Like Paul And John We Are Prophets Series

Solemnity of John the Baptist 2023

St. Paul knew how to approach the Jews and the Gentiles who had an interest in the Jewish faith as he went through Asian Minor and Greece to spread the Gospel of Christ. So we see him in today’s story from Acts coming to the local synagogue on Shabat, Saturday. He knew both groups would be gathered there to pray and hear words from Torah and explanations. The local synagogue ruler, who had heard that Paul was a rabbi from Judea, offered him the opportunity, so he stood and preached the Gospel message from the Old Testament and the first-century news. He recalled the miracles of the Exodus and the giving of Palestine to the Hebrews, and a little Israelite history up through Samuel and Saul to King David. Every Jew knew that a Messiah was promised, who would restore greatness to Israel. Many of them had thought it would be John, but he was not a descendant of David. He was a Levite. John, however, had testified to the one coming after him, who would be so great and so God-filled that John himself was not worthy to untie His sandals. That is John would have given anything just to be the Messiah’s servant. That Messiah, Paul then proved to his listeners, was Jesus of Nazareth.

John’s reputation began even to be spread throughout Judea even before he was born, as we see in our Gospel today. Blessed Mary was there with Elizabeth and certainly helped her during labor and delivery. Remember that his father, Zechariah, had seen an angel in the Temple, heard the angel promise a son, told Zechariah his name would be John, but Zechariah expressed doubt and was struck mute for the entire pregnancy that followed. In fact, look carefully at the text. In the post-partum chaos, when the neighbors were going to name the baby after his father, they made signs to the father asking about the name. They had gotten used over nine months to Zechariah being unable to speak, they had begun to gossip that he was also deaf. But Zechariah had learned his lesson, and wrote in bold letters that the lad’s name would be John, as God wanted. Only then was HIS prophetic voice restored.

John surely fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. The Lord really had called him, even before he was conceived, and the Lord had named him. There is an ancient tradition in the Church that he was freed from all sin during his entire life, to prepare him for witnessing to his cousin, Jesus. He spent his active years preaching repentance from sin to whomever would listen, and baptizing all those who would confess their sin and ask for God’s forgiveness. Moreover, he was more than just an important historical figure. He was a model for all of us, who in baptism have been called to be prophets. We don’t have to dress in the skins of wild animals and eat locusts, but we must–we must–witness to the truth of Christ in our day just as John did in his. And we must also humble ourselves before Christ, so that He may increase as we decrease.