St. John the Baptist preaching

First Reading: Baruch 5:1-9

Second Reading: Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11

Gospel: Luke 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod the tetrach or Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountina and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

In our readings for the Second Sunday of Advent, both Baruch and John the Baptist speak of the Lord making the moutains low, filling the valleys, and making the path straight for God’s people and for the Lord.

We don’t much appreciate flat landscapes. If you’ve ever driven through western Ohio, eastern Indiana, or western Tennessee you’ll know what I mean. Flat, flat, flat for miles. It’s very boring for one who is driving a long distance, and can even compromise one’s attention, almost hypnotizing a driver who’s been at it for a while. The brain sort of shuts down, expecting the flat, flat, flat to continue unabated, the least little bump in the road can catch you off guard. We much more appreciate a landscape of moutains and hills, valleys and rivers running through them, with trees all around.

However, for travelers in ancient Palestine who didn’t have automobiles but relied on wagons, caravans, beasts of burden, or even their own legs, flat land was a blessing. Mountains and hills, valleys and rivers were obstacles to overcome, comprising the speed or even the succes of a journey. So, the promise of mountains being made low and valleys being filled in and the path being straight and flat was seen as a blessing to Israel. It meant that the Lord was caring for them, providing for them a safe, quick, and successful journey.

Of course, the journey Baruch and John are speaking of is more spiritual than physical. The Lord wants to make it easier for us to serve Him, and to prepare for His coming. During Advent, we celebrate the Lord’s coming as a babe in a manger, meak and lowly, humble and powerless. But at His Second Coming, He will come in glory, powerful and mighty, on the clouds and gathering His faithful to Him. We must be prepared for this coming, too. Advent is a season of preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus.

The promise of mountains made low and valleys filled and pathways made straight is the Lord’s promise that He will not make it difficult for us to follow Him or prepare for His arrival. He desires a deep, intimate relationship with us and, as such, makes it easier for us to come to Him. It is not difficult to be with God. He has made it clear how we are to prepare for Him: in prayer, worship, and service, especially to those in great need.

Following Jesus may be costly because His opponants are many and they work to make the path difficult, while Jesus works to make the path smooth and straight. So, in our prayer and worship, we may encounter opposition and ridicule. In our service, we may encounter those who resist or even attempt to stop us. Jesus encountered opposition during His life, and He told us to expect it in our following Him. He told us we would find trouble in the world. But He also reminded us that He had conquered the world.

So, we encounter conflict in our following Jesus. Jesus works to make the path straight and smooth, while Satan works to make the path difficult. If we remain faithful to Him, we will look back on the road we walked to get to Him, and we will realize it wasn’t all that difficult at all, partly because Jesus met us on that road and carried us through. But it can seem rough. It can seem frustrating. We too often trip on our journey, or are even tempted to remove ourselves from the path and follow another. But Jesus walks with us, and even carries us when we become too weary.

That is the marvelous thing about our Lord – He makes the way smooth and straight for us, He walks with us to keep us on the path, and He even carries us when the way becomes too weary. What more could we ask? This brings to mind something Dorothy Day said, “If you do not become a saint, it is your own fault.” How true! Jesus makes it as easy as possible to follow Him. We rely on Him and His grace to carry us through. He has promised that nothing can take us away from Him. Sainthood is about following Jesus through thick and thin. But when thick or thin approach, He is there to see us through. We need only have faith in Him. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.