Gospel Lectio Divina for The Second Sunday in Ordinary Time - January 15, 2023
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
READ
John 1:29-34
John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’
I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.”
John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
MEDITATE
He existed before me.
Jesus, the Word of God, existed before the world was made. John the Apostle mentioned this at the beginning of his Gospel, saying, “Before him nothing was made that has been made.” John the Baptist sets the tone for the Gospel of John. He is a prophet who can prophesy of what is to come because he understands how everything began. It began with Jesus, the Word of God and the Lamb of God who has now been born into this world.
He is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.
When priests baptize they are acting in the person of Christ, while baptizing with the Holy Spirit and reconciling the baptized person with the Father. The Trinitarian formula is built into the sacrament. That is why it is essential for the priest to say, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” John baptized you with water, and said now that Jesus has come he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. But we still baptize with water. The difference is that now the water is the sacrament and not just a symbol. God could have chosen any means to cleanse us from our sins. He chose holy water because we are physical beings, and water is probably the best thing in the physical world for representing what is happening spiritually at a baptism. Water not only cleanses but it is also essential for life, just as baptism is essential in order for us to receive eternal life.
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.
It’s significant that John said this because no one else would say it until Peter does a few years later. And to our knowledge, no one before John the Baptist testified that Jesus was the Son of God, unless we count the angel who appeared to Mary. John the Baptist knew Jesus was the Son of God before any of Jesus’ apostles knew. The magi knew that he was the king of the Jews and probably sent from heaven, since there was a sign of his birth in the heavens, but did they testify that he was the Son of God? The shepherds to whom the angel came may have testified, but we don’t know for certain. The angel said “He is the Messiah”, and when the angel left they gave glory to God, but there is no record of them testifying that Jesus was the Son of God.
One can argue that Elizabeth knew, since she said, “How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me?” Still then though, Elizabeth says “Lord” and not “Son of God”. There is a significant difference. “Lord” simply meant master in biblical times. Slaves had lords. Some world leaders and landowners were called “lord”. In today’s parlance, the word holds much more sovereignty (unless we’re talking about a landlord), but in biblical times it simply meant to have dominion of some kind over subjects. It was meaningful for Elizabeth to consider the baby in Mary’s womb to be her Lord, and this demonstrated great faith. To some degree, it was even a testimony affirming the fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation. But still, she did not say “Son of God”, and this is paramount. The shepherds, the magi, and Elizabeth might have known. In fact Mary certainly knew that her son was the Son of God, since the angel appeared to her telling her that he is the “Son of the Most High.” Still though, even after the incident in the Temple at age 12, Mary didn’t understand what her son was saying to him. This is why it’s a mystery. These are all pieces of the puzzle in the big picture of God’s salvific plan.
So John the Baptist was very likely the first human to testify that Jesus was the Son of God, unless we consider Jesus himself. He said to his mother when he was 12, “Didn’t you know I would be in my father’s house,” speaking of the Temple where he was found after three days. It is likely that John was the only human to testify as much because that would explain why Jesus says “no one who has ever been born to a woman is greater than John the Baptist”. He says this, quite possibly, because John the Baptist alone testified that Jesus was the Son of God before anyone else did. Jesus was apparently even considering John greater than himself at that point, which is interesting. It’s probably a form of hyperbole, but hyperbole is designed to emphasize a point. I think Jesus’ point is that those who testify that he is the Son of God are doing the greatest thing a person can possibly do. After all, this is why Jesus came to earth: to reveal the will of the Father. To perceive that will and to give testimony to it is indeed the greatest thing we can do.
I speculate that there is a good reason for why no one but John testified that Jesus is the Son of God. When he did, he was killed shortly thereafter. There was great consequence for declaring such news. At times in the Gospel, Jesus would even warn others not to spread the word that he was the Son of God. This would only expedite his own execution, and he still had work to finish in his ministry. The timing of it all is precise and profound.
PRAY
Dear Lord,
Thank you for revealing to me the truth that you are the Son of God. Thank you for my baptism, and let me never forget how important it is to be a child of God. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
LISTEN
Listen for the voices crying out in the desert, those who are shunned by society or who left on their own. Some of them are actually crazy, sure, but quite often God speaks most lucidly through them since they are not as connected to worldly affairs as we are, and therefore can see God’s will more clearly as John the Baptist did.
Kilby is a freelance writer from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report. He received his undergrad degree in humanities and Catholic culture from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. In addition to working with the Knights of the Holy Eucharist (knights.org), he has served as a journalist for Princeton Packet Publications, and the Trenton Monitor, the magazine for the Diocese of Trenton. Some of his published work can also be found in St. Anthony Messenger, Catholic Herald (UK), and Catholic World Report. For the latter he is managing editor. Find more of his writing at ramblingspirit.com.