Matthew quotes the passage above from the prophet Isaiah to describe John the Baptist. He was aware that the land to the east of the River Jordan where John lived a simple life; preached a powerful message; and hid from Jewish leaders and Roman conquerors, was quite barren and harsh. It was an area of inert minerals long before it was exposed by earthquakes and eroded by the waters that became the Jordan River as it empties into the Dead Sea. John sacrificed much, risked all and was eventually martyred for being “A voice of one crying out in the desert . . .” He called people to acknowledge their sins, repent and be baptized with water. Despite all that he knew, he had the humility to proclaim, “the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.” John came before Jesus but he was one of the greatest imitators of Jesus. We have the example of John, Mary, the Apostles, and two thousand years of people who are models of faithful imitators of Jesus. Are we learning from them? Advent is a time to grow in our efforts to be like Jesus.
