Prepare the Way

 

Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Scripture

 Mark 1:1-8

¹The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

²As it is written in he prophet Isaiah,
     “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
          who will prepare your way;
³   the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
          ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
          make his paths straight,’”
⁴John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. ⁸I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”  (NRSV)

Devotion

Every time I read Mark 1, I find myself humming the opening song in Godspell.  The musical begins with everyday people casting aside the trappings of their everyday lives as they respond to a voice singing "Prepare the way of the Lord."  What they discover is John the Baptist dressed as a circus ringmaster. In the 1973 film adaptation, John is a wild man...frantically splashing the soon-to-be-minted disciples in Central Park's fountain as he sings. He is full of joy; he also shows brief hints of fear as he helps people get ready for the coming Messiah.  When Jesus appears in a face-paint, suspenders, and a Superman T-shirt, John is completely overcome with emotion.  The ringmaster has prepared the way for someone who looks suspiciously like a clown...and Jesus's disciples soon take on similar appearances.

People sometimes balk at Godspell's depiction of the Jesus, John, and the disciples as circus performers.  They feel that the creators of the musical have turned the Gospel into a joke.  I believe, though, that this unorthodox decision brings home an uncomfortable truth that many Christians don't want to admit: Jesus got so much attention because what he, John the Baptist, and his followers were "selling" seemed ridiculous to the people of his day.

Almost everything Jesus said and did challenged the culture that surrounded him.  In a time and place when people believed in strict hierarchies and staying with one's own kind, Jesus spent his earthly ministry making room for people of various cultures and walks of life. He ate meals with sinners and outcasts and promised eternal life to Samaritans and thieves.  He healed people the rest of society wouldn't even touch.  And though everyone else at the time expected God's power to be shown through military might, Jesus taught that it was love and forgiveness that would conquer all.

What's more, Jesus's closest followers were not the type of people one would expect to lead a credible religious movement.   The person tasked with preparing the people for his coming wasn't one of the Temple's top priests.  It was a cousin known for wearing camel's hair, eating grasshoppers, and preaching in the wilderness by the Jordan River.  Jesus's disciples were not pulled from society's learned elite.  They were fishermen, a tax collector, and others folks of low social standing.  Those same disciples would later go forth to proclaim the Gospel to all the world...even when they knew that their witness would lead to their deaths. No sensible person out there would have expected a bunch of ne'er-do-wells  with a seeming death-wish who preached the message of a crucified savior capable of making a lasting impression on the world.  And yet, through God's grace, here we are--still proclaiming that ridiculous Good News of a God who came to earth, died for our sake, and rose again.

 If Jesus were to come right now, who would be the ones to proclaim his coming?   My guess is that the new John and  his closet followers would once again be a rag-tag collection of the least and the lost--a veritable modern day circus.  Those of us who are comfortable with the status quo would probably find ourselves challenged by his words and actions.  On the surface, Jesus would probably seem ridiculously naive...maybe even dangerous  And yet, just as people realized nearly 2000 years ago, those who truly listened would find great power in practicing what Jesus preached. 

Are we willing to be let go of society's expectations and look a little ridiculous in order to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ?  Are we ready to be like John the Baptist, put ourselves out there, and cry out for all the way to hear that it is time to prepare the way of the Lord?   We may not be asked to splash around in any fountains, but Jesus does expect us to challenge the unjust, unmerciful, and unkind things our society accepts as normal. Yes, most people will probably think that we look ridiculous.   But I believe that true power of Christ is displayed not in how his followers blend in with the world... but in how the Holy Spirit inspires us to stand out.

 This Advent, let us look within and ask if we are truly ready to don our best "Jesus apparel" and look more than a little ridiculous by the world's standards.  For, beloved, Jesus is coming.  His Gospel is still the type of news that turns the world upside down.  And he has sent those who believe in him ahead as messengers who prepare the way.

Prayer 

Jesus, we wish to be those who prepare your way.  Help us be like John the Baptist and your disciples, who proclaimed your Good News even when the people around around them weren't ready to hear it.  May your Holy Spirit at work within us turn us into a spectacle of love, compassion, and forgiveness.  We have faith that though others may find our faithfulness  to your teachings laughable, you will use them to help change the world into the place God wants it to be.  Amen.