WILDERNESS #1

The gospel of Matthew opens by saying that “John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea.” This of course is referring to the prophet Isaiah’s prophecy of “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.” John is preaching, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” In this case the wilderness of Judea is a real wilderness in a desert valley north of Jerusalem.

We are also told this, “Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.” This dude was Paleo before Paleo was popular and his appearance seems to hint at Paleolithic. But we can’t stop there.

John’s call was to announce the coming of the Messiah and his Kingdom about six months before Jesus came. If I am not careful I can get caught up in my imagination about his sternness, appearance and austere lifestyle and maybe miss his message. The grasshopper and wild honey thing has to be put away when Jesus said, “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” The wilderness and the eating and drinking are not the issues. Paul, in writing to the church in Rome wrote, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
The Kingdom is so beyond physical appearances.

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Jesus