“Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”  Christ was coming, whether the people were ready for him or not.  How much better that they be ready, so as to receive him.  And how were people to prepare?  Repentance.  In the same way today we hear this message “prepare.”  But Christ has already come, so what is its relevance?  Two senses: Christ is preparing to come once again, at the end of time, which each generation must long and look for, and work towards.  He also wants to come into our hearts each day to dwell there.  This is made clear by “make his paths straight.”  A path goes somewhere.  Multiple paths go different places.  So what is meant by “paths” except the road to each human heart?  Prepare your hearts through repentance for Christ who is coming to dwell there.  And since he cannot dwell where wickedness exists, we must either convert ourselves or be driven out and destroyed when he comes.

“He appeared in the wilderness and proclaimed a baptism of repentance.  He was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.”

This was John’s vocation.  Vocations are unique as each person and each of us must try to listen to how the Spirit is leading us, rather than try to act out of preconceived notions of how we’d like to picture ourselves as God calling us.  The former requires sacrifice; the latter is pleasing to the ego.  This is confirmed by the line “see, I am sending my messenger ahead of you.”  This messenger was John the Baptist but in an ongoing sense it refers to the Holy Spirit, who is sent by the Father.  “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”  The Spirit proceeds from the Father and prepares the way for the Son.  “Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” (Revelation 2.7, 2.11, 2.17, 2.29, 3.6, 3.13, 3.22)