Grace, peace, and mercy are yours from
the Triune God. Amen.
In the third chapter of
Luke, we encounter John the Baptist who is preparing the way for the earthly
ministry of Jesus. Consider how radical this situation was: the chapter opens
by telling us who is in charge, from the leaders of the Roman Empire to the
heads of Judea to the institutional leaders of the temple system in Jerusalem.
Yet, after introducing all of these important big-name people, who is it that
prepares the way for the earthly ministry of Jesus? Some schmuck named John whose
entire time of ministry was spent in the wilderness, mostly at the Jordan River.
Luke draws our attention specifically to the wilderness, the river, and, of
course, to John, so let’s talk about these things.
The Greek word erēmos
is used to describe a solitary, desolate place. John’s ministry takes place in erēmos,
or the wilderness, at the Jordan River. Both places were heavily associated
with the exodus story of freedom from slavery, wilderness wanderings, and
crossing the Jordan to the promised land. In biblical writings, wilderness
often represents vulnerability and uncertainty. Luke pulls on this theme using
wilderness to be a place of testing and hunger, danger or destruction, or being
lost and then found. It is precisely in that wilderness place of vulnerability
and danger that God appears. Perhaps that’s why we hear of all the times Jesus
goes into the wilderness to pray.
Just as God guided the
Israelites by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, God
provides what is needed in the wilderness, such as daily manna or a feast for
multitudes. Thus, the wilderness is where (and how) God’s people learn to
depend on God. So, it would make sense that John does his ministry in the
wilderness. He is ministering in this uncertain and liminal space between the
now but not yet, and at the edge of the promised land, the River Jordan. But wait
a minute, who is this John guy anyway?
Luke tells us that John
was born to a priest named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. Elizabeth was
barren, and they were both “getting on in years”, and yet here was this miracle
baby. And we heard in the Song of Zechariah that John was born to be a prophet.
Verse 76 says, “and you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways.” So, some unknown guy, working
in the wilderness, had been called to be prophet right from birth. And not just
any prophet, but the prophet who would pave the way for the Messiah.
Our gospel reading today
begins with the usual way of identifying a prophet in the Hebrew Scriptures – time-stamped
by reference to that roll call of rulers, it includes the prophetic call, family
pedigree, and location. Here is an example from Ezekiel: “On the fifth day of
the month, the word of the LORD came to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, in the
land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was on him
there” (Ezekiel 1:2-3) When we consider Luke’s description of John, it sounds
pretty similar to the example from Ezekiel: “In the fifteenth year of the reign
of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was
ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and
Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas
and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.”
What is remarkable about
this prophetic description is the list of big names for that time and area, and
yet are any of them called on by God to lead the way to the coming Messiah? No.
God chooses the most unlikely candidate in the most unlikely place – some guy
named John, a miracle baby born to parents who shouldn’t have had children, and
who is wandering about in the wilderness along the Jordan River. And if you
remember from other places in the gospels, he dressed simply and ate bugs. Not
exactly the person you’d picture making way for the salvation of God.
Ok, so we’ve talked
about John, and we’ve talked about the wilderness. Now what is it that’s so
important about the Jordan River? Why does Luke specifically mention that area
being the place for John’s ministry?
The Jordan River appears
many times within the scriptures and often refers to a freedom that comes after
a long season of adversity and waiting. Crossing the Jordan into the promised
land ended a 40-year multi-generational saga for the Israelites who were escaping
the terrors they were experiencing in Egypt. The people of Isreal were again
looking for change, longing again for God to deliver them from oppression. By concentrating
his ministry in the area of the Jordan, it’s almost as if John wanted to return
to the waters that once provided physical freedom to God’s people, but this
time he wanted change to come to them spiritually too. John preached that the
first step on this journey toward freedom is a baptism of repentance.
John proclaimed that
this baptism is the preparation for the ministry, life, and death of Jesus
because those who accept John’s call to repentance show that they are ready to
acknowledge the coming of the Messiah. Repentance here isn’t about apologizing
and forgiving. It’s about change. The Greek word used is metanoia which
means to change one’s mind. John announces the opportunity for personal change
and calls for a change of nature.
John quotes the prophet
Isaiah to describe the transformation that must take place:
“Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made
straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation
of God.”
Preparing the Lord’s
path toward peace requires overturning the world as we know it. It means
rethinking social systems and structures. It means working towards change at
the root of social issues rather than only treating the symptoms. For example,
as the cold winter months come upon us, how can society move beyond temporary help
for the homeless and correct the root of the systemic problem instead?
Advent is a time of
preparation, and this week John is calling for a special kind of preparation –
one that calls us to examine our lives, our values, and our priorities. While
we prepare for the birth of Christ, John’s challenge to repent and prepare for
the ministry of Jesus is not one to be avoided. He is calling us to turn to God,
to seek God’s forgiveness for all our sins, and to be ready for the Messiah. John’s
message redirects our focus to a salvation from God that is truly good news for
all people: “To you is born this day…a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Amen.
Resources:
"New Collegeville Bible Commentary: New Testament" edited by Daniel Durken
"Feasting on the Word" edited by David Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor
pulpitfiction.com
workingpreacher.com
episcopalchurch.org
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