January 2, 2017: John 1:19-28
Today’s Gospel reading begins with John (the Evangelist) telling us that he is about to give us the testimony of John (the Baptist) as to who Jesus is. John the Baptist, as the story begins, is in the midst of his ministry by the Jordan River. Even though this remote region was not easy to get to, people come to John every day to hear him and be baptized. Something about John rings true to them.
The officials at the Jerusalem chancery hear about this. They are puzzled and concerned. Who is this John? Who does he think he is? Is he any kind of threat to them? Is he likely to stir up trouble with the Romans? So, they decide to check John out. First, they come up with all the possible answers they believe John might give to the question “who are you?”: a) The Christ or Messiah; b) Elijah, who according to Malachi was to come first before “the Day of the Lord”; c) The “Prophet” – perhaps a reference to Deuteronomy, where Moses tells the Israelites that God would raise up “a prophet like me” from among them. Those were the official categories. Then, the Jerusalem leaders send priests and Levites to John the Baptist. The priests and Levites are to figure out how to “file” John, depending on what John says in response to their questions. No doubt, they had instructions as to what to do if John claimed to be any of the three options.
But when they arrive, things don’t pan out according to their plans. John refuses to play their game. He denies that he is the Christ, or Elijah, or the Prophet. The priests and Levites are left at a loss. They can’t find a place to “file” John. John won’t fit neatly into any official “box” that they come up with.
John refuses to play this game for at least two reasons. First of all, he insists that his calling is not about himself. The point of John’s life isn’t John. He’s all about the One coming after him. He refuses to let the spotlight rest on him for even a second. He is “a voice crying in the wilderness”, preparing the way of the Lord. He is a finger pointing to Jesus, not to himself. He’s in it for God’s glory, not his own.
Secondly, these priests and Levites had certain expectations as to what the Christ would be, or what Elijah would be, or the Prophet. They could only accept someone who met these expectations. John wants them to open their minds and hearts and realize that what God is about to do goes far beyond their wildest expectations or dreams. John wants them to become more like him, to make their lives pure openness to whatever God’s will might be. Only then would they be able to recognize and put faith in the Christ when he would begin his ministry.
John’s words and example remain a challenge and an inspiration for us. We may find ourselves tempted to have God meet our expectations before we will believe. We may see God as like a business that is there to serve the customers (us), rather than seeing God as the One we worship and serve. We, too, can be tempted to live as though our lives are really all about us. We may like the spotlight and want it to stay focused on us. John challenges us to repent, and to turn the spotlight toward God, where it belongs. Whenever we do this, we discover that the generosity of God goes far beyond anything we could have guessed at or imagined. God gives us our lives. We give ourselves back to God. God, in turn, gives us the very life of God. We are invited into this never-ending dance of giving and receiving, the dance that is the very life of the Triune God. And the price of all this? Only this: to remember that God is greater than our filing cabinets!