The Gospel of Mark opens in the wilderness. That’s an unexpected twist. We meet John the Baptist who was a bit of a minimalist. He wore frumpy clothes, even though they had spectacular shopping malls around. He ate locust and wild honey. Yuck. That’s not his snack, that’s his regular meal.
And yet, John had a following. And those followers went out to the wilderness, as predicted by Isaiah. The wilderness of Judea is a stupid place to live if I’m honest. Have you ever been there? Lots of large hills with barely any vegetation (most of the year). And hot. Really hot. Or really cold in winter.
And yet, it seems that John is in the right place to match his message – repentance. He is wearing the clothes to match the discomfort of repentance. He is depriving himself in a right way – and saying to Israel that maybe they have grown a little fat in their (our) faith, or maybe a little too comfortable?
The mission of John was harsh. But people were flocking to listen to him. They went to hear the first prophet in Israel in 400 years. There hadn’t been one around since Malachi died. But John is not all that impressive. And his location is hardly convenient. So why are the crowds leaving Jerusalem and Judea and Jordan to come out there to listen to him? Think about it.
God appeared to Moses in a burning bush in the wilderness.
David met God and found refuge with him in the wilderness.
The Temple was destroyed 600 years earlier and where is the presence of God?
There has been no king on David’s throne for 400 years.
Are there any hints that God is going to fulfill His promises?
Well, there is this crazy guy out in the wilderness talking about a new kingdom. He is saying that what we need is not a nice Temple. We don’t need deliverance from Rome. We aren’t about some silly kingdom, but a kingdom of heaven. And he brought with him a new kind of baptism. His was not a washing for ritual purity, but a baptism because of hope in the future. Is God up to something new? The ministry of John the Baptist is a bit surprising, but not so much within his historical context.
So let me ask you a question: What is God doing this week in your life which might seem surprising, but when you think about it, it’s not really all that surprising. What do you see of His grace? Ask God for a sense of wonder during this season. Ask Him to open your eyes to the ways of His grace, even though the days ahead are probably filled with all kinds of activity. Wonderful activity. Exhausting activity. But wonder-filled activity.
Stop. Wonder at the story of Christmas.