This morning’s sermon – St Mary’s, Bradley and St John’s, Cononley. The readings were from Isaiah 40: 1 – 11 and Mark 1: 1 – 8. The parts in italics were not spoken but included here for completeness.
ISAIAH
When I first came to came to live in Yorkshire I used to drive on the A65 which was very twisting in places and undulating but bypasses were being built: many of these maintain as level a path as possible by being built up on a viaduct or set into a cutting to avoid excessive gradients and generally straight with the gentlest of curves. It makes it a smoother and simpler drive than going through Settle or Ingleton once the bypass was completed – a simpler and smoother ride than the curving, undulating route going through the towns. The nearest example is the Skipton bypass. We have this picture in our readings of a road that is easy to use which I like to think of as an encouragement to get onto it. However I must stress that our local examples are very definitely NOT situated in a wilderness!
Not that there would have been much need for a Jericho Relief Road or a Jerusalem Outer Ring Road in Isaiah’s time: it is symbolic of a spiritual journey. If we want to follow God, it is a journey we need to take.
The passages remind us that God is coming and we are told to prepare! I am coming to my people and nothing will keep me from them. The countryside of our minds and hearts will be entirely re-landscaped if that is is necessary to ensure that this spiritual highway is fit for purpose.
The Isaiah passage probably dates from the return from exile in Babylon; the use of the word wilderness to the ancient Jews would have brought up images of their Exodus from Egypt after being slaves.
JOHN AND JESUS
Thus the hearers of the quotation, as given in Mark 1:3 from Isaiah would clearly identify John’s message with their own national history.
All synoptics use the idea of Is 40 as a figure of John the Baptist. [V2 is actually from Ex 23:20 and Mal 3: 1 and v3from Is 40: 3.]
John the Baptist is the last of the Old Testament style of prophets, his clothing parallels that of Elijah in the past. In Jewish eyes the end times would be played out in the wilderness so appropriate for John to operate in an ascetic way.
John was looking forward to the coming Messiah in a country under the yolk of oppression by another power – The Romans. Some think he was not always sure exactly what was going to happen but he was faithful and declared the coming of the one who would baptise with the Holy Spirit and people responded. Large numbers.
He was unconventional, uncompromising but universal in his message, it was for all and many responded with baptism as a sign of repentance, a turning away from past and embracing the new, a time of change. In Exodus, God’s people wandered in the wilderness until they were ready and reached the Jordan. When they crossed it was the end of the wandering and God was going to enable them to fulfil promises he had made. Thus there was a further symbolism for those listening to John and taking action as a result.
PROPHETIC CHANGE
Our readings suggest the time of promise is drawing to a close, awaiting the moment when our hopes are realised. For Isaiah, the probable immediate context was the end of exile for Israelites in Babylon. For John the Baptist it was the coming of Israel’s long-awaited Messiah.
[The use of the word “Jerusalem” in the reading can mean not only the geographical place but also stand for the place where individuals can meet with God, where they may experience God for themselves. This “self revelation” if you like is because Jerusalem was where the temple was situated and in their minds they thought of that was the right starting point for hearing God.]
Prophets have a distinctive function, they not only tell us what could happen in the future but also tell us what we are really like NOW. They give us the chance to check out how far we accord with the values of Jesus.
HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO 2023?
We have our advent course on Thursdays “The God who Speaks”. And how does God speak to us in 2023?
God speaks through the bible: through the prophets, of whom John was the last; through the words of Jesus; through others, notably Paul, in New Testament.
We also have 2000 years of church history and God has spoken through many in that time: many still take note of the writings of Teresa of Avila, or St John of the Cross in the middle ages, for example.
And God still speaks as the world we inhabit is develops and changes. You may well think of modern Christian leaders or teachers whose words and/or actions speak to you. As I read the bible I continually see a new facet, a turn of phrase, that resonates with my spirit and enhances my understanding and enlightenment.
That can be true for each of us as we listen to God for ourselves and study the pages of scripture.
GOOD NEWS IN ADVENT
The words we read in the Bible or hear from a pulpit should enthuse, excite, embolden and energise us to live out our Christian lives here on earth but lives that are part of God’s kingdom. Do they?
It is for everybody, no exclusions
Those who have a lot of faith
Those with little faith
Those unsure if they have any faith
Those who attend church regularly
Those who struggle for whatever reason to come
Those who have questions
Those who have doubts
God wants us in all our diversity to come and gather on the straight path he has created
The message of Advent is one of preparation. There is this sense of thoughtfulness and waiting in the presence of God There is a parallel with Lent, purple the liturgical colour and a time for reflection that we may grow closer to God.
[The ideas of love, peace, hope joy are in the words of the hymn we used when lighting the advent candles today. The words of verse 2 of the hymn emphasise other aspects of some of Isaiah’s writings:
wolf and lamb (Is 11 and Is 65)
swords to ploughshares (Is2)
Which can be summed up as Peace.]
As we anticipate the coming of Christ
At his incarnation as the Baby in Bethlehem
And also his second coming as King
A key word is repentance, changing direction onto God’s straight road. Also forgiveness with the phrase ‘herald of good tidings’ occurring twice in the Isaiah passage, and people will not wither and fade away like grass does in hot climates but there is a future. Mark’s gospel starts with the words “the beginning of the good news”. A message of hope and peace, love and joy.
Let us seek to hear what God is saying to each of us. What is important for us to understand what he is saying and what we need to do to be more like the people God would have us be. I suspect that each of us will have something different to learn, to apply and to be thankful for as we each wait for God to reveal himself more fully as we each acknowledge our need to know him more fully. Amen.
A Reader Reflects 