Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“He said,
‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
“Make straight the way of the Lord” ’,
as the prophet Isaiah said.”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, December 26, 2021
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: Voices of truth can be hard to hear.
At this point in John, we haven’t yet met Jesus face to face. We have only learned of him through the prophet, John. This prophet proclaiming the coming of Jesus was no ordinary Joe. Although there were other prophets roaming the countryside, it was not an ordinary occurrence. Nor was baptism an ordinary ritual. John certainly called attention to himself with his clothing and food (cf. Mark 1:6), his sharp words, and his baptizing. It is no surprise that the Pharisees were drawn to him, worried about what he might say and how he might rile the crowds.
People who speak truth, especially truth that is hard to hear, are often met with suspicion. We are living in a time when the truth is hard to find. There are so many voices, so much shouting, so much fighting, how are we to discern truth? Shall we listen for the voices of those who are unorthodox? Shall we listen only for the voices who speak what we want to hear? Shall we risk opening ourselves to truths we don’t want to hear?
John was very clear in pointing to the truth. “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” One of the reasons we know John is speaking truth is that John was not calling attention to himself. He was pointing toward someone else. He was paving the way for Jesus. We also have the benefit of time – we can look backwards in time to see that what John spoke was the truth. The things he prophesied came to pass.
We might use similar measures to determine truth even today. Are the ones speaking—or shouting—pointing toward themselves or something that benefits only them? Or are they speaking of a greater good that benefits humanity? Are their words consistent with the words of Jesus? Does their agenda proclaim exclusivity, hatred, and inequity, or does it proclaim peace, justice, and love? Truth is hard to discern among the too many voices we are inundated with, but it is still there. Often a small sound, but a powerful one. “This is the Son of God.”