“Prepare ye the Way of the Lord

“Prepare ye the Way of the Lord” | December 6, 2020
(Minister – Rev. Caesar J. David | Union Park United Methodist Church)
Scripture Lessons: Isaiah 40:1-11; Mark 1:1-8
From our Scripture reading which tells us to “Prepare the Way of the Lord”, we know that there
is work to be done in preparation of the coming of Christ. Although Jesus was born and lived
2000 years ago and we’re just commemorating that day, the preparation that is needed is still
significant; it is still needed.
Let’s spend some time on meditating on the Preparation that John the Baptist is talking about
here. It is one thing to notice that there is work to be done. It is quite another one to realize that
you are the one who needs to do that work!
So, as we reflect on this, let’s make it personal. Let us understand this as the preparation that
we’re asked to make. What is that preparation?
When we think about preparation in the context of Christmas there’s a lot to be done. We are
usually quite ahead in our preparation of other kinds: for our parties, dinners, decorating the
house, presents and other fun stuff. In fact we prepare so much in advance for Christmas that
when Christmas finally rolls around you’re not that excited about it. Maybe.
Anyway, the preparation that we’re told about is for us as forerunners of Christ to prepare the
way in the sense of making it smooth and free from impediments, and also to inaugurate His
Reign and His Kingdom. Let’s focus on that for a bit as we talk of these two kinds of preparation
we’re called to make as we move forward in this Advent season seeking to celebrate the coming
of Christ in our world.
1. Preparation of our hearts
Some of the biggest impediments to witness, to growth and to blessings in general are not in the
path ahead of us, in the people around us, or even the circumstances surrounding us. It is
difficult, but important for us to realize and accept that sometimes they are not somewhere
outside but within us! And therefore John the Baptist is preaching a message of repentance as a
first step of that preparation. He proclaimed a ‘baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of
sins’. We have to actively deal with sin in our life. It is like cleaning: The kind of cleaning we do
when we’re expecting company at home to make them feel welcome because we’re excited and
happy to have them. If we’re happy this Christmas about the coming of Jesus then we’ll be
happy to undertake all that cleaning in preparation to welcome in our hearts. We have to repent
of our sins and feel the kind of remorse and sadness about it that stops us from walking further
away from God and instead, return to His loving, forgiving arms.
2. Preparation to inaugurate His Kingdom
The Kingdom of God is characterized by Love, Peace, Truth and Justice among other values
and principles. Every opportunity we have to show love, build peace, seek the truth and support
Justice is an opportunity in the direction of inaugurating and preparing the path (making the path
smooth) for consolidating the Reign of Christ on earth.
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One of the hardest things this year has been being able to come together for in-person Worship
services. We miss the hanging of the greens in the Church. May be some of us haven’t been in
the mood to even decorate our houses as usual since no one’s going anywhere or coming to
visit. It’s tough. We don’t have all the things this year that make it “Christmasy” and fun.
But think of it this way: we are stripped of all that is not really as important after all as Jesus
himself. As we think of John the Baptist in the wilderness wearing nothing but something
Camel’s hair clothes with a leather belt around his waist, and eating locusts and honey! Talk of
stripping down and bare essentials. It seems like this year as we’re being called to be the
forerunners of Christ, we’re stripped too in another sense. We’re stripped of our parties and get￾togethers and all the glitter and noise of Christmas that usually the world defines as ‘celebrating
Christmas’, and so we have an opportunity this year to quieten ourselves, retreat from the noise
and glitter, to be by ourselves perhaps, and bring our focus back to what’s really important.
We are forerunners of God’s Grace and Love and forgiveness. We’re the ones that prepare the
way for God’s Kingdom by being people of Love and Peace and Truth and Justice. We these
important gemstones of love, peace, truth, justice and so on. This year we’ve not been able to
do a lot of decorating but let’s think differently. Let’s think about decorating, not our Churches or
homes, but the world around us with God’s Goodness and Grace and Love. And it will dazzle
with the Glory of our King.
Let’s think about the opportunities we have for Inaugurating the Kingdom of God. It all begins by
looking inwardly and seeing if there’s some work to be done there. If there is, let’s get started.
Let’s prepare to receive the King of kings and Lord of lords. Let’s prepare to be the forerunners
to prepare the way for the Lord to inaugurate his kingdom of righteousness, of love and peace
and truth and justice.
God bless you.
Prayer
Gracious God, as we come in your presence in this season of advent and preparation, we
realize that there are so many things that we are not able to do that we did in the previous
years. But thank you for the unique opportunity we have in being stripped to the bare essentials
to understand what you really want us to do. Lord, as we understand the true significance and
the message of Christmas, and as we understand your expectation for us to be forerunners to
prepare the way for you, we ask that you would give us the eyes to see opportunities around us
to do that. Give us the strength and determination so that we may place ourselves as
instruments in your hands so that your Kingdom may come. Amen.