Friday 2 January 2026 - Make straight the way of the Lord

Friday 2 January 2026

Today is Friday the 2nd of January, the feast of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, in the season of Christmas. The Porter’s Gate sings, ‘He Comes’. How does this song speak to you? He comes, the Lord's anointed One And we shall see His face As clear as if the rising sun Poured out the light of grace He comes, and we shall hear His voice Not as some distant sound But tones that make the heart rejoice When love, long lost, is found He comes, not to the wise and great But to the bound and poor So low Himself that potentates Must kneel to pass His door He comes, with favor in his hands Our empty souls to fill To make a highway through the sands And bid thе storms be still He comes, and wе shall come to him Set free from ancient chains Adorned in mercy's diadem To glory in His reign He comes, the Lord, as one of us He comes to judge the earth How wonderful, how glorious His long awaited birth Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John. John 1:19-28 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ Then they said to him, ‘Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ He said, ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord”’, as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’ John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’ This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing. In today’s reading, we try to imagine that we are standing on the banks of the Jordan River in Bethany looking at John the Baptist surrounded by the Priests and Levites sent by the Jews from Jerusalem. What do you most notice about John? Now, we focus on John’s responses to the questions. Listen to his words and notice your own responses and feelings: “I am not the Messiah.” “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’” “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.”  As you listen to the reading again, let the scene unfolds. Notice John’s devotion to the one who is to come after him. John 1:19-28 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’ Then they said to him, ‘Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ He said, ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord”’, as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’ John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’ This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing. We hear John proclaim, “Make straight the way of the Lord.” How might these words be relevant to you today? What might need to be changed or challenged or smoothed out on your path of faith? Perhaps these words can help to form a new year’s resolution... Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen