‘The Forerunner’s Agony and the Saviour’s Testimony about him.’
Isaiah 35.1–10: James 5.7–10: Matthew 11.2–11
When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to Jesus, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another? Matt.11.3
On this ‘Gaudete’ Sunday we rejoice in the faith and grace we have received in Christ, who comes to us in Advent, bringing to us the promise of the kingdom of heaven.
John the Baptist, however, had little to rejoice over as he languishs in prison.
The Jewish historian, Josephus says King Herod Agrippa had arrested John had put him in prison to silence him. John was becoming popular among the people as a great prophet. Herod therefore felt threated that John might subvert the crowds by his preaching.
The gospels, however give us a different account. They say that John had spoken out against King Herod telling him he should not have taken Herodias as his wife, as she was already his brother Philip’s wife. This family matter had become known publically and John had spoken out against the king’s behaviour.
Initially Herod was reluctant to have John killed as he recognised him to be a holy righteous man and popular with the crowds. However Herodias bore a deep and bitter grudge against John and wished him dead. The opportunity came for her to fulfil her wish when at Herod’s birthday party, Herodias’ daughter had so pleased the king with her dancing that he promised to give her anything – even half his kingdom. Prompted by Herodias, the girl asked the king for the head of John the Baptist to be given to her on a dish. The king bound by his promise then ordered John to be beheaded in prison and his head to the girl. It is a nasty vindictive story.
Whatever the case of these two accounts, like many great prophets before him, John was fearless in ‘speaking truth to power’ and suffered accordingly. And the gospel account was treasured by the early Christians as it shows John as the Forerunner of Jesus going ahead in suffering and death before the passion of Jesus himself.
This background helps us to understand why John is prison. From there John, hearing of the deeds of Christ sends his disciples to Jesus with question, ‘Are you the one who is to come or are we to wait for another?’ St. Ambrose says. ‘the question, is not easy matter to understand.’
The 20th century Russian Orthodox theologian Sergius Bulgakov goes further and comments: ‘This is the most tragic question that has ever resounded in the human soul!’
That little word ‘OR’ is unsettling. It points to the agonising crisis of faith that John is now suffering. John’s premonition of his imminent death has led him to feel abandoned by God. If Jesus is not the Messiah, then what purpose had his calling and his preaching as the Forerunner of the Messiah?
John, now vulnerable to his human fears and weaknesses asks Jesus for certitude in his faith in God. From our own experience we can relate to some degree to what is happening to John when we’ve had to face moments of extremis in our lives. Where is God why has he abandoned me at this point? What is the purpose in human suffering? Everyday people ask these kinds of questions and how we might also ask does faith help? And there are, of course no easy answers. Those with faith struggle sometimes as much as those with none.
But for John with his unique calling the sense of being abandoned by God must have brought him greater agony. Had he not received a direct revelation from heaven and heard the Father’s voice at the at Jesus’ baptism when he bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”?
Jesus’ reply to John’s question ‘Are you the one who is to come or are we to wait for another?’ is not a simple and direct affirmative answer saying ‘Yes, I am the Messiah.’
Instead he tells John’s disciples “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers[ are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.’ These are all the signs John would recognise as those of the Messiah who is to come. But are they enough to reaffirm John’s faith and give him certitude he longed for?
Yet Jesus sends his blessing to John saying : And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
To say ‘And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” can surely be compared with Jesus’ words to Thomas after the resurrection ‘Blessed are they that have not seen me and yet believe.’
‘Faith,’ says the author of the letter to the Hebrews, ‘is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.’
‘The fullness of faith,’ says St. Ambrose, ‘consists of recognising the Lord when crucified, dead and buried. This is why Jesus concluded by saying; ‘Blessed are those who are not offended by me.’’ The original Greek word is σκανδαλισθῇ - scandalised to stumble.
It is indeed possible for the cross to prove a stumbling block even for the elect. so Jesus is telling John not to stumble in his faith in him the God-man.
We have no greater testimony to Christ’s divinity, says St. Ambrose, nothing which more clearly shows him to be more human, than his offering himself as the unique sacrifice for the whole world; this alone reveals him as the Lord. Moreover it was in this light John pointed him out; Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
When the sin of the world is removed – then we are restored to our right relationship with God. Christ’s grace alone sets us free to become his sons and daughters. And so we learn to humbly and patiently wait for the coming of the Lord.
‘So rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice. Indeed the Lord is near.’
Father Andrew