The Holy Way
A Sermon for the Third Sunday of Advent
December 11, 2022
The Rev. Robin Teasley
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you."
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God's people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35: 1-10
The Desert Shall Rejoice, Jon Rowland
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Matthew 11:2-11
John the Baptist is back, but he is not rejoicing, and he is not the striking figure we saw last week, commanding crowds in the desert to repent and be baptized. This week we find him locked up tight in Herod’s prison. He’s gone from the vast wilderness to the captivity of a jail cell; from freedom to a death sentence; from certain faith to wondering if he had the truth after all. This week the voice cries out, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Life had not gone the way he expected. Even John the Baptizer had doubts it seems – perhaps that can be some small comfort to us.
There are times in our lives when we can find no way to rejoice. It’s a safe bet that not everyone here today feels like rejoicing. We may find ourselves in a prison of our own making, or held captive by circumstances beyond our control. We may be filled with doubt and questioning our faith. The weary world does not seem much inclined to be rejoicing today, any more that it did under Roman rule, or centuries before that when Isaiah was writing to the people of God who were exiles in Babylon.
The once fiery but now subdued John models for us what we are to do when we find ourselves questioning our faith or imprisoned by doubt. John turns to Jesus. He sends his disciples to ask Jesus the oh so recurrent questions we all have – Jesus, where are you? Are you really who you say you are? Can we trust you to provide for us?
John the Baptist in Prison by Giousto de Menabuoi (1320–1391)
And then Jesus sends back a message. It’s a message John would have known by heart, almost a direct quote from the prophet Isaiah. Only it was more than just words from the esteemed prophet. Jesus was telling John to look at what he was doing, because the words of prophecy from Isaiah were being fulfilled by Jesus in that very moment. What Jesus was doing was bringing joy to people in need of healing, just as the prophet had foretold. When God comes, Isaiah says, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.”
So, where there appeared to be no joy for John, there was surely joy for the people who heard Jesus preaching and teaching, who experienced his healing touch, whose demons were cast out and their lives restored. We are not told how John responded to this report from his disciples, which is regrettable. But I have a feeling, knowing John, that he instantly made the connection between what Isaiah had prophesied and what Jesus was doing before their very eyes, and that it brought him joy.
On some level don’t we all think that life should go a certain way, that things should happen or not happen to us and those whom we love? We read the scripture and we know what God desires for us, what God has planned for all of creation. Then, like John we see the bars of our particular prison cell, closing in on us and separating us from that holy kingdom, that place of peace, and it seems impossible to rejoice.
When we see valleys of grief, prison walls, no way forward, roadblocks, lack of resources what do we do? Perhaps Jesus would point us to the Prophet Isaiah.
In the 6th century BCE, God promised a new, Holy Way for Israel that would lead them out of bondage in Babylon to a new future, not unlike an earlier time when God freed them from captivity in Egypt. As we sing in one of my favorite hymns, “Come thou fount of every blessing,” “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” We daily wander away from God’s goodness and into the open arms of sin and death. But God is faithful, and provides the Holy Way to new life. This way of life is straight and level and simple. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry calls it the Way of Love.
God’s promises and salvation for Israel became promises and salvation for John the Baptist and those who followed Jesus, and they are also for us. Isaiah has given a vision and a commission. “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God.’”
The world can be a fearful place and it can be tempting to blame the system or our weak hands and feeble knees and fearful hearts for our reluctance to trust in God’s provision. We do this in our individual lives, and also in our faith communities. If we live with a scarcity mindset rather than one of abundance, we become too weak, feeble, and afraid to step out in faith.
Last Sunday I visited a parishioner who has many health challenges, yet contains so much joy that it wells up and spills out over everyone in the room. This parishioner cannot come to worship here because even the few steps into church have become a kind of prison wall. It’s a fact this parishioner does not dwell on, but instead chooses to live joyfully, though I know it is a dream to return to worship with us. As I was driving home after my visit, God gave me a vision of a highway, a Holy Way, for this parishioner, an entry ramp into the church.
On Monday, the very next day, plans and estimates for a brick entry ramp were emailed to me and to the Vestry. This was no coincidence; it’s how God works. Building a holy way takes commitment, work, and resources, and it’s what we as God’s people are called to do in every area of our lives. As for Immanuel, how are we being called to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah? Are we willing to strengthen our weak hands, and make firm our feeble knees, and say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear!’?
Imagine a rough entry way made smooth, a highway that is accessible to all, inviting people of every ability into this tiny and beautiful part of the kingdom of heaven. It can begin with something as welcoming as an accessible entry and it can lead to making a Holy Way for the glory of God to be spread out into the world.
Then like Isaiah, we could all say, “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” I believe that in the end, John finally understood who Jesus was and what amazing things the Messiah would strengthen God’s people to do, and that he rejoiced to see the glory of God.
May it be so with us.
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