With the sin of Adam and Eve at the Garden, pain and suffering entered man’s world: “Cursed be the soil because of you! In suffering you will provide food for yourself from it, all the days of your life. . . With sweat on your face you will eat your bread, until you return to clay.” (Gn 3: 17b – 19a) And to the woman, “I will increase your suffering in childbearing and you will give birth to your children in pain. You will be dependent on your husband and he will lord it over you.” (Gn 3: 16)
But from the beginning God gave man hope, “I will make you enemies, you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring. He will crush your head and you will strike his heel.” (Gn 3: 15) The birth of John the Baptist and the birth of Christ initiated the fulfilment of God’s promise of redemption.
In the Gospel reading, Jesus praises John the Baptist: “no one greater than John the Baptist has come forward among the sons of women.” When his birth was announced, the angel said, “This son of yours will be great in the eyes of the Lord.” (Lk 1: 15)
At John’s birth, Zechariah prophesied, “And you, my child, shall be called prophet of the Most High, for you shall go before the Lord to prepare the way for him and enable his people to know of their salvation when he comes to forgive their sins.” (Lk 1: 76 -77)
Jesus himself said, “What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. For John is the one foretold in Scripture in these words: I am sending my messenger ahead of you to prepare your ways.” (Lk 7: 26 – 27)
John’s greatness is seen in his humble appreciation of himself, “I baptize you with water, but the one who is coming will do much more: he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. As for me, I am not worthy to untie his sandal.” (Lk 3: 18)
Yet Jesus said: “the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” The disciples and each one of us have been called to the kingdom of God which has come upon us in the ministry of Jesus while John merely announced the coming of the kingdom. Blessed be God who has blessed us so much!
