Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!
Luke 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of the rule of the emperor Tiberius – when Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea and Herod was ruler over Galilee…God’s word came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. John went throughout the region of the Jordan River, calling for people to be baptized to show that they were changing their hearts and lives and wanted God to forgive their sins. This is just as it was written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet…
Daddy was not a harsh disciplinarian. He believed that talking and reasoning with children was a more effective way to instill discipline than spanking. His favorite admonition was “straighten up and fly right, straighten up and stay right”. [This was a refrain from one of Nat King Cole’s songs, “Straighten Up and Fly Right”.] Whenever he said this, I knew he meant that my behavior was not acceptable, and I had been taught how to be better!
As I have matured, whenever I think of John the Baptist and his mission, the words “straighten up and fly right” come into my head.
John the Baptist was something of an iconoclast, coming from a distinguished line of devout people. He received God’s word while living in the wilderness. John went down to the populated region beside the Jordan River to deliver the message that God’s kingdom was coming. He brought a message everyone wanted to hear, but few wanted to embrace.
“John came to prepare a way for Jesus…calling for people to be baptized to show they were changing their hearts and lives and wanted God to forgive their sins.”
Here we are in 2018, and not much has changed. We say we want Jesus to come, but do we want to stop doing the things that continue to separate us from God? We confess these things are wrong, but we always want to negotiate the terms of our change with God. (Do we have to change our hearts and lives? What difference will it make as long as I intend to do no harm, we ask?)
As I turn those pitiful knee-jerk excuses around in my head, the refrain, “straighten up and stay right” comes to my mind.
There were many times those words propelled me to turn my “thinking about it” into tangible action; reminding me that God has already made a clear way for the forgiveness of sins. I need to show my commitment to a fruitful life; to produce tangible evidence in words and action that shows my heart and my life have changed. Good actions must always follow good intentions. It’s not enough to “Straighten up” for the moment, but we have to “stay right.”
I am grateful for an earthly father who was patient and kind. How much more gratitude can we express to God today for making a way to salvation.
Prayer: We give you our thanks and praise for being our God. Thank you for the patience you show us as we struggle to live the life you have ordained for us. Help each of us to be more like John, to share the good news, to serve you and our neighbor today and tomorrow.
Lyrics to the song: “Straighten Up and Fly Right”, by Nat King Cole
A buzzard took monkey for a ride in the air
The monkey thought that everything was on the square
The buzzard tried to throw the monkey off his back
But the monkey grabbed his neck and said- Now listen Jack
Straighten up and fly right,
Straighten up and stay right,
Straighten up and fly right
Cool down papa, don’t you blow your top
The buzzard told the monkey “You’re chokin’ me
Release your hold and I’ll set you free
The monkey looked the buzzard right dead in the eye and said
Your story’s so touching but it sounds just like a lie!
Straighten up and fly right …
Dorothy Turner-Lacy
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