Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Wednesday, December 17, 2014 (Ember Day*)

MARK 1:1-8

John the Baptist is both a necessary and a tragic character in Jesus’ story. Like Jesus, he is an outlier who preaches repentance. He stands apart from the powerful families and influential scholars who control the Temple worship in Jerusalem. Like Jesus, he too does not dress like, speak like or act like any of the religious leaders of his time. 

He lived entirely in the desert. He clothed himself with a robe of rough, camel’s hair, bound on with a wide leather belt. He ate locusts and wild honey, meaning he ate what the desert provided. We can assume he did not shave his beard or cut his hair. He was a Nazarite for life. It was easy for me to picture him and paint him for the mandala that hangs in the lower parish hall. But my interest in John goes far beyond his appearance.

He is a throwback to the Prophets of old who railed and ranted against the powers that be, calling down God’s judgement on rich and poor alike. Those prophets chastised those who refused to humble themselves and turn to God. But in this case, John brings condemnation AND he brings good news:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way.” (Mal. 3:1)
”a voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.” (Isaiah 40:3)

He appears just before Jesus’ ministry begins, pointing to Jesus with every breath of his preaching. Even as he baptizes Our Lord in the chilly waters of the Jordan River, he deflects from himself and towards Jesus.

“I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (Matt.3:14)

John is necessary on many levels. First, he fulfills the prophesy of Isaiah. Then, he prepares the people of Israel for the coming of the Messiah by sharpening their sense of anticipation, so that when Jesus arrives, the people can expect and recognize him. For us, who come much later in the story, he sets a model of witnessing that is entirely about Jesus and not at all about himself.

John is tragic in the same way Jesus is tragic. He too was born to die. His purpose in life, to point to the saviour of the world, once fulfilled, he chooses not to retire but to clash with King Herod. Talking truth to power is never easy, and especially in a time when doing so could easily cost you your life. 

John boldly tells Herod that it is against God’s law for him to marry his brother’s wife. Thrown into the dungeon of Herod’s palace for this affront, his voice continues to echo up through the walls, demanding that Herod repent. Furious, Herod’s wife, Herodias, set up her daughter, Salome to dance for the king, and when he promised her anything as a reward, she asked for the head of John. Trapped in front of his guests, Herod had no choice and John was beheaded. (Matt: 14)    

Amazingly, this part of the story is left out of Mark’s gospel, as is the part where Jesus’ mother Mary visits John’s mother Elizabeth just before the baby is born. (Luke 1) Luke tells us Jesus and John were cousins, born six months apart. He explains how John’s father was struck silent before John’s birth and how an angel told his father to name him John. Matthew 3 gives us some of the Old Testament fire and brimstone preaching John broadcast to his audiences. No wonder huge crowds from Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside came to hear him.

What Mark does give us is perhaps the most powerful and succinct message John ever delivered.  

“After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals
I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water,
but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (v7,8)

What does it mean to be ‘baptized with the Holy Spirit’? Does it mean the same today as it did in John’s time? Was this the first time the people of Israel had heard this expression? There are times when I feel more awash with troubles than baptized with the Spirit, yet indeed I am baptized, and with God’s help I can rise up, like the folks John called to repent and start afresh. Advent means cleaning out the fears and doubts and preparing for the coming of the Lord. Even reading John’s story helps me get ready. So, John’s humility sets a standard for me. He continues to do his job, all these years later. He made the path straight.

Peter Mansell Advent 2014.

[* an Ember Day is a day on which we are encouraged to engage in deep, deliberate prayer. 'Mindfulness' might be a good term that we would use today. -Matt]