Weekly Scripture Reflections
June 24, 2007
Nativity of St.
John the Baptist (Solemnity)
Readings: Readings: Isa 49:1-6; Ps 139:1-3, 13-15; Acts 13:22-26; Luke 1:57-66, 80
“What, then will this child be?”
It takes a big person to be content being known as someone else’s daughter or son, sister or brother, or even cousin. We all want our own personal identity, not one that is dependent on the celebrity of another. Yet this is precisely how we remember John the Baptist. He was the cousin of Jesus. Historically John did have a life of his own, one that he had carved out for himself. He was an ascetic (Matt 3:4), a not uncommon style of life for first-century Jews who were zealous in their religious observance. The gospels tell us that he had a large following (Mark 1:5), as well as some intimate disciples (John 1:35). His was not a feel-good message, as we find is the case with many popular preachers today. He challenged the people and called them to repentance.
Everything about John’s conception and birth indicated that this was an
unusual child, one chosen by God. His conception was announced by an angel, and
he was born from a barren womb, of parents advanced in years (Luke 1:7, 11).
Skepticism at the thought of such a birth resulted in his father’s being
deprived of his ability to speak during the entire time of Elizabeth’s
pregnancy. Zechariah’s tongue was loosened when he insisted that the boy
be given the name John, the name told him by the angel at the time of the
conception. In tracing the ancestry of Jesus, the author of Acts of the Apostles
included John, not because of his kinship with Jesus: “My brothers and sisters
are those who hear the world of God and act on it” (Luke 8:21), but because of
his role in God’s plan of salvation. John was the precursor.
The Servant Songs of Isaiah, of which today’s first reading is one, are
usually associated with Jesus. However, here it is linked with John the Baptist
because the phrase “The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave
me my name” corresponds to features found in the narrative of the nativity of
John. Though John was not the servant, other aspects of this reading could
easily apply to him. His message of repentance certainly made him a “sharp-edged
sword;” through this message he did seek to “raise up the tribes of Jacob and
restore the survivors of Israel.”
Though our birth may not have been announced by an angel, it was
nonetheless an important event in God’s overall plan of salvation, for we too
have been chosen to be heralds of the good news. John announced the coming of
the age of fulfillment, and urged his hearers to repent in preparation for it;
we proclaim that it has indeed already come, and we are privileged to be able to
live within it.
How faithful are we to this calling?
© 2007 Catholic Theological Union