Make Straight the Way

Context Gospel Reading

Our gospel reading this morning comes from Matthew 3.

In Jesus' day it was believed that the Messiah would be heralded by a figure who was foretold by Scripture.

The messenger would come from the wilderness, as did the prophet Elijah of 800 years earlier.

And according to the prophet Isaiah, about 500 years earlier, the messenger would announce the Kingdom of God.

So, the Jews believed a messenger would appear to announce the Messiah…yet they also struggled to really expect him. It had been a long time.

Suddenly, after centuries of waiting a new prophet did emerge. He came from the wilderness and he announced the Kingdom of God. His name was John, also known as The Baptist, because he exhorted the people to repent of their sins, purify themselves by baptism in water, and make themselves ready for the Messiah to arrive

Matthew 3:1–12 ESV

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ” Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Introduction

Exegesis

John came preaching: Repent! For the kingdom of heaven it at hand!

The Messiah is coming. Christ is coming.

He embodied Isaiah’s promise: a voice will cry out — in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight!

Isaiah’s original imagery.

A word of hope to his people, who were in exile in Babylon. That God would create a highway in the rough wilderness so that ancient Jews could travel back to their homeland.

Salvation was possible no matter how dire the situation, no matter how far away from God they felt.

John fulfilled the prophecy by applying Isaiah’s words to the human heart.

A wilderness of sin between the people and God

But salvation was at hand…

The Messiah is on his way! to them

THEREFORE,

Repent. Clear and repair the highway into the heart so Messiah could travel on it.

John told them that the pathways of their hearts had been neglected. Become twisted, overgrown, broken down.

Other gospel writers specifics of John’s preaching to the crowds:

tax collectors. You are taking more than due. That’s crooked. Straighten the way.

soldiers. You are threatening and coercing. Straighten the way.

Matthew the evangelist simply says “All” of Jerusalem, Judea, and the region about the Jordan — came to repent of their sins,

We can imagine all they confessed: lying, stealing, giving in to wrath, envy, lust, sloth, a…

Each in their own way confessed, my heart feels like a wilderness…not at all a royal highway for the Messiah!

the people confessed their sins, they were baptized by John, for forgiveness and new commitment to right living.

They went into the water burdened with guilt, they emerged peaceful, with their hearts open to welcome the Christ.

BUT, not all enjoyed that benefit.

BUT when John saw the Pharisees and the Sadducees — the religious leaders of the day — he said, Your brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee the wrath to come?

John’s message was double edged. For those who repented of their sins, a highway would be built up…for those who would not prepare the way…well, they would get cleared out of the way!

John knows that these religious leaders had not come with the same sincerity as the crowds.

They came to John’s baptism not to confess their sins, but to fit in with the people, because the people regarded John as a prophet.

The leaders were there to pretend. To go through the motions of repentance, but not really to make any deep changes.

John sees through their secret hypocrisy.

And he calls even them to repentance. Again, no is so far gone, no wilderness so vast that God cannot cross it.

So he challenges even them…

Don’t presume to say, We are Abraham’s children, God can raise up from the rocks, children for Abraham.

They are not beyond the reach of God’s judgment.

Rather than presuming that probably God pleased with you…you should be making sure!

A powerful image for the clergy

Axe is at the root of the trees. It needs to bear fruit or it will be chopped down.

The religious leaders are trees — firm and rooted in their faith and religion.

But the axe is at the roots. The roots are the heart.

God wants to see genuine personal repentance emerging from the heart of the leaders, just like everyone else.

They did not like to admit but: They struggled with the same sins as the people

AND with subtle ones, pride for their prayers or giving their alms, despising those less educated or spiritual than themselves.

John says even to the religiously estblished — you must repent. John calls EVERYONE to repent. And to do it earnestly, with lasting effect.

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

Image of tree and fruit.

apple trees produce apples.

Orange trees produce oranges.

A repentant heart produces penance.

