John the Baptist Prepares the Way
Encountering Jesus on the way to the Cross and Beyond
Loving God overshadow me with your Holy Spirit.
Help my eyes, to see, my ears to hear, my mind to be
open and my soul to be receptive.
Speak to me through the scriptures and
enable me to find your truth within this reading.
Read Matthew 3:1-12 John the Baptist Prepares the Way
REFLECTION
John was forthright, outspoken, and challenging. He certainly wasn’t afraid to ruffle the feathers of the elite. He didn’t hold back for fear of offending. He was a person of courage and discernment. He was considered a great prophet, one who spoke to and for God. He brought the message of God to all who would listen. He declared the way of righteousness, informing people of the consequences of their actions. If they did not change their ways and repent they would be cast out. God promised forgiveness to those who repented and many flocked to John to publicly to do so. They were moved by his message and the fervour in which he delivered it. He was authentic and believable.
John was also one to recognise hypocrisy when he saw it. “Hypocrisy is the practice of claiming to have higher standards or more noble beliefs than is the case.” Oxford English Dictionary
Many of the Pharisees and Sadducees fit these criteria believing that their outward piety made them better than others. Their fruits were not commensurate with God’s teaching of humility, justice and love but rather were more in keeping with the works of darkness. Injustice, discrimination, and greed were the hallmarks of many of them.
Do we have the courage to call people out on their behaviour? I remember in my last post the daughter of a senior member had caused upset in the village. When I asked the advice of my team it was suggested that I didn’t challenge her as it might upset her mother who practically did everything at the small church. The fear was that the family might leave. Another person had said about me, “What if her mother is dying, she’s here to look after us,” as I visited my mother rather than revisiting someone who was not well in the church. I was of course appalled but told that we were to expect and accept that. No, we should not accept such behaviour as it is contrary to God’s way and is hypocritical. We are not “Just human”, we are children of God held to a higher standard. I never got the chance to confront either person as I was forced to retire a month later. I hope I would have had the courage to challenge.
John’s other role was to “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight the paths for him.” “Meticulous preparation is everything”, so my tutor told me at Teacher Training College. I was prone to rush in regardless, full of enthusiasm which would result in a less than helpful situation. Preparation allows for a smooth situation with fewer things that can go wrong. Of course, you cannot prepare for all eventualities but its helpful to prepare for the most common. Preparing people for Confirmation was a particular joy throughout my ministry. I wanted to engage people with a relational approach rather than a telling of facts. Some may have questioned what playing Twister with the young people at the beginning of a session had to do with God and confirmation. I can say it was great fun and built-up trust, relationships, and openness. The young people were receptive to what we shared. I hope it showed that God was fun and playful and not some distant deity. Relationship for me is at the heart of faith. I tried to teach both the young people and the adults that it was important to live an authentic life. That our actions mirrored our beliefs. We can only prepare others, making it easier for them to make that leap of faith but ultimately it is between God and the individual.
We need to prepare our own hearts for the continual indwelling of God by smoothing out any obstacles which get in the way. Sin is action and thought which is contrary to God’s will. Formal Confession is a part of some Church traditions and allows for the person to smooth out that obstacle before they take the Sacrament. Confession allows us to come clean before God and receive the grace of forgiveness. We may fool others with our piety but there is no fooling God. S/he knows when you are being hypocritical. To repent means that we turn our back on a particular behaviour or attitude with the express intention of never repeating the same action. It is not good enough just to tell ourselves that it doesn’t matter for we only need to confess again. Of course, God will only forgive us if we truly repent. Living an Intentional life means we are determined to act and behave in a particular way. Our intention must be to live the Way of God with determination, commitment, integrity, and authenticity. This is not a lone venture as we have the companionship of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us.
Questions
- Who do you consider to be hypocritical in society?
- How prepared are you to call out the hypocrisy of others?
- Where have you experienced hypocrisy?
- When do you feel you have been hypocritical?
- What was your experience of being prepared for faith?
- In what ways have you prepared the way for yourself and others?
- What are your Intentions regarding your life and faith?
