So, What’s Wrong With Avis?
To say John the Baptist was unique would be an understatement. He had taken a Nazirite vow. Now a Nazirite vow contained 3 main conditions: refrain from wine and other intoxicants, not allow a razor to touch one’s hair, and not go near a dead body -–not even a mother or father.
He goes into the desert, makes a fashion statement by dressing in a garment of camel hair and leather belt, and diets on locusts and honey. He was eccentric you might say, not conforming to the religious establishment and setting up his ministry in the wilderness by the Jordan River, expecting people to come to him.
Mark, by telling us that John “appeared” in the wilderness, draws a parallel between John the Baptist and the Old Testament prophet Elijah. Elijah spent much time in the desert, wore a leather belt, and had a ministry by the Jordan River. Now remember, it was at the Jordan where Elijah disappeared, so when John “appears”, it starts the rumor-mill the he is the prophet Elijah returning.
We don’t know a lot about John the Baptist from scripture, but we do know that he came from a priestly family. His mother, Elizabeth, and Mary, the mother of Jesus were cousins, making John and Jesus second cousins. He “dressed funny”, at least according to those who lived in the cities. He wore “camel’s hair”. Now, this wasn’t camel’s skin with hair on it. No, this was the camel’s shaggier hair woven into a coarse fabric and worn to signify a prophet.
He wasn’t dining on tea and crumpets, either. He ate locusts and wild honey. Locusts, if you don’t know, are very similar to grasshoppers. Locusts are still eaten today, by dipping them in butter after their heads, legs, and wings are removed. Are you hungry yet? Wild honey was also abundant, so abundant that remember the Promised Land was described as “flowing with milk and honey”. John, in clothing and diet, made use of what the Lord provided him through the wilderness.
John’s ministry was as different as his appearance and eating habits. John was baptizing with water and claiming that someone more powerful than he was coming, someone that he was not even worthy to “stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals”. John was not doing his ministry for his glory or self-recognition, as too many do today. He wasn’t thumping his chest and saying, “look at me”. No, he was pointing to Jesus; he was announcing the coming of the Messiah who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. He was telling everyone that Jesus was more powerful and worthy of honor. John felt unworthy to serve him.
It appears that John had been busy in his baptizing. Verse 5 tells us, “And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” Jesus comes to John to be baptized, as well. In Matthew’s gospel, we read that John protested, saying the he need to be baptized by Jesus. But John indeed does baptize Jesus.
This is very important. Jesus is baptized by John. Jesus certainly didn’t “need” to be baptized, yet He submitted to what John called “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”. It was not a baptism of repentance for HIS sin; it was a baptism of repentance for our sins, yours and mine. Jesus didn’t “need” to be baptized and neither do we. Jesus did this as an example for us to follow. Jesus did this, and we do it as “an outward and visible sign of an inward grace.”
So, do you have to be baptized to be saved? No, only trusting in the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross ever saved anybody. Does everyone who gets saved have to be baptized? No, you don’t have to, but remember what Jesus said, "If you love me you will keep my commandments." It is the first step of obedience to let the world know that you have decided to follow Jesus.
This reminds me of a scene in the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” You might remember the scene where the 3 escaped convicts come across a group of people dressed in white, singing as they move mysteriously through the woods towards the river. They follow, to find the people lining up to be baptized. 2 of the friends rush into the water to be baptized. The first exclaims as he emerges from the water that the minister had told him that all his sins have been washed away. Even, he says, when he stole that pig for which he’d been convicted. "But you said you were innocent of that." "I lied.... and that’s been washed away too!!" That one shows a reformed character afterwards, including when he leaves money for the apple pie that his friends steal from a windowsill.
There is a lot going on in this passage and most people when reading it focus on the baptism aspect, but what really intrigues me in this passage is John the Baptist. I’m going to tell you something about John that many of you may not know. John the Baptist had disciples. Oh, yeah. He had followers just like the disciples we know so well followed Jesus. These followers were devoted to John, just as Jesus’ followers were devoted to him. But they were torn. When Jesus shows up, John tells them, “Here’s the one I’ve been telling you about. He’s the one you need to follow.”
Think about it. These followers of John had probably put up with a lot of grief because of him. Their family and friends surely tried to talk them out of it. “Look, he wears funny clothes and eats bugs. And, man, he needs a shave!” They gave up all the respectability they’d had to follow John. Then one day John says, “Follow him. He’s the one you need to hang out with.” Reluctantly they leave John and follow Jesus.
In many ways, John the Baptist reminds me of Howard Cosell, a hunting dog, a best man, or Avis. Howard Cosell seems to be linked forever with playing second fiddle to Muhammed Ali. A hunting dog works hard and helps make the hunter successful. The best man isn’t the most important guy in the wedding party. And when you think of car rentals, at least in the 60’s & 70’s, you thought of Hertz first and Avis second.
Toscannini, the great conductor of orchestras once said, “It isn’t so hard to find a virtuoso pianist or violinist. There are always people who are seeking that place of honor. If you want great music, you have to find people who want to excel playing second violin. The other places make the orchestra.” Second fiddle. The world needs great second fiddles.
Most people in this world today aren’t satisfied with being #2. Everyone wants to be like Reggie Jackson was when he came to play for the Yankees. He said he was the “straw that stirred the drink”. He wasn’t satisfied with being #2. The world today says that second place is just the first loser. Nobody knows or cares about who came in second. And if you doubt that, then tell me, who won last year’s Super Bowl? Anybody?
Okay? Now tell me who they beat. Who came in second? South Central won last year’s Mid-Winter Classic. Who did they beat? Anybody know? See, nobody cares or remembers the second fiddle, the team player who does their job for reasons other than the glory. But John the Baptist was the greatest second fiddle, the best “whatever’s best for the team” team player ever.
But let’s be real here. John the Baptist is like Howard Cosell in another way. John is abrasive. John tells it like it is. John could really annoy you, but you just know he is an uncompromising soul, which is both appreciable and maddening. John’s gift is prophecy, not mercy, not compassion. For John, truth was more important than being nice. John didn’t pull punches. He told people to repent, to get their act together, to show remorse for their actions and to return to God.
Straight talk is something we rarely hear today, even in the Church, which is so preoccupied with its image and popularity that it has lost its message. The Church is more concerned with numbers than with integrity. We bend over backwards in case we happen to offend. We have become too accommodating, too nice for our own good. Political correctness and etiquette have become more important than truth. We don’t want to “upset” anybody or “scare” them away.
If John the Baptist were preaching today, I’m sure he would turn a lot of people off, maybe even scare them away from the church. Some would say he lacks compassion and patience, and has no social graces. Some would say he is intolerant. But I would hope that we could accept him for what he is, a servant of God and a member of the family. And even this crazy cousin has a great function in the kingdom of God. And John’s function, his entire message as second fiddle, was about pointing beyond himself to Jesus! That function is INVALUABLE!
So look beyond the clothes. Look beyond the “tasty” locusts. Look beyond the lack of social graces. And see the zealous truth-telling as John points toward Jesus.
Because we learn from John how to point. Just as a hunting dog points out what the hunters are after, we also are to point out what the hunters are after. The hunters are the seekers. The hunters are the ones who’s lives are in a tailspin. The hunters are the brokenhearted, and lonely, and dissatisfied. These hunters need Jesus and, just as John pointed people to Jesus, we, too, are to point people to Jesus.
So, what’s wrong with Avis? Not a darn thing. There’s nothing wrong with being Avis or the best man, or a hunting dog. There’s nothing wrong with being #2, and pointing toward #1. As long as #1 is Jesus and he’s #1 in your life.
