And this is the testimony of John.
The testimony of John the Baptist was primarily about who he was not. He openly declared that he was not the Messiah, that he was not literally Elijah returned to earth (see Malachi 4:5-6), and that he was not the prophet promised by Moses, like Moses to whom people would listen (see Deuteronomy 18:15). These answers frustrated those who came to ask him who was so that they could give an answer to those who sent them. Their quest was to focus on the identity of John. But John redirected any attempt to fixate on himself to the purpose of his mission.
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
It would have been easy for someone like John, popular with the crowds, to fall in love with his own self-image. Since "all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him" (see Mark 1:5) he might well have grown impatient with waiting and sufficiently self-confident to answer yes to every question about identity that he was asked by his interlocuters. Was he Elijah? It was prophesied that John would move in the spirit and power of Elijah and that his mission was to be precisely along the lines predicted by Malachi, that being "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared" (see Luke 1:17). He even dressed and ate like Elijah. His life was in some way a recapitulation of the theme's of Elijah's life. But he absolutely refused to claim an identity that would allow his audience to fixate their fascination on him. He was a prophet. But the Prophet was still too come. He was anointed by the Spirit from his birth. But the one who would give the Messiah who would give the Spirit without measure was yet to be revealed (see John 3:34).
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
John allowed himself to be entirely defined, not by who he was in himself, but by his mission, and his relationship to the one who was to come after. He saw himself as the friend of bridegroom whose role was to announce the coming of the bridegroom and then step aside, to decrease that he could increase (see John 3:29-30).
Unlike John we tend to define ourselves by how we see ourselves, as if we inhabit a story that is centered around ourselves. And this is the reason we so often lack joy. There is no story of which we are the main character that can ultimately end anywhere we really want to be. We are not meant to inhabit such a story. And that is why the three commands of Paul in today's second reading are such a good corrective to help us refocus the center of our lives where it should be, on Jesus himself.
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks
Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks are all activities that can only make sense and have meaning if they are centered around God. Joy such as this world can give is fleeting, not all circumstances lead to thanksgiving, and prayer is emptied to be instead empty wishing. But the joy that Jesus gives is one which the world cannot take from us, meaning we really can give thanks at all times. Prayer is the means by which we inhabit this world centered around Jesus rather than around ourselves, in which we both give thanks, and receive joy.
And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you (see John 16:22).
When we experience this promise of Jesus we can say with the prophet Isaiah:
I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
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