Reflection for December 14
This year I get to reflect on one of my favorite biblical heroes, John the Baptist.
John the Baptist is a cousin of Jesus, and he becomes the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesies (in Isaiah and Malachi) about one who would “prepare the way of the Lord.” Jesus confirms that in this gospel passage. John is destined to fulfill this role. Talk about pressure. Yet he does it magnificently and with utmost humility. Rather than allowing himself to be the object of people’s worship, he never forgets that someone greater than he is to come, and his role is to foretell the coming of the Messiah. And he actually baptizes Jesus. Can you even imagine doing that?
Jesus tells us that “there has been none greater than John the Baptist.” Wow. Talk about an unbelievable resume. But that’s not why I love John. I love John because we find him in prison, and he actually starts to question whether he’s spent his life putting his faith in the right person. And who could blame him? He’s done everything he was destined to do and in the right way, and what’s his reward? Prison. So, I love John because as much as it frustrates me, I find myself periodically wondering about the same thing John does here. I’m comforted by the fact that even the greatest of them, John, had his moments of doubt.
Equally powerful to me is Jesus’ response to John’s doubt. Jesus, as only He can do, provides the perfect answer to John’s disciples: “Go and tell John what you hear and see. The blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk…the dead are raised.” I love this response because people of faith are often accused of having faith void of reason, or worse, contrary to reason. A “blind faith.” Yet Jesus’ response points us right to reason. What do you hear and see? Trust that. That’s it. No lengthy theological discourse.
So, during this Advent season, may we take time to pay closer attention to all the things we see and hear every day that point to the reliability and trustworthiness of Jesus. Then, we will know we have placed our faith in the right one.
P.S.: “Yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he”…? Maybe next year.
Andy Niedzielski