Make Way!

 June 20, 2023

John the Baptist took his calling from the prophet Isaiah:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 

‘Prepare the way of the Lord; 

Make His paths straight. 

Every valley shall be filled 

And every mountain and hill brought low; 

The crooked places shall be made straight 

And the rough ways smooth; 

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ””

—Luke 3:4-6 

It’s all very poetic, but how does it actually come to pass? People are hindered from coming to God by mountains of habits and history that blocks their way, by valleys of sin and despair they get stuck in, by the crooked paths of religion, politics, philosophy, and secularism that wind and wander all over the landscape of life, by roads so rocky with rules and regulations they can hardly be navigated.

How do we fix all this—actually level the mountains, fill the valleys, straighten the crooked paths—so people can come to God? Verses 8-14 give us a few hints:  

1. Live humbly (V.8). Don’t imagine your heritage makes you better than others.“Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.”—Luke 3:8 
2. Give generously (v.11). Don’t ignore the needy. “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”        —Luke 3:11 
3. Live with integrity (v.13). In business and life, treat people fairly. “Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?” He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.”                —Luke 3:12-13
4. Be compassionate (v.14). When in a position of power or authority, don’t take advantage of those who have neither power nor authority. ““What should we do?” asked some soldiers. John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”                                                               —Luke 3:14 

All these deal with our actions, not our feelings. Our feelings can inspire action, but can never replace it.