Word to the Wise
Monday, June 24, 2019 - June 24 - The Nativity of St. John the Baptist, Mass during the Day
[Isa 49:1-6; Acts 13:22-26; Luke 1:57-66, 80]"What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold. one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet." [Acts]
On one level, John the Baptist came exactly six months before Jesus! [Luke 1:36], but that is not what St. Paul was preaching about! Why would John the Baptist be worthy of mention? Why does the Gospel According to Luke give so much effort to parallel the events of Jesus' and John's conception and birth? In short, why is John the Baptist so important?
The reason may have its roots in the impression that many had at the time of Jesus' ministry that John the Baptist was the "Messiah." The gospels and Acts make it clear that John was a great prophet but he was not the Messiah! Since the gospels and Acts were put into writing years after Jesus' death and resurrection, the concern about the identity of John the Baptist was still a live issue! John is given an important role as a prophet and "herald" of Jesus' life and ministry, but he is ushered off the stage early on in the story except for the account of his death in the Gospel According to Mark [6:17-29]. Jesus pays tribute to John in an interesting way, saying, "Of man born of woman, none is greater than John, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he!" [7:28].
The church has kept alive the role played by John the Baptist, but his nativity is a reminder of his role as a prophetic announcer even in the story of his birth! AMEN