Scripture:
Reflection:
‘I did not know him myself’
In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist uses this term twice, and each time reflects that whilst personal knowledge of Jesus, even personal contact is not the case, his trust in God’s revelation and direction to him is sufficient to motivate his faithful response.
More than this – John becomes an advocate, an announcer and a witness to Jesus – such is his trust.
We make much of the family connection of John and Jesus, and some scholars suggest they shared ministry together in the earlier period of Jesus life, but here the Johanine community suggest a different kind of relationship. One that we too can imitate.
Without the kinds of ‘proof’ the modern world so often insists on, we too can be a witness to the one we know as our saviour and ‘the Lamb of God’.
Witness in this sense is not based so much on knowledge or prior experience, but on absolute trust in God’s revelation. John’ experience seems to be Trinitarian – the Father announces Jesus and calls John to witness to him, the Spirit manifests self and in turn revels Jesus to John and finally John sees Jesus and seeks him out.
We know John lived his witness to Jesus to the fullest and prepared the way for Jesus. Let us live in the same spirit.
Fr. Denis Travers, C.P., is the Provincial Superior of Holy Spirit Province, Australia.