Magyar Egyház, 2009 (88. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

2009-07-01 / 3-4. szám

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

5. oldal

witness to Jesus: “No one can lay hold on anything unless it is given him from on high. You yourselves are witnesses to the fact that 1 said: 'I am not the Messiah; 1 am sent before him.’ It is the groom who has the bride. The groom’s best man waits there listening for him and is overjoyed to hear his voice. That is my joy, and it is complete. He must increase, while 1 must decrease” (John 3:27-30).

John was a man free from himself, free from fear of the opinions of others, free to direct all his energies to the one he came to announce, free for God.

Of John’s relationship with Jesus we know little. We have no idea whether John and Jesus grew up with childhood knowledge of one another, though Luke's Gospel describes them as distant cousins. At least it is clear from John's own testimony that he did not know Jesus to be the one whose coming he was proclaiming until he saw the Holy Spirit rest upon Jesus (John 1:31 -33). We can only wonder what thrilling conversations they may have had with each other after that.

How often did John and Jesus meet after Jesus began his public ministry? The Gospels tell us nothing about that, though they record John sending his disciples to Jesus for reassurance (Matthew 11:2-6). And we have already noted that Jesus gave public testimony to John as the greatest bom of women. Finally, at the news of John’s death, Jesus went into the hills alone to grieve and to pray (see Matthew 14:13).

In his death John continued to be a forerunner of Jesus. To some degree John understood the sacrificial nature of Christ’s life when he named Jesus the “Lamb of God” (see John 1:29, 36). Jesus identified John’s death with is own when he compared John with Elijah: “I assure you, though, that Elijah has already come, but they did not recognize him and they did as they pleased with him. The Son of Man will suffer at their hands in the same way” (Matthew 17:12).

The Baptist was a Christian martyr before Christ. Andre Retif wrote: “The liturgy of martyrs says, ‘They loved Christ in life and imitated him in death.’ Should we not say that John loved Christ in life and preceded him in death? Other have followed in the footsteps of Christ, but John, in this respect, preceded Christ, who, we almost dare to say, walked in John's footsteps. It is certainly very hard for a friend of Christ to die without the help of his example and no knowledge of his triumphant resurrection and glorious ascension. John had ever this bitter cup to drink. He drained it before his master; and it almost seems, if it be possible, that he wanted to encourage him in death.”

The titles by which the Church Fathers have addressed John highlight the many dimensions of his life and ministry: Witness of the Lord, Trumpet of Heaven, Herald of Christ, Voice of the Word, Precursor of Truth, Friend of the Bridegroom, Crown of the Prophets, Forerunner of the Redeemer, Preparer of Salvation, Light of the Martyrs, and Servant of the Word.

John’s message did not die with him. The need for repentance and conversion of heart remains constant among God’s people. John's words have continued to resound in Christians’ ears throughout the centuries. The Advent liturgy vibrates with the challenge of his cry, “Reform your lives!” May we take John’s call to heart! Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what areas in your life need to be purified. Ask for God's grace and help to repent of your sins. Come, Holy Spirit, with the refining fire of your love. Purify my heart and cleanse me of my sins.

The voice is John, the word is Christ

from a sermon by Augustine, bishop, 4th century

John is the voice, but the Lord is the Word who was in the beginning. John is the voice that lasts for a time; from the beginning Christ is the Word who lives for ever. Take away the word, the meaning, and what is the voice? Where there is no understanding, there is only a meaningless sound. The voice without the word strikes the ear but does not build up the heart.

However, let us observe what happens when we first seek to build up our hearts. When I think about what I am going to say, the word or message is already in my heart. When I want to speak to you, I look for a way to share with your heart what is already in mine.

In my search for a way to let this message reach you, so that the word already in my heart may find place also in yours, I use my voice to speak to you. The sound of my voice brings the meaning of the word to you and then passes away. The word which the sound has brought to you is now in your heart, and yet it is still also in mine.

When the word has been conveyed to you, does not the sound seem to say: The word ought to grow, and I should diminish? The sound of the voice has made itself heard in the service of the word, and has gone away, as though it were saying: My joy is complete. Let us hold on to the word; we must not lose the word conceived inwardly in our hearts.

Do you need proof that the voice passes away but the divine Word remains? Where is John’s baptism today? It served its purpose, and it went away. Now it is Christ’s baptism that we celebrate. It is in Christ that we all believe; we hope for salvation in him. This is the message the voice cried out.

Because it is hard to distinguish word from voice, even John himself was thought to be the Christ. The voice was thought to be the word. But the voice acknowledged what it was, anxious not to give offense to the word. I am not the Christ, he said, nor Elijah, nor the prophet. And the question came: Who are you, then? He replied: / am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord..

The voice of one crying in the wilderness is the voice of one breaking the silence. Prepare the way for the Lord, he says, as though he were saying: “I speak out in order to lead him into your hearts, but he does not choose to come where I lead him unless you prepare the way for him”.

To prepare the way means to pray well; it means thinking humbly of oneself. We should take our lesson from John the Baptist. He is thought to be the Christ; he declares he is not what they think. He does not take advantage of their mistake to further his own glory.

If he had said, “I am the Christ”, you can imagine how readily he would have been believed, since they believed he was the Christ even before he spoke. But he did not say it; he acknowledged what the was. He pointed out clearly who he was; he humbled himself. He saw where his salvation lay. He understood that he was a lamp, and his fear was that it might be blown out by the wind of pride.

(Matt. 11:10; see also Matt. 17:12-13) saying of him, "If you are prepared to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who was certain to come" (Matt. 11:14).