While I Was Reading Sunday- Mark 1 and Luke 3

       The Path or the Way of the Lord-

     I like walking the trails through the woods in my hometown. Many trails are well kept by the forest stewards who promote the natural wilderness and want the community to enjoy the wilderness. Walking a well kept, or prepared path, is especially enjoyable when the weather is inclement, when many are walking, and when you have a toddler with you. While reading the accounts of John the Baptist in Mark and Luke of the New Testament I saw with new eyes the importance of his mission to prepare "the way of the Lord."

    Mark 1:2 "As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."

   Since symbolism is always side by side with the word, I will throw out some symbolic meanings to the words in the passage above.

   Messenger- a mortal with authority from God (Priesthood) is sent to deliver a message and is a type of Christ.

    Thy way- a plan provided by God to enable God's children to return into His presence.

    Wilderness- out of the main body of the the known church.

     Straight- to illuminate what men and women are to be and do to walk on the path of the Lord.

   So, John the Baptist, comes out of the mainstream church, dressed like a humble shepard,  and declares that the Messiah prophecied in the Old Testament is coming, and announces that to prepare for him everyone must repent of their sins and be baptized.

   How did the people respond? Many came out of Jersusalem and went to him and asked for baptism as well as how they should be different.

   Luke 3:10 "And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise."

   John begins to lay out the higher law, a law intent on changing the heart, and this will rock their world.

  I am trying to walk the path of God and often I find stumbling blocks in my way. That is when I know I need to repent. To ere is human but when I stumble over the same failing again and again I know I need to stop and do some maintenance. His grace gives me the strength to (pardon the cliche) make those stumbling blocks into stepping stones.