To Clear is to Prepare
Changing hearts & lives
Matthew 3:1-12
Happy 6th Day of Christmas! We wrap up Matthew’s beginnings of Jesus’ life with a bit of a bonus passage today.
John the Baptist’s story is intricately linked to Jesus’ from the very beginning. His role, deeply connected to the prophets and Elijah’s in particular, is to prepare the way of the Lord. This is the role of the Hebrew prophets as well. This preparation comes through repentance from sinfulness and a return to the call toward God’s holiness.
John is Jesus’ second cousin, their mothers being first cousins.
Matthew 3:1-12
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the desert of Judea announcing, “Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!” He was the one of whom Isaiah the prophet spoke when he said:
The voice of one shouting in the wilderness,
“Prepare the way for the Lord;
make his paths straight.”
John wore clothes made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey.
People from Jerusalem, throughout Judea, and all around the Jordan River came to him. As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to be baptized by John. He said to them, “You children of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the angry judgment that is coming soon? Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives. And don’t even think about saying to yourselves, Abraham is our father. I tell you that God is able to raise up Abraham’s children from these stones. The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and tossed into the fire. I baptize with water those of you who have changed your hearts and lives. The one who is coming after me is stronger than I am. I’m not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. The shovel he uses to sift the wheat from the husks is in his hands. He will clean out his threshing area and bring the wheat into his barn. But he will burn the husks with a fire that can’t be put out.”
Prayer
God,
Search my heart. Search my life. Check out my ways and my plans. See within them anything that detracts from Jesus’ way in my life and make it known to me. Help me understand my life as that to prepare the way for his coming in the world, or at least the little corner in which I live.
I know this means he must first live in me, so prepare my heart this morning, Lord. Make me a vessel of his love. Remove from me any hint toward sinfulness, which is anything other than your loving plan for the peace of the world.
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.
Amen!