As it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, who says: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths; let every valley be filled, and every mountain and hill be made low, the crookedness straightened, and the rough paths made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

The "way" that commands to be prepared is a way of life according to the teaching of Christ; for the Lord soon had to preach. "Paths" are commandments of the Law, as if already worn out. It is commanded to make them "straight" because the Pharisees corrupted the commandments. By "path" one can also understand the soul, and by "paths" thoughts and deeds. Therefore, we must prepare our souls and make our deeds and thoughts right. Then, as if someone asked: how are we going to do this? For virtue is not easy to fulfill, and encounters many intrigues and obstacles, both from evil forces and from the passions that dwell in us? He replies that nothing will be difficult, but everything is comfortable. For the valleys will be "filled," that is, our natural strengths, weakened for good and reduced to a low state, will be replenished; "every mountain and hill," that is, the opposing forces and desires that seem to us to be invested with nature, have truly weakened: and everything has become even, and the crooked has changed to a straight one. For Christ abolished the opposing forces, which are here called mountains and hills, and revived our natural impulses to good, which the Evangelist called the valleys that are filled. For He became incarnate in order to restore our nature to its own form. "All flesh shall see," it is said, "the salvation of God," not only the Jews and sojourners, but all flesh, for the Gospel has been carried throughout the whole earth. Much more could be said, but let it be said more clearly.

[John] said to the people who came to be baptized by him, "Offspring of vipers! Who inspired you to flee from the wrath to come? Produce therefore worthy fruits of repentance, and do not think to say in yourselves, 'Our father is Abraham,' for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. Already the axe lies at the root of the trees: every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

He calls the Jews "the offspring of vipers," because they insulted their fathers and mothers; for this animal, they say, devours the womb of its mother, and is thus born. Moreover, they killed prophets and teachers. "Future wrath" is called eternal punishment. "The worthy fruits of repentance" are not only a departure from evil, but also an exercise in good; for the accomplishment of good is truly the fruit and offspring of repentance. Do not begin to say in yourselves that you are of good lineage, and, trusting in your fathers, do not abandon virtue. God will be able to give children to the patriarch from these stones; for he had done much like this before. Sarah's womb, though harder than stones, yet she received the grace of childbirth. The "axe" is the divine judgment that plucks the unworthy from among the living. If, he says, you do not repent, you will be deprived of life. The axe lies "at the root" of your trees. By "root" we mean life, as we have said. But by "root" we can also understand kinship with Abraham. From this kinship with Abraham, according to the Apostle (Romans 11:19-21), those are cut off who are unworthy to be his branches. The punishment is twofold, for the sinful and barren one is not only cut off from kinship with the righteous, but is also cast into the fire.

And the people asked him, What shall we do? He answered and said to them, "He who has two garments, let him give to the poor, and he who has food, do likewise." The publicans also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher! What should we do? He answered them, "Do not demand anything more than what is determined for you." The soldiers also asked him: "What shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not offend anyone, do not slander, and be content with your salary." And when the people were waiting, and all were thinking in their hearts about John, whether he was not the Christ, John answered everyone: "I will crown you with water, but there is one who is stronger than me, from Whom I am not worthy to untie the strap of my shoes; He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire. His shovel is in His hand, and He will purge His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His garner, and the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire. He preached many other gospels to the people, instructing them.

John admonishes three categories of those who came to him: the simple class of the people, the publicans, and the soldiers. He persuades the simple class of the people to be diligent in almsgiving, commanding that he who has two garments should give to the poor; he convinces the publicans not to exact, that is, not to demand anything superfluous; he urges the soldiers not to kidnap, but to be content with tributes, that is, the salary that is usually given from the king. See how John persuades the common class of the people, as if they were not malicious, to do something good, that is, to give to others, and to refrain from evil. For these were not yet capable, could not do anything good, and it was enough for them not to do evil. Some understand the command to share with one who has two garments with one who does not understand it in a moral sense. That is what they say: the two garments signify the Spirit of Scripture and the letter; John urges those who have both to communicate to those who have absolutely nothing; for example, if anyone understands the Scriptures in both respects, in letter and in spirit, let him pass it on to him who does not have, let him teach him who does not know, and give him at least the letter. "John's virtue was so high that everyone thought of him, was he not Christ himself? Turning away such an opinion, he says: the difference between me and Christ is, first, that "I baptize" with water, and He with the Spirit and fire, and the other is that "I am not even worthy to untie the strap of His shoe." What is meant by the words, "to baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire," is quite clear; for he sent the Spirit to the apostles, and over them appeared tongues of fire divided (Acts 2:3, 4). And the words: "I am not worthy to untie the strap of my shoes" obviously mean that I am not worthy to make myself even His last servants. In a more intimate sense, the shoes of both feet of the Lord are His appearance from heaven to earth and His descent from earth to hell. The method of these two phenomena cannot be solved by anyone, even if he is like John. For who can say how the Lord became incarnate or how He descended into hell? The words, "His spade is in His hand," mean that although He baptizes you, you do not think that you are already unpunished; but if you do not keep yourselves blameless in the life that follows, He will burn you with an unquenchable fire. A tares is one who has a barren mind and takes great care only for the things of life. "He preached many other gospels to the people, teaching them." For good teaching is truly consolation, and is rightly called the gospel.

And Herod the tetrarch, who was rebuked by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all that Herod had done evil, added to everything else that he had put John in prison. And when all the people were baptized, and Jesus was baptized, and prayed, "The heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, like a dove, and there was a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son; in Thee is My good pleasure!