What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? Or were you expecting a man dressed in expensive clothes?…. John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you. Luke 7:24-27.
John the Baptist was born into a family that took seriously what John was going to become. Told by the angel that “…he will be great in the eyes of the Lord….and he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God.” Luke gives us no information about John’s upbringing, but it is evident that his parents prepared him for the task he had ahead of him.
I imagine that those people that were part of father Zechariah and mother Elizabeth’s circle of friends also added their encouragement and guidance to John’s rearing. In other words, preparation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. So by the time John reached adulthood, he was fully primed and prepared for his task – preparing people for the coming of the Lord.
John was not only the prepared one, but he also came to make preparations for Messiah by declaring the coming of Messiah and calling people to repent and change their lives. Giving room in one’s life for such a vision is the beginning of a life lived under its direction.
It goes without saying that a prepared person is a person with dreams, expectations, longing, and determination. This preparation gives purpose and protects one from aimlessness. So John went to the wilderness as a response to his vision.
Prayer: O God, help us to understand the danger of aimlessness and the power of preparation and calling. May we live our lives out in the expectation that we could be the bearers of your good news. In Jesus’ name. Amen.