'There stands among you the one coming after me'
Gospel John 1:6-8, 19-28
A man named John was sent from God.
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.
And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him
to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted, “I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
Dynamic Duo
by Dr. Lio Marquez
In Pop culture, there exists the concept of the “Dynamic Duo'', wherein we are presented with two figures that complement each other so well that you can't imagine one without the other. The most famous example of this trope would be its namesake, Batman and Robin. Over the years, the different iterations of Robin have held their own against Batman's different nemesis, yet, there is still only one Batman. It's not to say that Robin is weak, they all have their unique set of skills and strengths and are sometimes arguably comparable to the man himself, it’s just that he isn't Batman. Long term anime fans would recognize this trope as the classic Goku and Vegeta, or Naruto and Sasuke, and for the younger audiences, there's always Deku and Bakugou from My Hero Academia. Each partnership with both powerhouses in their own right, but there is only one Main Character (lovingly referred to as MC), while the other, almost falls just short of being at par with the MC. Basketball fans would relate to this with their favorite duos such as Kobe and Shaq, MJ and Pippen, Lebron and D-Wade, Lebron and AD, or Lebron and Kyrie (or basically Lebron with the entire 2016 Cleveland Cavalier squad). Each member of any duo can hold their own when it comes to their respective goals. Any partnership you pick out, easily houses two All-Star Caliber athletes, but who stands out as the Most Valuable Player?
It is the usual storyline as is with this trope that the MC, MVP, or even Batman beats the bad guy, makes that buzzer beater shot and is hailed as the savior of the day. But how did they get there? Who kept all other defenders at bay? Who made that crucial rebound at the other end to make that clutch shot possible? It was the wing-man, the partner, the other side of the coin.
In the grand scheme of Christianity and the ministry of Jesus Christ, that wing-man would be St. John The Baptist. Born to Zechariah and Elizabeth, who is the cousin of Mary, mother of Jesus, in Judaea now known as modern day Palestine. He paved the way for Jesus' ministry, speaking of repentance and the coming of the messiah. He baptized the repentant and believers and even gained himself his own following, and that people flocked to him for his teachings. People believed in him, believed that he would see them into paradise. However we see in the passage given to us today that St. John the Baptist, despite his accolades and following then, knows he isn't the MC. He knows he has a role to play and he does it extremely well. He is the forerunner for Jesus, the hype man, the wing-man, the Emcee to the MC preaching that the messiah is coming, and readies the people to repent for their sins for He is about to meet them soon. He does this without question and is so dedicated to it that even in the womb of their mother’s when Elizabeth and Mary met, John kicked in Elizabeth's womb as to be joyful to be in the presence of Jesus Christ.
In the passage, St. John the Baptist is interrogated by Jewish leaders asking him who he identified as: Elijah? The Prophet? The Messiah? John answers he is none of those, but he who baptizes with water. He recognizes the role he has to play, he commits to it and never, not once, falters in the face of opposition and questioning.
This season of advent, let us look back at the times we were called to step up as MCs, MVPs, to become Batman in face of adversity. Let us also look at the moments where we are called to raise the voice of others in their own challenges, that we too may become like St. John The Baptist and pave the way for Jesus Christ’s teachings to spread in our lives.
Prayer
Dearest Lord, teach us to become like St. John the Baptist to be Committed, Competent, Conscientious and Compassionate towards others and to our God given purpose on this earth. Help us recognize that we are not alone, and that we are always part of a community that we should try to uphold each other's voices and each other's needs so that we may work together for the common good.
Gift for Jesus
For my gift to the baby Jesus, I will give him something that I've wanted for myself, a full set of the Naruto manga so that he may revel in the stories that teach the power of friendship and see the dynamic he had with St. John the Baptist
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