On the last Sundays, we were saying that this
year we will read the gospel of Mark, and today we have heard a selection from
the gospel of John. The reason is that Mark is the shortest of the gospels, and
so, on several occasions this year, the liturgy will supplement it with
passages from John. Usually, scholars emphasize the differences between John
and the synoptic gospels; but in this case we cannot but take note of the
concordance between them.
If you remember, last Sunday, to introduce John
the Baptist, Mark quoted a verse from Isaiah: “A voice of one crying out in the
desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’” Today it is
John the Baptist to identify himself using the same words of the prophet: “I am
the voice of one crying in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord.”
Both Mark and John tell us that John the
Baptist used to baptize. In both cases, to underline the superiority of Jesus,
he says that his baptism is just a “baptism of water,” and then adds that he is
not worthy to untie the thongs of his sandals. It is interesting to notice
that, while in Mark John the Baptist limits himself to say, “One mightier than
I is coming after me,” in John he says, “There is one among you whom you do not
recognize, the one who is coming after me.” Not only does the Baptist announce
the future coming of Christ; he also points to him already present in the
world. In my opinion, this is the greatest merit of John.
Today’s gospel refers to this important role of
the Baptist when it says that he is a witness: “He came for testimony, to
testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the
light, but came to testify to the light.” Who is a witness? A person who sees
something happen and is able to describe it to other people. In court there is
need of witnesses, to find out the truth during a trial. Well, John the Baptist
is the witness of Christ. The day after what is told in today’s gospel, John
will say about Jesus: “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and
remain on him … I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God” (Jn
1:32.34).
For the time being, John the Baptist prefers to
bear a negative testimony about himself. He does not want to be confused with
Jesus. So, he makes clear what he is not. First of all, he is not the Messiah,
the king of Davidic descent who would restore the kingdom of Israel. Secondly,
the Baptist denies being Elijah. If you remember, last Sunday we said that the
Jews were waiting for the coming of Elijah as the precursor of the Messiah; and
Jesus identified John with Elijah. But here John, with great humility, refuses
even this role. Moreover, he excludes a third identification: he is not the
Prophet. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses says: “A prophet like me will the
Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your kindred; that is the one to
whom you shall listen” (Dt 18:15). Moses in not speaking of the Messiah, who
will be a king; he is speaking of a prophet. And so, the Jews were waiting also
for the coming of this prophet like Moses. The apostles will identify this
prophet with Jesus (Acts 3:22).
But, if John is neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, who is
he? It is at this point that the Baptist replies with the words of the prophet
Isaiah: “I am the voice of one crying in the desert, make straight the way of
the Lord.” He is just one who paves the way for the Lord. But it is interesting
that John says: “I am the voice (Ego vox).” Saint Augustine annotates on this point:
“John is the voice, but the Lord is the Word who was in the beginning. John is
the voice that last for a time; from the beginning Christ is the Word who lives
for ever.” Let us then listen to the voice which passes away, to keep the Word,
who remains for ever (Is 40:8; 1Pt 1:25).
Q
