Fast Fridays: 30 Minutes for God: Difference between revisions
→Friday, Oct 11: "none greater than John the Baptist"
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I like call him "the Baptizer." Interestingly, in some Orthodox churches, he is known as "Saint John the Forerunner," which speaks more clearly to his Biblical role. Most western believers think of John only in terms of the Baptism of Christ, but if we listen to Jesus himself, there's a lot more to John than than that to which we usually attest about him. | I like call him "the Baptizer." Interestingly, in some Orthodox churches, he is known as "Saint John the Forerunner," which speaks more clearly to his Biblical role. Most western believers think of John only in terms of the Baptism of Christ, but if we listen to Jesus himself, there's a lot more to John than than that to which we usually attest about him. | ||
One historical approach we can employ here is to apply a counter-factual, in this case, removal of John from the moment in order to test alternative outcomes. Obviously, God does what God does, so with or without John, Jesus is. Nevertheless, by thinking over John's absence, we can better grasp his importance and why Jesus said of him,<blockquote>"Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11:11 Mt 11:11])<ref>"among those born of women" implicitly affirms of Jesus' divinity, as well as the existence of angels.</ref></blockquote>Matthew 11 continues with Jesus' explanation for why John was so great:<blockquote>From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force. All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come. | One historical approach we can employ here is to apply a counter-factual, in this case, removal of John from the moment in order to test alternative outcomes. Obviously, God does what God does, so with or without John, Jesus is. Nevertheless, by thinking over John's absence, we can better grasp his importance and why Jesus said of him,<blockquote>"Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11:11 Mt 11:11])<ref>"among those born of women" implicitly affirms of Jesus' divinity, as well as the existence of angels.</ref></blockquote>Matthew 11 continues with Jesus' explanation for why John was so great:<blockquote>From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force. | ||
All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come. | |||
Whoever has ears ought to hear. | Whoever has ears ought to hear. | ||
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For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ | For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ | ||
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”</blockquote>Let's start with those last two verses, 18 & 19: John came "neither eating nor drinking" and the Son of Man comes "eating and drinking," for which both are condemned ("they said"). "They" didn't dance when the flute was played, and "they" didn't mourn when the dirge was sung -- missed signals, and "they" still don't get why John didn't eat or drink and the Son of Man does. The footnote to the USSCB NASB translation on [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11?16 verse 16] says that the meaning of this parable is "is much disputed." | The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”</blockquote>Let's start with "the kingdom of heaven suffers violence" -- wo. Why is this in the context of the Baptizer? Perhaps -- perhaps -- Jesus is telling us that the Baptizer's insertion provoked a counter-attack from the other side? It would seem so -- and we might consider the "violence" in what seems passive, belief. | ||
As we see in those last two verses, 18 & 19: John came "neither eating nor drinking" and the Son of Man comes "eating and drinking," for which both are condemned ("they said"). "They" didn't dance when the flute was played, and "they" didn't mourn when the dirge was sung -- missed signals, and "they" still don't get why John didn't eat or drink and the Son of Man does. The footnote to the USSCB NASB translation on [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11?16 verse 16] says that the meaning of this parable is "is much disputed." | |||
I don't find it difficult, especially in the context of "this generation" -- which includes us, not just those of Jesus' day. We're all confused and misdirected and Christ is misinterpreted, ignored, and the wrong dances are danced, the wrong dirges or mourned or not mourned at all. Ears weren't then and aren't now listening. | I don't find it difficult, especially in the context of "this generation" -- which includes us, not just those of Jesus' day. We're all confused and misdirected and Christ is misinterpreted, ignored, and the wrong dances are danced, the wrong dirges or mourned or not mourned at all. Ears weren't then and aren't now listening. | ||