MARK 1
This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began just as the prophet Isaiah had written: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way. He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! Clear the road for him!’”
This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.
John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”
Clear The Road!
I cannot imagine how many people it would take to prepare my town, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for a visit from the United State’s President. I would not be surprised to discover that several hundred well dressed professionals are involved in a single visit.
Important people probably always have advance people making sure every detail is ready for their safe and effective stay.
I don’t think any of them would choose a guy like John. He doesn’t look or act much the part of an effective advance man. He’s weird. People skills are noticeably absent. And he ignores vital details – like security!
John does pay attention to one detail. Traffic. He doesn’t worry about the roads leading into important cities. Instead, he aims to clear the roadway in and out of our hearts. This is, perhaps, one of the busiest roads in human experience; full of passions, competing priorities, cultural pressures, self preservation issues.
John declares that when Jesus arrives, he will want to send God’s Spirit to dwell and rule in the city of our hearts, with all of its thoroughfares, back alleys, and side streets. But if we are wrapped up in managing our own inner cities, making sure everything we need arrives on our schedule and according to our demands we are sure to miss Jesus’ gift.
Not only that, the whole business of ruling our little city-kingdom on our own, is sin. Jesus is coming to help us return the rule of our hearts to God, where it has always belonged.
With the men and women of ancient Palestine, to get ready for the transition of power from self to Jesus, I must turn my back on the whole idea of self rule, along with the accompanying highway management. Jesus and his rule must become my consuming focus.
Father, forgive me when I become consumed with my own heart’s needs and how to supply them. This new year, with your Spirit’s help, I will daily turn away from ruling, and turn toward you with trust and anticipation of your continuing fellowship.
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