God’s Human Nature
“Prepare the way of the Lord!”
During the Holidays, we become used to preparing for company. One of my old jokes with my wife Alia is that our home is cleaned at its best, when we have company over. I was cleaning all day Saturday, and with all the wind last week, there were branches still all over our yard and so I spent all of yesterday cleaning up both the yard and vacuuming the house to prepare for our guests who are arriving this afternoon.
Many years ago, John the Baptist had prepared for Jesus to come over. John the Baptist, who was Jesus’ cousin, had invited Jesus over, but not to some house, not even to an apartment. John was preparing an outdoor event, down by Riverside… the Jordan River side. It was out in the National Parks of the day… and John the Baptist loved God’s nature, though human nature was another matter to straighten out…
By the way, What do John the Baptist and Winnie the Pooh have in common? A. They both have the same middle name,,, and they both wear fur, and they both like honey!
Actually there are a few quotes from Winnie the Pooh which shed some light on what’s going on in this scripture. In Pooh’s Little Instruction Book there’s a saying of piglet which goes, “You can’t stay in your corner of the forest, waiting for others to come to you; you have to go to them sometimes.”
Now, think about this with our Gospel reading—first comes God’s word, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you” and then “People from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized…” First comes God’s word… “You can’t stay in your corner of the forest, waiting for others to come to you; you have to go to them sometimes.”
This goes not only for piglet and for people—but also for God! “See, the Lord comes…” says Isaiah. God comes to us.
In fact, the good news of Jesus Christ emphasizes, from the very start, that it is God who always makes the first move of Grace. “We do not build the highway and then wait for God to come. God has already drawn near to us before we repent.” (Pheme Perkis, Mark-NIB,533)
“The Lord is not slow about his promise, but is patient with you… (and so) regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.” Pooh’s Little Instruction Book also says, “Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” God’s patient promise happens even before our repentance, and God knows, both are needed to move on…to let the river flow into the sea…
Pooh’s Little Instruction Book also says, “If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening; be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”
Fluffs of fur and now back down by the water. John the Baptist was patiently offering “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” John was trying to help people wash that fluff out of their ear…. And that my friends is a very patience-centered care. Get the fluff out so they could finally hear the word of the Lord, spoken, not by John, but by God himself. And that’s right when Jesus shows up.
So, there’s just one final Winnie the Pooh quote to remind us that God’s first actions in Baptism are a little bit of instruction for us as how to then follow up with lives of Forgiveness. And actually they usually go in that exact order, First- God’s actions for us in Baptism, and then- Forgiveness, for the rest of our lives.
Or as Winnie the Pooh wisely said, “When looking at your two paws, as soon as you have decided which of them is the right one, then you can be sure the other one is the left.”
Baptism, and Forgiveness, they go hand in hand.
Amen.
Mark 1:1-8 NRSV
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight” ’,
4John the baptizer appeared- in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.5And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.7He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.8I have baptized you with* water; but he will baptize you with- the Holy Spirit.’
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