Advent Week 2 Part 2: Prepare the Way

Luke 3:1-6     It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene.  Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness.  Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.  Isaiah had spoken of John when he said,   
  “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,    ‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! Clear the road for him!  The valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills made level.  The curves will be straightened, and the rough places made smooth.    And then all people will see the salvation sent from God.’”

Making Connections:   Have you ever received an urgent message from someone?  How did you react?  How did you share the message with others?

Context:   Another prophet appeared in Jewish history to call people into a right relationship with God.  He lived in the wilderness and many people compared him to Elijah.  His name was John the Baptist.  In this passage we experience his call into the role of prophet just as all of the prophets were called before him.  He becomes a man with a message!  His ministry is set by the writer of Luke firmly within the history of the Jewish religion in the Roman Empire which was complex and often tumultuous.  The political landscape of the time period was filled with tension.  The Romans worshiped their emperors as gods and their rulers had become increasingly brutal to the people.    The Jewish community had difficulties complying with these secular laws that violated their covenant with the God of Israel.

Perhaps the community who heard the message of John the Baptist felt very much like the post-exilic community to which Malachi spoke.  The people were once again ready for deliverance.  They were ready for a confrontational prophet in the tradition of Elijah.  In John the Baptist they got a man who was not afraid to confront the Roman rulers nor the Jewish religious leaders.  Indeed, just as Elijah confronted King Ahab for his infidelity to God, John the Baptist confronted Herod Antipas for his immorality.  This confrontation led indirectly to his death by beheading.

John not only confronted the civil authorities but also the religious authorities and the people with his bold message as he preached baptism for the repentance of sins.   There are several things we will look at as we study this passage.  First, this baptism is not baptism as we understand it for we are baptized as a sign of our acceptance into the Christian community.  For Christians, baptism is a sacrament. Baptism is an outward communal act which signals the inward reality of God's presence within us.  John's baptism was one of preparation for the day of judgment at which time one's sins would be forgiven.

Second, John challenges his followers, and us, to repent as preparation for the presence of God.  True repentance, in the Greek sense of metanoia, literally means to change one's mind ... to turn around ... to re-orient oneself in relation to God.  Finally, we find that the God of Justice is also the God of Mercy for forgiveness is ours as we repent, turn away from sin and turn toward God.  The word translated forgiveness literally means "to let go." 

Going Deeper:  Prepare the way of the Lord.  This is the call of the prophetic voice to the community and to each individual in it.  This voice calls us to deeper contemplation and preparation for only then will we "see the salvation sent by God."   Can you hear the voice calling you to spend precious time in contemplation and preparation this Advent season so that you'll catch a glimpse of the Messiah on your journey?  Who is the prophetic voice in your life? 

Pondering:  How do you “prepare the way” for God to be experienced in your life?  What is your experience of God after you have taken time to “prepare the way?”  What is your experience when you don’t take the time to “prepare the way?”

Prayer:  As you continue your Advent Journey, I invite you to prepare the way for God's presence through a simple examination of conscious: The prayer of examen is a means to make us aware of people and creation so we can live with more purpose and compassion as we grow toward fuller consciousness of God  from moment to moment.   Find a quiet place and pray with your journal, jotting down important notes.

1.    Celebrate and give thanks: Begin by centering yourself on God’s gentle presence and provision. 

2.    Pray for illumination: Ask God to illuminate your time of reflection and to give you clear insight

3.    Examine the events and encounters of the day:  Ask God to reveal to you instances sin and the influence of evil.  Pay attention to strong emotions and notice how you respond to God’s presence as you interact with others.

4.    Sift through the joys and sorrows, struggles and delights, asking God for the grace that is needed:  Take a journal or a piece of paper and write as your thoughts come to you ... Write freely about moments when God’s presence was especially apparent to you.  Take the opportunity to lay your brokenness down before God.  Once your reflective writing is complete, enter into a determined time of prayerful repentance … Pray with Scripture:  “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.  See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”    Psalm 139:23-24

5.    Rest in God’s amazing grace and live in love, awaiting a small glimpse of the Messiah!