3rd Sunday of Advent [December 17, 2017] John 1:6-8, 19-28

“John came as a witness to testify to the light , so that all might believe through him. (Joh 1:7)”

In the Fourth Gospel, John the Baptist has an important role. It is not only to baptize, but to become a witness. He is to witness to the light, to the true Messiah, to Jesus Christ. When the priests, Levites, and Pharisees from Jerusalem, come to him , and interrogate him to clarify his identity, he makes it clear that he is not the Messiah, not even the prophet, but rather enigmatically saying “a voice that cries in the desert.” It seems it is an easy thing to do for John. Questions are thrown at him, and he simply gives straight and confident answers. Yet, looking deeper into the reality, it is actually the opposite.

John the Baptist is a highly popular and influential man. He is able to draw many people from all corners of Palestine. People listen to him and ask to be baptized. He is a charismatic preacher that changes many Jews’ lives. When afforded with so much success and praise, it is easier for John to see himself as the best and main actor. He could have said to the priests, “I am the light, the Messiah. See how many people follow and gather around me!”  He has become the epitome of successful preacher and minister. Yet, he does not claim the praise to himself , but points to the true light and Messiah.

Our modern society may be scandalized by John the Baptist’s attitude. Our societies are driven by success and achievement. We are taught to think positive, to feel good about ourselves, to shun failures. We are trained to reach our dreams, to compete to become the best , and to believe in our abilities. Books, articles, and videos about self-help, success-coaching, positive thinking, effective leadership and efficient management are flooding in our book stores , televisions, and internet. I need to admit also that I am using a time-management method “Pomodoro” to help me finish this reflection. We are living in the world that is confident of itself and believe that we can achieve anything. The sky is the limit!

No wonder if the value of our contemporary society is in conflict with John’s. We might say John should not think himself too low, he should have more self-esteem, or he should not be too pessimistic. Yet, this is not about John having low self-esteem or being too shy. John’s humble act is prophetic, not only for his own time , but also to our days. His testimony points to a radical recognition that God is the source of all our goodness and to God alone, all these perfections shall go back. I am not saying that many motivational materials produced by our generation are not good. They are in fact helpful to bring out the best of us. Yet, the danger is when we begin to think that we can do things on our own. With so many achievements, the present world begins to believe that God is not necessary, and we start playing God. We destroy the environment, manipulate human lives, and abuse ourselves. At the bottom of all of these is pride.

John’s life becomes a witness to the true light, to the true source of all goodness. His prophetic action reminds us of what matters most in our lives. The invitation for us now is not only to become humble by recognizing God’s presence in all our achievements , and give thanks to Him. Yet, like John, we and our lives are to become a sign that points to God himself. It is no longer about us, but God who works in me.

Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno , OP