Preparing a Highway

Wesley United Methodist Church December 5, 1999 Second Sunday of Advent Mark 1:1-8 "Preparing a Highway" There is one thing that you can be sure of if you are stranded on a desert highway. There is no one around who knows to come and get you. There are no people around, no telephones, no buildings to walk to, no cars, there is nothing for miles around. Even if you were to cry out in the middle of the desert, who is going to hear you? At some point, the sand at your feet that seemed to mold itself around each and every step that you take, seems to grab your feet and trap you, and remind you that you are stuck. Even the majestic hills in the distance, which seemed to have drawn you further and further down this road, echoes an empty call realize that the sounds that they repeat are only your own helpless call for help. And the silence that hits your ears, that once brought you a sense of serenity, is beginning to sound a lot like hopelessness to you. As the sun goes down on the on the terrain that it created, and as the heat is drained from the air and coldness set in, you start to realize that the walk that you took in the desert in the first place was not such a good idea after all. Exactly what was it that brought you to this place in the first place? Was it a need to get away from all of the noise of the house, the children or sisters and brothers, was it the phone constantly with people who asked questions of you that you didn't want to think about much less try to answer, or were you trying to escape some major desicion that you had to make in life that you knew you were not ready for, or you were running away from something, or your were caught up in some cirsumstance where you were no longer in control, all you could do was to follow the highway in front of you, or maybe you were bored, or curious, or just tyring to find a way to do something different in your life. It really doesnt matter anymore, because you are here now. In the middle of nowhere, lost, unhappy, afraid and most importantly disillusioned. I am reminded of a movie that I once watched, of a young man, who had gotten caught up in life. He had some major decisions to make in life, he was about to propose to his girlfriend and needed to really think through what he was about to do, life was getting really hectic at home and at his new job. things got so bad for him that the hustle and bustle of living in community with people got too much for him. So he took off into the wilderness. He was able to find a monastery in the wilderness. And he was so greatful for to find peace, and he really appreciated the guidance that the priest gave him to think throught his life. There's one thing that we can be sure of if you're stranded on a desert highway, God will be faithful. That is probably the question that we were asking when we took off on this journey in the first place. We went looking for a sign. a new way to test God. We had gotten lost in the midst of our lives, and we needed to find ourselves. We wondered if God was still with us in the midst of our troubles. Well in the movie, after the man had been in the bliss of peaceful living for a while, he started to miss his girlfriend, he felt guilty for abondoning her, he wanted to get back to work and the noises of the city were so much a part of him, that he did not understand why he had ever left home in the first place. He takes his frustration out on the priest, why would anyone want to spend their life out here in the middle of nowhere - Why are you here? He asks the man, why do you choose to live in the middle of nowhere? How can you live like this? don't you get tired? The peace and quiet was starting to get old for him. He was ready to get somehting different. The wise priest looks at him at tells him that he makes his living in the wilderness, because he knows that there are always people like him, who will get tired of their lives and wander in the wilderness looking for something new. He has to make sure that when they wander, they have something to find. And as the sun is going down on our desert, and we are becoming enveloped in darkness, perhaps we can sympathize with the man who left his life. and even thought at one time we find peace, here in the serenity, things are starting to get a little old for us to. And as we wander a little farther down the desert highway, we too find a man. a strange man crying out in the wilderness, "prepare a way for the lord". And as you walk a little closer to the man, you look at his clothes. What store sells camels hair shirts like that? And where did he get that leather strap looped around the shirt to make a belt. You can't buy that kind of stuff even for a halloween costume. And his hair is long and doesn't lokk like he combs it very often, my what a strange man. He's not even wearing any shoes. As he walks into a pool of water, you look around and realize that you are not alone. There is a crowd of people with him, who are lined up to step into the water with him. Others have come this way too, wandering in the desert, escaping from life, running from some circumstance, so caught up in things that the only thing they could do was to follow the road in front of them. I guess that would explain the highway in the middle of a desert. There are many who need to make this journey to the middle of nowhere. John is telling these people to prepare the way. You mean all of these people are here, but this man is not going to resuce us and take us home? that means that your going to be stuck in the desert still. Why can't you just go home, back to where everything makes sense. And suddenly you realize that you really can't just go home. Since this desert expereince, everything will be new. things won't make sense the way they use to. You can still hear John saying , prepare the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight. and you realize that John is talking to you about you. It is you who brought you into this desert in the first place, and it is you who will get you out. It is you who will have to change. And yo walk closer to the river. John turns to you and invites you in. He tell you to repent for the forgiveness of sins. And as he brings you to the water, you are afraid. Afriad to give up your thoughts, your cares, your worries. You are afraid to be honest with yourself, about what your problems really are and what you secrets that you need to confess in order for things to be different. But when you come up from the water, things seems clearer. All of those things that have been holding you back from changed have been washed away from you. with a sigh of relief, you ask John if you can go home now. John doesnt say no, but he doesn't yes either. he says "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me, I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the things of his sandals. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the holy spirit. One greater than he, one who will baptize you with the holy spirit. What does that mean to you, somone who lives in the citym not the desert, one who is used to the hustle and bustle of life. You just want to go home. You only came to the desert, to clear your head. It is almost christmas time. The busiest time fo the year. you have cookies to bake, and present to buy, and parties to attend, and phone calls to make and questions to answer, and major life desicions to make. You really need to get on with the rest of your life. What does this mean? What is John tyring to tell you? It means that as you prepare the way for the lord Jesus Christ, that your wait. There's one thing that you can be sure of when your are stranded on a desert highway. That is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This is the beginning of the good news. And if Jesus Christ is the son of God, and if God is faithful, then your life is not to be lived for it's own purposes. But your life is to be lived in preparation of Jesus Christ coming to get you. In the middle of the desert, when it seems that there is nothing there that will help you in your quest to get home. Suddenly you realize thatThe desert is your life circumstances, and the highway that you are standing on is your soul. It is important for you to prepare a way for the lord. Yo don't have to find a way out of this, because when Christ comes to you in your circumstances, the desert will be transformed. The terrain around you won't have to change, you will not have anywhere else to go. God is faithful, Jesus Christ is the son of God. As long as you have Christ on the journey with you, you are alwys home. When you are stranded on a desert highway you can be sure of that. And in the midst of all that you know that you want to do in life, the most important thing for you to do right now is to prepare your heart and to wait on the lord. The darkness will soon be light, when the light of Christ comes into the desert. ok in the desert in the first place was not such a good idea after all. Exactly what was it that brought