13. John the Baptist (Mt 3:1-6; Mk 1:2-6; Lk 3:1-6; Jn 1:19-23)

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. He came into the region around the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for remission of sins. As it is written in the book of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
    ‘Make ready the way of the Lord.
Make his paths straight.
    Every valley will be filled.
Every mountain and hill will be brought low.
    The crooked will become straight,
    and the rough ways smooth.
All flesh will see God’s salvation.’”

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

This is what John said, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

He declared, “I am not the Messiah.”

They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the prophet?”

He answered, “No.”

They said therefore to him, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Reflections

For centuries, Hebrew prophets had been declaring that the Day of the Lord would come in which everything wrong with the world would be made right: violence, injustice and suffering would give way to peace and well-being. John’s message was that people had better get ready because these ancient prophecies were about to come true. 

This is a message that still speaks to us. What troubles you the most about the world today? What would it take for the world’s problems to come to go away? 

Prayer: Help me be like John the Baptist, Lord, pointing people to your kingdom of peace and well-being. 

12. A Boy in the Temple (Lk 2:41-52)

When Jesus was twelve years old, he went with his parents to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover as was their custom. After the feast, Jesus stayed behind without Joseph and Mary’s knowledge. 

Supposing him to be in the traveling group, they went a day’s journey, and looked for him among their relatives and friends. When they didn’t find him, they returned to Jerusalem. 

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the middle of the teachers, both listening to them, and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

When his parents found him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I were anxiously looking for you.”

He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” They didn’t understand the meaning of what he said to them. 

Back home in Nazareth, he was subject to his parents, and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

 

Reflections

Contrary to what many people imagine, this is not a story of Jesus as a 12-year-old boy teaching the scholars in the temple. What people were most impressed with were the questions he asked. Sometimes a good question is as important as a good answer.

How have your questions about God been handled by others? Have you been dismissed, criticized, or given simplistic answers?

Prayer: Give me the courage to admit, Lord, that I often have more questions than answers.