New Thoughts (1/3/04)
One question in particular has been really bugging me as I studied this passage: why did one or two of the translators feel it necessary to cover for Mark, for the Holy Spirit? Both the King James, and Young's Literal [!] Translation omit the reference to Isaiah, leaving it some generic prophet being referred to by Mark. Were they so concerned that the enemies of the Gospel might find in Mark's slipup a reason to doubt the inspired nature of Holy Writ? I dare say, God is not in need of such defense! Those who would attack will attack anyway, perhaps the moreso given this appearance of coverup. Instead, it would seem we would do well to understand why this misattribution.
It occurs to me that it was a relatively rare occasion on which Jesus sought to directly quote Scripture, and rarer still that He attempted to provide His hearers with the reference. Indeed, it seems to me that the biggest example that can be found is when Jesus is being tempted by Satan. Consider that. Satan was fully able to quote chapter and verse with all accuracy. He had the whole book memorized, more than likely. Yet, he was devoid of understanding, willfully so. He did his utmost to twist the accurate words into a most inaccurate application. In this instance, (is it really the sole instance, or does it just stand out?) Jesus was willing to make clear to Satan that He, too, was fully able to quote chapter and verse with all accuracy. Above and beyond that, He understood the meaning.
Indeed, this was one of His greatest complaints against the religious leadership of the time. You can quote it, you can control yourself enough to comply with the most obvious, surface meaning of what you quote, but the deeper matters are something you cannot or will not touch. You are scrupulous about matters of cleanliness, yet your spirit is a filthy mess. You are so careful to tithe anything that might count as profit, but you miss the point. God doesn't need your material offerings. He desires something far greater from you.
Many today suffer from a similar issue. They can quote chapter and verse - even have the references memorized - but in their usage they show no understanding of what they espouse. Mark, in this place attributes the text to the wrong prophet, and some, feeling themselves in the know, gasp in shame for his error. Hmm, Love covers, we better just erase that and protect Mark's reputation. No! Let Scripture stand. If you truly accept it as inspired, learn from it. Seek to understand why this case is as it is. What is God trying to tell us?
I will not suggest that memorizing Scripture is a bad thing, but memorizing it without any concern for its meaning is. Chapter and verse are not inspired, they are aids placed into the text to aid discussion of the text. In attributing the first reference to Mark, I would suggest Mark displayed a solid understanding of what Isaiah was talking about. As was noted in the reference works, Isaiah's writing is so filled with word of the Messiah that his writing was considered a Gospel in its own right. Fine, it was Malachi who made the declaration, but in doing so, he spoke confirmation of what Isaiah had been saying. "You seek the Lord," he wrote, "You are anxiously looking for Messiah." Why? On what basis did they seek so diligently except Isaiah had made it so very clear that He was coming?
These two prophets were clearly looking at the same point. Malachi warns as he encourages, "He will come to His temple suddenly." Look as hard as you will, yet His coming will still be a surprise to you. Look for the messenger. Heed his word and prepare yourself, for the Lord is coming. This messenger to which Malachi points is clearly the same to whom Isaiah gives voice, "Prepare His way, make a road in your wilderness for His coming."
Make a highway for our Lord in the desert! Those who knew their Scripture, those who had found so much cause for hope in Isaiah's writing would doubtless recall his words regarding that highway: The scorched land would become well watered, thick grasses growing in the most arid of places. And a highway will be there called the Highway of Holiness, upon which no unrighteousness may travel. Nothing foolish or vicious will be found there, but only the redeemed (Isa 35:7-9). That cry in the desert made many things crystal clear. It bespoke the herald's view of himself. He knew himself but a servant of his Lord. To this day, we can see echoes of his role, as important personages navigate the streets of crowded cities. Now, police escorts perform the duty of making a way. Then, it was the voice of servants crying out, the backbone of strong servants forcing a path through the crowds, that the Lord might pass unhindered.
There was also the specifics of that cry. Make a straight path in the desert. It was not just any way that was being prepared, but His way, the Highway of Holiness. If you will insist on your viciousness, if you will insist on your foolish ways, then the highway will need to be built by force, plowed through your resistance. If you would prepare His Way, then prepare His way! Be done with the hollow appearance of righteousness, and clean the inside. Repent of your evil ways, and seek the Redeemer, for none but the redeemed will walk that road.
Bring it to the present, now. The cry of the herald hasn't changed. Every believer has heard the cry in some form and responded. Every one of us has heard that call, known ourselves wholly unprepared to receive our Lord, and fallen upon His mercy and forgiveness for our lack. Every one of us has offered up words of repentance many times. Every one of us has doubtless experienced the misery of finding ourselves back at that same point again, dogs returning to our own vomit. But, however often we have failed Him, still we cannot but count Him Lord and Master. We know He is Master, even demons know that in the end He will be Master over them. But beyond this we also know He is Lord. Not only does He have the right of rule over us, but He uses that rightful rule for good purpose. No despot He, but a good King ever watchful over the needs of His subjects. Still, He is King, and as King, the obedience of His subjects must be required, that His authority and majesty may be upheld.
