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Gospel: Luke 3: 1-6
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,
and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee,
and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region
of Ituraea and Trachonitis,
and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,
the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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A few years ago, while I was studying for the priesthood, I travelled with a friend to the Middle East. During our trip, we stayed with a host who was not a Christian.
One night at dinner, I remember him asking us many questions, from what life in America was like to why we were studying to be Catholic priests. Some of his questions felt like jabs, as if he was trying to find holes in our faith.
Finally, after an endless round of questions, he delivered what must’ve been his knockout punch:
“How can God become a baby?” he asked incredulously.
That is, after all, what we celebrate at Christmas.
In Jesus, God became a baby.
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This truth has baffled minds and hearts in every age, from the moment the angel Gabriel told Mary that she’d bear the Son of God in her womb, to the dinner conversation I had a few years ago.
Still, Christianity hinges on this truth: Jesus Christ is not only the Son of God; he is also a real person who lived among us.
Saint Luke stresses this history in today’s Gospel, listing a litany of rulers who lived at the time of Christ:
“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod the tetrarch of Galilee…during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,” he says, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
Our faith is neither fable nor myth. It’s deeply rooted in history. Still, it remains the prerogative of each individual to decide what the life of Christ means for them.
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The irony of Christ’s life is the fact that every devout Jew was awaiting the Messiah. They longed for liberation; for freedom; for a king who would save them from their enemies.
Yet none of the religious or political leaders of his day recognized the Lord; in fact, they crucified him!
Only John the Baptist, a lone prophet living in the desert, wearing clothing made of camel’s hair, who fed on locusts and honey, cracked the code.
He understood the real meaning of the prophesies foretold by Isaiah and Baruch.
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Both called for Israel to prepare the way of the Lord; to make straight his paths; to level mountains and raise valleys; to make winding roads straight and rough ways smooth.
Many Jews interpreted these prophesies in a literal way.
There was a common practice in the ancient world that, prior to a king’s arrival in a particular territory, the locals would smooth and straighten their roads, making the king’s journey as comfortable as possible.
It was a sign of respect, even adoration.
The Jews who were awaiting a political king of Israel, would’ve taken the prophets’ words to mean that, when their king came, they would have to lower mountains and raise valleys in his honor, making his path to Jerusalem smooth.
But John the Baptist didn’t lift a single stone. He interpreted these prophesies not in a physical, but in a spiritual, sense.
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Christ, their King, was already living among them. God had come to save his people, reuniting them after living in exile for centuries. But his kingdom was not of an earthly nature. No road needed to be paved.
All construction was to take place in the heart.
The people of Israel needed to remove the inner mountains of pride, valleys of doubt, even idol worship from their midst. Only then could they welcome their king, which is why John cries out in the desert, the place where Israel was first formed:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
It’s a call that echoes throughout the ages. Repent and believe in the Gospel!
But the mountains, valleys, and winding roads that need to be straightened within are unique to each human heart.
As we await the coming of our Savior at Christmas – and at the end of time – what do belief and repentance mean for me? How am I “under construction,” preparing the way of the Lord in my heart?
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“How can God become a baby?” our host asked us.
In order to understand, he needed what every believer does – a humble, contrite heart, where the mountains of pride have been lowered and the valleys of hope have been raised.
For him, and for us all, we pray: Come, Lord Jesus.
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Image credits: (1) The Glory of His Grace (2) How Did God Become a Man?, WAJ (3) Bible Art
