DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
St. Matthew 11:2-15 (2/24) 1st and 2nd
Findings of the Head of the Honorable Forerunner
Preparing the Way: St. Matthew 11:2-15, especially vss. 2, 3: “And
when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his
disciples and said to Him, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for
another?’” John the
Forerunner dedicated his entire life and ministry to prepare others to believe
in Jesus as the Christ, the “Coming One,” the universal, saving
Messiah foretold by the Prophets of old.
Even as a babe in the womb of his mother, Elizabeth, John had
“leaped...for joy” (Lk. 1:44) at the
presence of the infant Jesus in the womb of His mother, the Virgin Mary. As St. Theophylact of Bulgaria notes: “John was
more than a Prophet because the early Prophets foretold Christ, but he was an
eyewitness.” The other
Prophets foretold wonders as adults, while John, still in his mother’s
womb, recognized Christ and leapt.
Later, as a grown man, in preaching and baptizing, John remained urgent
to prepare every person who would listen, knowing that the unrecognized Messiah
would soon appear to “baptize...with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Mt.
3:11).
When Jesus actually “came...to John at
the Jordan
to be baptized by him...John tried to prevent Him” (Mt. 3:14),
acknowledging instead his own need to be baptized by the Lord. Notice carefully the words of the Lord
Jesus that moved the Forerunner to take the step of baptizing Christ: “it
is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Mt. 3:15). Observe: the Lord Jesus Christ invited
John to participate in the Divine ministry of man’s salvation, saying
“it is fitting for us,” for you and Me
together, to carry out this baptism.
The whole synergy of human salvation was manifest even as Jesus was
baptized, because John’s participation was sought and engaged - as the
Evangelist shows us, “Then he allowed Him” (Mt. 3:15). St. John consistently maintained his
God-given ministry of preparing men to receive and believe in Christ, for the
day after the Lord’s baptism, “looking at Jesus as He walked, he
said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God’” (Jn.
1:36), and two of his disciples heard him “and they followed Jesus”
(Jn. 1:37).
In the present passage from the Gospel, the
same cooperative commitment is evident in John. In prison, anticipating his probable
execution, the Forerunner sends yet two more disciples to Jesus with a question
for them to ask, undoubtedly for their benefit: “Are You the
Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Mt. 11:3). As St.
Jerome points out: “John asks this not because he is ignorant but to
guide others who are ignorant and to say to them, ‘Behold, the Lamb of
God, Who takes away the sin of the world.’” At the threshold of his
own death, the Forerunner maintains his part in the synergy of salvation. Concerning this final mission by the
Forerunner’s two disciples, St. Jerome says explicitly: “when John
was about to be killed by Herod, he sent his disciples to Christ, intending that
when they met Him, the disciples would observe His appearance and powers and
believe in Him.”
Beloved of the Lord, let us confess the truth
in the Forerunner’s ministry of preparation. Let us ready the way of the Lord with St. John. With the Holy Theotokos,
through iconography, Holy Scripture, or in the Church’s prayers,
“let us commend ourselves and each other, and all our life unto Christ
our God.” Let your words and
actions show that you know Christ Jesus as the “Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29). May
the action of His grace in your Baptism tear away whatever sin remains in you
to the glory of the Lord and the salvation of many. Like St. John, let us live in the spirit of Elijah
to reveal that all things are new!
O Forerunner of Christ, may we, with thee, glorify Christ Who bowed His head to thee sanctifying the
nature of man. And do thou implore
Him to grant our souls the Great Mercy.
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