We call Him Lord, and Lord He is. How then do we respond to Him? Each and every one who has been made a citizen of His kingdom has been assigned a part in the same task of making His way smooth and true. This is a twofold mission. As emissaries still in the wastelands of this present life, we are tasked with making it easier for Him to reach those still in the wastes. How are we to do that? The simple answer is, 'as the Spirit leads.' The more complete answer is that just as every messenger before us, our task is to declare His goodness, His eminence and His imminence. It is not 'prepare for my God,' and it is not 'prepare for your God,' it's 'prepare for our God.' The Lord of all is still traveling through this land, seeking out His subjects, reclaiming what the enemy has occupied.
We do well, then, to remember our own condition before He came to us. We were enslaved to the enemy, but, having been born to it, were hard pressed to imagine any other possibility. It took those who had been freed, telling us that something better was possible, pointing to the Redeemer, to awaken us to the fact that there was another way. The Highway was there, but we hadn't even seen it. Now, we had been brought to the very verge of that Highway, and could see One riding upon it. He looked upon us in kindness and compassion, saw the chains of our misery, and offered to buy our freedom, to bring us into His own service. Now, it is our turn to show ourselves good and faithful servants, to bring that same opportunity to others still in chains, to show them a loving Master that they, too, might be among the redeemed.
As I said, our mission is twofold. There is this external task which is our concern, but there is also the internal. The Lord, as the axiom makers like it, is not done with us yet. We have been redeemed, yet it is the case with us that our need for redemption is renewed daily, even as we ourselves are renewed daily. This walk of the redeemed is no easy work, although the bulk of the labor falls not on us, but on our Lord. We must, I think, daily ask ourselves the question, 'Am I making His path straight in my own life?' With every act, with every word, with every decision we make, we make it either harder or easier for our Lord to accomplish His desire in us. His will will be done, make no mistake, but what has our contribution been to the doing?
Lord, I know my answer to that question varies day to day, even moment to moment. I look back on my yesterday, and I know beyond doubt that I presented a very rough path for You. Indeed, I would be hard pressed to point to any shred of evidence that I was of Your retinue. Still, I know that You are indeed my Lord and I your servant, however poor. I must ask Your forgiveness, my King, for the poor effort I gave. I must also thank You with utmost gratitude for every small victory that was had in that effort. Yes, You are still working on me, will doubtless be doing so as long as I am given to travel in this desert, but let me never, Holy One, take that as an excuse to make no progress.
Oh, God! There are those things which I have been battling, or pretending to battle in some seasons, for far too long. You know. You know the hurt it brings to those You have given me charge over, and You know the hurtfulness it breeds in me. Indeed, Lord, You show me the underlying issue of the matter of things. It's not the things that have brought harm, it's the heart that has allowed the things to control. It's the flesh that has sought to hide what it knew to be shameful. It's the attempting to hide in shadow when You have made of me a child of the Light. These things ought not to be, my Lord! I beseech You to make an end of them now! Whatever it may take, however the flesh may shriek at being denied, take it away! I ask only that You guard my family from that flesh, that you hide them in the shelter of Your wings until the outbursts subside. Wash us all in Your love, Holy Lord, that we may come through tested, but found true.
One last thought I would pursue here. That voice, that one crying out in the wilderness: the dictionaries indicate that the cry might be for help, and it might be for joy. I wonder. In the case of John, which was it? Was it perhaps both? Certainly, any one of us, looking at the death in life that surrounds us, knows sorrow for it. Certainly, as we look upon the masses of the lost, we see a task far beyond our ability. How can we but cry out for help! The fields are ripe, but the laborers are so few. Indeed, our own labors are so poor in our eyes. At times, we all feel overwhelmed by the surrounding desert, and may even find it needful to cry out for our own need. Yet, as we cry out to see the Lord's work done, how can it not be with joy! If we are preparing His way, it is only because He is most assuredly coming! If we are the heralds of His approach, then His approach is imminent. The time of our wandering is approaching an end, and we will soon be back home among the streets of the heavenly city. Our joy will be made full.
I think John felt these same feelings as he went about his mission. The cry was for repentance, a warning to an evil generation, but that cry of warning was doubtless tinged with joy for the fact that repentance was a possibility. Redemption comes! The message of the prophets is fulfilled! Rejoice, oh Israel, Your King is come! Rejoice, oh nations, for your darkness is at an end! Light is shining, the despot is deposed, and a Righteous Judge now sits upon the throne! Choose you this day, and rejoice that there is a choice!
Woe to us if we only present half the picture! Woe to us if we demand repentance, but neglect to point out the salvation that attaches. Woe to us if we point only to the salvation, and fail to make the need for true repentance clear. Let us go out with understanding, full understanding of the whole counsel of God, and full understanding of the total depravity of man. Let us go out with full understanding of the compassion our Lord has had for us, and tithe more than our income. Let us tithe the things that matter: the love and mercy our God has shown us, giving from the riches of His goodness towards us that those to whom we give might know His goodness as well. Prepare His way indeed!
