Psalm126│Isaiah 61.1-4,8-11│1 Thessalonians 5.16-24│John 1.6-8,19-28
The straight way
'St John The Baptist' (from The Isenheim Altarpiece), c.1512-16 by Matthias Grünewald.
‘Who are you?’
Advent is a time to
think about justice, and our reading from Isaiah 61 reminds us of that today;
about justice being the work of the Christ, and after him, the work of the
church.
But
our work for justice must start somewhere – our reading from 1 Thessalonians
reminds us of a Christ-based godliness in our own lives and in the life of the
church from which justice (righteousness) can grow.
But
Christian justice doesn’t just grow out of something; it points to something
too.
When
the priests and Levites went out to see John the Baptist, about whom our
reading from John speaks, they went out to see who it was who was doing things
and being things that were unexpected.
‘Who
are you?’
And
he replies that what he was doing was nothing whatever to do with him.
‘I’m not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet.’
‘Who
are you?’
‘I’m
a signpost’
‘Don’t
look at me; look at the one, at Jesus, to whom I point’ Look for
the straight way, for righteousness and justice in him and through him.’
Here
in the middle of Advent that is our calling too.
To
point to Jesus, in our worship; in our words; and in our work for justice; to
the one who is himself Justice and Righteousness for all.
God
for whom we watch and wait, you sent John the Baptist to prepare the way of
your Son: give us courage to speak the truth, to hunger for justice, and to
suffer for the cause of right, with Jesus Christ our Lord.
John
Wilkinson
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