Who Art Thou?

There were rumors afloat in Jerusalem.  Whispers of a strange man who lived in the wilderness beyond the River Jordan, multitudes of men and women flocking into the desert to see him and be baptized with water.  Who was this man?  Was this someone who threatened the status quo, the rich and powerful elite which ruled from behind the thick stone walls of the Temple and the Royal Palace?  The Jewish “deep state” felt threatened.  For hundreds of years, they had lorded it over the poor devout Jews whom they had learned to control with impunity and from whom they had amassed great riches.  Now these wealthy and powerful Pharisees of Jerusalem are hearing rumors of a “prophet” in the desert, and this troubled them.  Could this upstart in the desert turn out to be, heaven forbid! the Messiah?  If so, it would signal for them an end to their lifestyle so smugly filled with pleasure, riches, and power.

And so, the Pharisees sent their priests and Levites to go see who this man was.  “Who art thou?”  And he answered them directly, telling them that he was not the Christ. “And they asked him, What art thou then?  Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou the prophet?  And he answered, No.”  Having determined only what John the Baptist was not, the interrogators were afraid to go back to Jerusalem with so little information.  Their masters at the Temple would not tolerate such lack of initiative and they would no doubt be punished.  So they press John for more details, “What are thou? That we may give an answer to them that sent us.  What sayest thou of thyself?”

This is where St. John the Baptist makes his famous declaration, answering them, saying, “I am the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord.”  He admits to being the forerunner of someone far more powerful than he, someone who already “standeth among you,” and whose shoe’s latchet St. John is not worthy to unloose.  We can imagine how that went down, when these devious priests and Levites returned to their unholy masters in Jerusalem to report their findings, first with the good news that John the Baptist is not the Messiah, but then the devastating revelation that his role is to prepare the way for that Messiah, who already dwells amongst them.

Perhaps this was the day when the Pharisees began their plotting against Jesus.  Their deep state was about to be attacked, and it was time to circle the wagons.  Imaginary conspiracies were concocted, spies were sent out to watch for anyone performing wondrous deeds or who would lead and teach the multitudes in new, dangerous doctrines, who would unveil their cabal, and condemn them for the hypocrites they were. 

Do you see what’s happening here?  Darkness sees the approach of light, and rebels against it.  But as we know, when light and darkness go to head to head, light will always win.  For while darkness can never snuff out the light, light will always prevail over the dark even as it shines forth.  Even when the dark night comes, man lives through it in the knowledge that a new day will dawn.  Yes, even when Christ was crucified and “there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour, and the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst,” even then, at this, humanity’s darkest hour, men lived through it to witness the risen Light of the World on Easter morning.  For no matter how successful the children of darkness appear to be, no matter how effectively they appear to wage war against the children of light, ultimately the Light of the World will prevail.

Right now, we are in the Advent season.  A time of darkness certainly, but precisely because it is so dark, a time of hope.  It is this very darkness which allows us to look around and rejoice in the hope of a coming Saviour who will shine forth and illuminate our darkness.  We do not fear his coming as the Pharisees of old, no, we look forward to his coming.  We are today like the children who walked in darkness, and on Christmas morning, saw a great light.  We are like the shepherds “keeping watch over their flock by night, when lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them.”  The darkness in which we live is no match for that great glory that will eventually shine upon us, and we rejoice in anticipation of that day.  So “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”  Remember what the angel said unto the shepherds, “Fear not,” said he, “for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”  This glorious day approaches with every passing moment.  It may be dark now, but very soon, he who was foretold shall dwell amongst us and we “shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”  And suddenly, “while all things were in quiet silence, and night was in the midst of her swift course,” the great sound of the singing of the herald angels will shatter our darkness with loud cries of joy, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to me of good will.”