Dear Friends,
When John the Baptist began his ministry, a deputation came to interview him. The deputation was composed of two kinds of people - priests and the Levites. Their interest was natural. The priests wanted to know that John was the son of a priest, therefore, why he was behaving in such an unusual manner. Second, there were emissaries of the Sanhedrin. John was a preacher to whom the people were flocking in hordes. The Sanhedrin may well have felt it their duty to check up on this man in case he was a false prophet.
They asked him three questions: Firstly, they asked him if he was the Messiah. Then they asked him if he was Elijah. Then they asked him if he was the expected and promised prophet. When they found that John’s answer was “no”, they asked him the most difficult question: “Who are you?”
Throughout human history, only a handful of people were able to find an answer to that question. We call them “the super achievers”. Only they knew what to reach for. They knew where to place themselves. John the Baptist was one among them. He was very clear about his role.
We seldom know what gifts we are endowed with. We will have to learn where we belong, what we have to learn to get the full benefit from our strengths, where our weaknesses lie, what our values are. So, it is fundamental to know oneself. Where do we come from? Where are we going? What is the objective of existence? Why do we live? What do we live for?
The replies that John gave to the deputation that came to interview him shows that he was a man who knew himself. Therefore, he was profoundly humble. He pointed to Jesus and declared: “I am not fit to undo his sandal strap.” Undoing the straps of someone’s sandal was the work of slaves towards their masters. At the sight of Jesus John realized not just his littleness, but his nothingness.
John was different from us all who try at all times to appear more than what we are. So, the season of Advent invites us to reflect on the following three questions: