Matthew 3:1-12
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:1-12 (NRSVUE)
In this season of Advent, we find ourselves preparing for the coming of Christ. Preparing our lives, our homes, our decorations, and our schedules. Busy are the days that lead up to Christmas. Every year, Christmas comes. And yet, every year we prepare for the coming of Christ during Advent.
Does Christ not come if we aren’t prepared? Indeed, God still shows up. That’s often been the case in my life.
How do you prepare for something that has already happened? Or better yet, why do we prepare for something that many of us already know of, expect, and plan for?
We see in the third chapter of Matthew’s gospel John the Baptist, in his unique clothes, odd diet, and sharp words, preparing and proclaiming the coming of the Lord. And what does John the Baptist do to help prepare the way of the Lord? Calls us to repent and be baptized. John the Baptist baptizes, of course!
To repent is to turn away from a thing, or more appropriately put, to turn back towards God.
In order to prepare the way of the Lord, we recognize our reliance on God. It’s about remembering.
We repent and prepare, even though we have done it before, because in the re-enacting and remembering, God’s Grace and presence are seen, felt, and heard.
We remember who we are and whose we are.
In the same way that every Christmas season, I ask my Dad to help make his mom's (my grandma's) special Christmas rolls filled with poppy seed and almond seed filling. We do it so we remember who we are and the gift of being family and enjoying good food and all the things that are a gift in our lives.
And yet, I can do all the preparing, all the work, all the things, and yet, I can still miss the mark.
Every Advent season, every month, every day, we can invite a moment into our busy lives to turn back towards God. A God of Grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
Questions for Reflection:
- How do you remember God’s grace in your life?
- Who or what helps you turn back toward God?
Prayer:
God of Grace,
We give thanks for the gift of remembering who we are. We give thanks for the moments in our lives where we can turn back toward you and your Grace. Open our eyes to continue to see your work in our world.
Amen.
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