December 12, 2010
Reflection on the Gospel Reading
Matthew 11:2-11
When John the Baptist heard in prison of the works
of the Christ, he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question, “Are you the
one who is to come, or should we look for another?”
Jesus said to them in reply, “Go and tell John
what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are
cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news
proclaimed to them. And blessed is the
one who takes no offense at me.”
As they were going off, Jesus began to speak to
the crowds about John, “What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal
palaces. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is
written: Behold, I am sending my
messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you. Amen, I say to you, among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom
of heaven is greater than he.”
Jesus sends a message with John’s disciples: that there have been miracles such as that the
blind regain their sight, and the
lame walk. These signs, like the Baptizer, point to the
divinity of Jesus. But then Jesus speaks
to the crowds about the imprisoned John.
John himself becomes the focus of today’s Gospel passage.
In a rare occurrence, Matthew reveals how Jesus
uses humor in order to sharpen the crowd’s focus on the true significance and
meaning of John. Beyond the gruff
personality and ragged appearance is a prophet par excellence. Yet John’s
greatness ultimately comes from the one to whom he points the attention of
others: Jesus.
It’s likely that the crowds became fascinated by,
or at least had their attention arrested by, the extraordinary persona of John the Baptizer. But using humor and then more direct
proclamation, Jesus is putting John in his proper perspective. We might say that John the Baptizer is
Advent, as Jesus is Christmas. John
prepares us for something greater than himself:
the Kingdom of God, which we can enter into only when we orient our own
lives as directly towards Jesus as was the life of John the Baptizer.
