‘Let the road ready for the Lord!
Make a straight path for him.’ Mark 1:3
The other day I drove to Sagada with my wife and stayed overnight for the ordination of sir Patrick Bagano Pooten to the Order of Deacons yesterday, the feast of Saint Nicholas of Myra. It has been about seven years since I last visited this tourist destination famous for its bucolic natural ambiance. This was my first time to drive to and fro and it resulted in some strained shoulder and leg muscles. While I must admit that the physique is no longer as it used to be I blame the winding roads for the aftermath. In fairness the drive to Sagada is more than an hour less with the improved roads and a by-pass. It was made longer though by a detour through Bauko proper.
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While driving through the zigzagged highway of the Halsema and especially in the sunken and damaged portions the verses of the gospel lesson this second Sunday in Advent came to mind vividly,
“I am sending my messenger to get the way ready for you.
v3In the desert someone is shouting, ‘Get the road ready for the Lord!
Make a straight path for him.’ “
The evangelist Mark quoted the prophet Isaiah’s words (Isaiah 40:3-5) speaking before the exiled Israelites who were ready to return to the Promised Land. These words are like a double-edged sword which cuts to the heart of the people of God then and now. Isaiah, speaking words of comfort to the exiles who were ready to return to the land of Judah, recounts God’s promise to prepare their way and bring them home. Humanity’s feeble efforts to thwart God’s promises are like grasses that wither and fall when “the breath of the Lord blows on them” (Isaiah 4:7). The word of God, promised long beforehand and recorded by the prophet Isaiah, however, remained firm and “stands forever” (40:8b). The coming of the Sovereign Lord to judge the nations and restore His people is now in sight. No one could stand in his way: “Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket” (v.15). He is incomparable, and no skilled craftsman can fashion an image of him. He is sovereign over all nations and the creator of the universe. He gives strength to those who place their hope in him. These words reverberates even now and they become sharper as we continue to meditate on the call of preparation and anticipation this Advent season.
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The previous article in this corner warns us of the imminent coming of Jesus Christ and the call to be ready always. One indispensable part of our spiritual preparation for a meaningful celebration of the birth of Christ and his second coming is metanoia – change of heart through REPENTANCE. The call of the prophet Isaiah as quoted by the evangelist is to get ready the road for the Lord. We are called to do the same today. How? God’s way to our lives is through our hearts. He can only change our wicked ways through a transformed heart. We can change our ways through penitence and spiritual conversion.
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The basic meaning of repentance (Gk. metanoia) is “to turn around.” It is turning from evil ways and turning to Christ, and through him to God. The decision to turn from sin and to salvation in Christ involves accepting Christ not only as Saviour from penalty of sin, but it is also as Lord of one’s life. Thus, repentance involves a change of lords – from the lordship of Satan to the lordship of Christ and his Word (Acts 26:18). Repentance is a free decision on the part of the sinner, made possible to the enabling grace given to them as they hear and believe the gospel. The definition of a saving faith as “mere trust” in Christ as Savior is wholly inadequate in light of Christ’s demand for repentance. To define saving faith in a way that does not necessarily involve a radical break with sin is to dangerously distort the Biblical view of redemption. Faith that includes repentance is always a condition for salvation. Repentance was a basic message of the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus Christ and the New Testament Christians. The prevailing absence of guilt in today’s society makes it very difficult to talk about repentance. For if there is no feeling of guilt, then the need for repentance is greatly minimized if not altogether eliminated. However, the preaching of repentance must always accompany the gospel message.
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I would like to return a quote made in this column seventeen years ago on the same occasion, the second Sunday in the season of Advent (ZZW December 7, 2001),
When a man undertakes to repent toward his fellowmen,
it is repenting straight up a precipice;
when he repents toward the law, it is repenting into the crocodile’s jaws;
when he repents toward public sentiment, it is throwing himself into a thicket of brambles and thorns;
but when he repents toward God, he repents toward all love and delicacy.
God receives the soul as the sea bather, to return again, purer and whiter than he took it.
– Henry Ward Breecher**
