Today we hear John the Baptist crying out his Advent message in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths.” He is proclaiming repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Luke likens the Baptist’s message to the prophecy we heard from Isaiah. In the ancient world, whenever an important ruler was set to visit an area, all the roads of the area were repaired: valleys filled in, winding roads made straight, rough roads made smooth. All this was done so that the visit would be pleasant and delays could be avoided. And the people would benefit too, because the ruler would bring gifts and declare a holiday. All this preparation led to a welcome.
The Baptist is inviting us to make a similar preparation for welcoming the coming of our God in Jesus. Those who wish to welcome the Lord of life should desire to fill in the valleys created by our sins, make the winding roads of our conflicting desires straight, and smooth the rough roads of our anxieties and fears. This is repentance: a graced change in the way we choose to live. And the gifts that the Lord will bring us are the forgiveness of our sins and a deeper sharing in the very life and love of our God.
The Baptist is reminding us: If you really want the love of God shown to you in Jesus to fill you more deeply, then you must be willing to make room for him in your heart. You must clean out anything that takes up the space that he wants.
As we continue our preparations for welcoming Jesus among us, let us heed the Baptist’s invitation: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight his paths.” With the grace of God, let us choose to turn from our sinfulness more completely, so that our God can more easily come and dwell in us.