Be a good tree, produce good fruit of a righteous life.

lying…tell the truth

sloth…passion

wrath…mercy

John calls everyone to repent. The great, the small, the advanced the beginner, because one Lord is coming to them all — the Christ!

Necessary because: One greater than I IS coming.

I am not worthy to carry his sandals.

He is coming not with water but with fire and spirit…great power…

Christ is coming…and the highway must be prepared!

bad worthless trees, chopped down.

Good trees, lining the highway in welcome. Creating a canopy.

Isaiah 55:12 ““…the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

He is coming. Repent of your sins, all of you. Prepare his way, everyone! Clear the path! Straighten the roads of each and every heart!

Interpretation

We need John’s word today, just as the ancients did long ago.

Advent means Coming. We are to expect that Christ is coming to us.

He came at Christmas long ago.

Just as surely He will come to conclude history at a time no one can guess.

Right now is our time to make ready.

Recent bike ride. Rode all the way from here in Ormond, through Tiger Baty State Forest, down to 92 in Daytona.

Long ride. For me.

A lot of the ride…road was an unfinished path. Gravel, sand. For a time fun. But then a lot of work. Trying not to fall. Stuggle to make progress.

But on the way back…struck upon a new road. Just paved. Black flat smooth. Joy to ride.

Came to a stop. Looked at the road. Just to appreciate it. Like a work of art, a new road.

Thought of Isaiah’s and John’s word: Prepare the way of the Lord. Make his way straight.

If Jesus were going to travel to come to our hearts…what kind of road will he find?

What ruins the road, same for us today as back then:

Known sins: pride, wrath, envy, greed, gluttony, lust…

Subtle spiritual sins: Doubt of God, taking his mercy for granted, not praying…

All of these are potholes, bumps, cracks in what be a royal highway, smooth and straight.

So the word comes to us to make the way ready! Prepare a highway!

Repent. Clear and level and open things so Jesus can come to us!

Oh, that we would hear that summons. Don’t we want to?! Don’t we know that our hearts are meant for Christ and Christ for our hearts?!

Good news — we can make ready for the Lord.

Subtle good news of John’s message: repentance is possible precisely because Christ comes.

The same God who calls us to repentance is the God who promises to aid those who hear the summons.

Isaiah 57:14–16 “And it shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people’s way.” For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. …

No matter what kind of wildnerness our lives have become, we can repent, straighten the paths to our hearts, and be ready because God wants to help us prepare,

God wants our hearts to be ready for Jesus, just as we want to welcome him.

All that is asked of us is to be genuine. Right now. To truly repent of the sin in our lives, and desire to have a highway between us and Jesus.

Application

So, let us rally ourselves to repentance.

Let us be sorry for the sins that turn our hearts into a wilderness instead of road.

Not self-condemnation. But of aligning our heart with God so that we lament and desire to free ourselves from what gets in the way.

2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, ….”

Irish prayer: Grant me tears when rising, grant me tears when resting, beyond your every gift altogether for love of you, Mary’s Son. Grant me tears in bed to moisten my pillow, so that his dear ones may help to cure the soul. Grant me contrition of heart so that I may not be in disgrace; O Lord, protect me and grant me tears. — Davies, Oliver; Thomas O' Loughlin. Celtic Spirituality (pp. 261-262). Paulist Pr. Kindle Edition.

Let us then confess our and be assured of forgiveness

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Let us then produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

New behaviors that designed straighten out what was crooked.

selfish…give. Put something in the basket, give to a charity.

Lazy…serve. Volunteer here at the church. Just show up.

Lust or gluttony, impulses of the flesh…deny our appetites for a time even of those things that are permitted.

anger…merciful. Seeking out that frustrating situation and make it an opportunity to be kind.

Doubt…study, prayer.

Above all, let us hold fast the good news: Jesus wants us to make these changes and will help us.

In the wilderness: I am the way, the truth and the life.

Conclusion

John preached, repent and make the way straight, for Christ is coming.

By Christ’s grace, let us make ready.