Mark 1:1-8: a reflection

1The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2As it is written in the prophets, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you: 3the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!’” 4John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. 5All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins. 6John was clothed with camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. 7He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen. 8I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”

Mark begins the Good News not with Jesus but with a man in the desert pointing away from himself. John comes in camel's hair, eating locusts, preaching a baptism of repentance, and the whole country goes out to him. And what does he do with all that attention? He hands it off. After me comes one greater, he says, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen.

Notice John's freedom. Crowds are streaming to him, and he spends the whole moment pointing past himself to someone else. I baptized you with water, he says, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. John knows exactly who he is and who he is not, and he is content to be the voice preparing a way, not the way itself.

There is rest in that posture. So much of our striving comes from needing to be the main thing, the one people notice. John shows another way to live: to know your part, to point away from yourself to Christ, and to be glad doing it. And notice how the way is prepared, by repentance, by people confessing their sins in the river. If you want to make room for Christ today, that is still the road. Prepare his way in you by turning, and aim what attention you have toward him.

Lord, give me John's freedom, to know my part and point away from myself to you. Prepare your way in me through repentance, and baptize me with your Spirit.