Don't Be Embarrassed!

The appointed Gospel reading for this Wednesday in the third week of Advent comes from the beginning of the Good News according to Mark:

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And 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. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He 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. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mk. 1:1-8).

Like John the baptizer, you and I are called to prepare the way of the Lord, to make his paths straight.  But how many of us do that?  Sometimes we are embarrassed to prepare the way of the Lord.  Sometimes we are afraid to makes Jesus’ paths straight.  To prepare the way of the Lord, to make his paths straight means that you and I are called to proclaim the Good News of salvation, to proclaim that even though we are sinful, God has pitched his tent among us so that He may reconcile all things unto Himself. That is nothing to be embarrassed about.  That is something to rejoice over!

 
Let us pray: Gracious God, you sent your only Son so that when he was lifted up, all people could gaze upon Him and be saved.  Send the Holy Spirit to give us the courage to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sins. Amen.