Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We have the opportunity to celebrate the birth of John the Baptist this weekend, which not by chance is one of the longest days of the year. Even in the timing of John’s birth the length of days is saying, “I must decrease and you must increase.” He said this in reference to Jesus Christ whose days after his birth start to increase in length.
Last week we were reminded that the seed has a power of its own and when sown it will produce much fruit. You and I cannot make it grow but we can sow it by spending time with people, giving them a call, stopping by to visit a friend or someone who is sick. And at times to invite them back to church, or to remind them of God’s love, or to say, briefly, what God has done for you.
The servant song that we hear from Isaiah (49: 1-6) which speaks of Christ can also be applied to John the Baptist. This song was written during the rebuilding of the Temple which took many years and was a cause of frustration due to the slowness of the work, and many other difficulties. “I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly spent my strength.” He is going through some very difficult times, and with the construction going on here, I can relate. And at times we can think the same way: what’s the point of my life or of my efforts with my kids or an aging parent or a job or a school that is not ideal for me?
Isaiah realizes that he has been formed in the womb to be a servant and to re-unite Israel back to God. He knows that this was only possible because God has been his strength, and that he was not able to affect anything.
God responds to Isaiah by widening his mission not only to be a light for Israel but to all the nations: “I shall make you a light to the nations so that all my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.” John the Baptist like Isaiah was given a sharp edged sword, his tongue, which was prophetic and prepared the way for the Messiah. If you recall even Herod the Great liked to listen to John and was even reluctant to kill him.
Isaiah goes on to predict that the Holy One of Israel will be despised and detested by the nation and through this humiliation will be glorified. “In the day of salvation I have helped you,” Isaiah continues, “I have formed you and have appointed you to be the covenant for a people, to restore the land, to return the ravaged properties and to say to prisoners, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Show yourselves (49: 8-9).’ This is the vocation of Israel and for you and me, and in a particular way of John the Baptist, who was also chosen before he was born by God to be a tremendous prophet linking the Old and New Testament.
In the naming of John the Baptist in Luke’s gospel (1: 57-66, 80) we see that Zechariah, his father, was not only struck dumb when he did not believe that his wife could have a child after being so advanced in age, but he was also deaf. The gospel says they “made signs” to him asking him what would he name his son. You and I can also be deaf to God’s word, or not open to it, or it goes over our heads, or we are not used to thinking that God actually speaks to us. Because we don’t hear him well or consistently we don’t speak to others about him. Zecharia changes enormously during those nine months.
What does he do when he regains his speech? He blessed God. He praised him. It reminds us to do the same. Often we ask God for things but a sign of adult faith is that we praise him and thank him, even when things don’t go our way. We know that his way is always better than ours.
Fear came upon all the people in the area and they were in wonder about who this child will be. As the gospel tells us, “The hand of the Lord was surely upon him…Meanwhile the child grew and became strong in spirit. He lived in the desert until the day he appeared openly to Israel.” We leave a camel skin wearing and grasshopper eating John in the desert, poised to illumine others about the coming of the Messiah. You are called to be like John the Baptist to those around us and to point the way for them to encounter the Lord. It is the greatest thing that you can do, and it will bring you the most joy.