Sun 1 Oct

Spring has come! We have left winter behind for another year. Plants will be shooting and producing flowers and leaves. We have prepared the soil to place our vegetable seedlings. What preparation have you done for your spring plantings? Have you fertilized the soil, removed the rocks,, got rid of the weeds. You have smoothed the ground. 

In a similar vein, John the Baptist is doing soil preparation. Taking Isaiah’s quote, he is preparing the way for the Lord. He is smoothing the way. Metaphorically he is filling in the valleys and flattening the mountains, smoothing the path for the Christ to come. 

The question for us is how can we smooth the way for people to come to Christ. What obstacles need removing? What objections need to be dealt with. Objections vary? For instance, why does God allow suffering? How do we know the Bible is true? People will use excuses to avoid dealing with the central issue of the lordship of Jesus. 

It is an issue Jesus would question his followers on. Who do you say I am? In making smooth the path for Jesus we remove the obstacles and objections. What preparation work are you doing with family, friends, neighbours, work colleagues? What obstacles are you having trouble smoothing out?