature of human beings in this very integral sense.   Prayers of the Hours, for example, give us reminders through the day of what it means to live in expectation for His Return, to take time out, to simplify, to make the movements of prayer.  That's one small example of something we might emphasize at times when we particularly need God's strength in our lives.  We focus, we move in the patterns of worship and prayer, and we take time out to do so.  As human beings, we need awareness -- particularly to do the work that allows His light in, so that we understand better our relationship to Him.  Let us remember who we are, and how important it is to do what it takes to make His paths straight.  His healing work in us, as Isaiah says, and as Jesus and St. Paul will quote, has so much to do with our spiritual eyes and ears.

"Make straight the way of the Lord," as the prophet Isaiah said

Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" He said, "I am

'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

"Make straight the way of the LORD, "'

as the prophet Isaiah said."

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." These things were done in Bathabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

- John 1:19-28

In yesterday's reading, we read John the Evangelist's introduction to the Christ. It is a theological understanding of Christ as Logos or Word, and John's testimony as to his witness in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. See In the beginning was the Word. In today's reading, we are introduced to John the Baptist, and the Baptist's testimony of himself. John was an extremely important figure, revered widely as a holy man in his own time. Many of Jesus' apostles were followers of John before they became followers of Jesus.

Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" As noted above, John the Baptist was widely considered a holy man. He baptized a baptism of repentance in preparation for the Messiah, the One who was to come. His popularity was such that it is natural the priests and Levites would come to ask him about himself. In John's gospel, the term "the Jews" means the leadership of the temple. It is essential to remember that John the Evangelist, like all of Jesus' immediate apostles, was himself a devout Jew. At the time this gospel was written, persecutions of Jesus' followers were widespread in the synagogues and hence in the diaspora of the Jewish community, in addition to harsh Roman persecution.

He confessed and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." John clearly teaches that he is not the expected Messiah, in a time when many are looking for a savior for Israel. Christ is the Greek word for "Anointed One," the Messiah.

And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." It was prophesied that Elijah would return before the Christ, the Messiah. In the gospels, Jesus refers to John the Baptist as the return of Elijah in spirit.

"Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." The Prophet refers to the prophesy given by Moses in Deuteronomy 18: "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear . . . 'I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him' " (Deut. 18:15, 18).

Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" He said, "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the LORD, " ' as the prophet Isaiah said." John refers to himself as the one prophesied by Isaiah, who will come before the Lord, the Messiah, and announce His presence in the world. John is called the Forerunner for this reason. He quotes from Isaiah 40:3 to express his identity to the priests and Levites.

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." These things were done in Bathabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The Pharisees are a strong ruling party in the leadership of the temple. In other gospels, John the Baptist is scathing in his reply to their presence at the site of his baptisms, asking them, "Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" John's is a baptism of repentance in preparation for the Messiah, for the coming of the Lord.

In the gospel of John, the portrait of John the Baptist is one of extreme humility. This is consistent with the other gospels, and the statements of John the Baptist we read in which he refers at all to himself. In all things, he defers to Christ. This is the characteristic of humility, a deferral to Christ -- and it is what we are given repeatedly to understand about John the Baptist. The Baptist is also considered the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, and is referred to by Jesus as such. His great popularity in his own time suggests to us why the Pharisees would send priests and Levites to ask him about himself -- but in all things, he defers to the One who is to come, who is in fact present in the world. And this example of tremendous humility is what we must take with us when we examine our own faith. In all things, John the Baptist defers to the Christ. As great a figure as he cuts among the people, John is humble before the One for whom he baptizes. So, his invitation to baptism is also an invitation to the people to prepare for the Christ, to put everything aside and behind them in preparation for the One who is to come. Can we do the same thing in our own hearts? Do we put everything aside to "make straight the way of the Lord?" This is our job each day. Humility is not a concept highly valued in our world, but before the Christ, this is our attitude. This is how we must hold our hearts in preparation for the Lord, the One who is, in fact, present in our world. How do you prepare? How do you make straight His Way in your heart?