Sermon 293D

Sermon 293/D

On the Birth of Saint John the Baptist

Testimony of the Lord concerning John, John’s concerning the Lord. First reading recited from Acts 13:25.

About John the Baptist, not the Evangelist, whose birthday we celebrate today, a great day, there is a great testimony from the Lord himself. For our Savior says about him, his Lord and ours, what else does he say about him but the truth? Among those born of women, there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist. Behold whose solemnity is celebrated today: than whom no one greater has arisen among those born of women. But the Lord himself added, and said: Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. What is meant by: lesser than he? Lesser in age, greater in power. John, a supreme human, but nevertheless a man; however, it is very insufficient to say about the Lord Christ, supreme human, because he is God and man. We mentioned the Lord's testimony about John: let us mention John's testimony about the Lord. Recall in memory, retain the Lord's testimony, which I have commemorated, about John, since among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Behold what Jesus said about John: what did John say about Jesus? First, see how the Lord's testimony about John was fulfilled. He was thought to be the Christ: and you heard, when the first reading was recited from the Acts of the Apostles; what was narrated and commemorated, that John said: What do you suppose me to be? I am not the Christ. The error of men suspected more, but humility confessed what he was. And see how easy it was to abuse the error of men, and to boast himself as Christ. He did not do so, deservedly great, more powerful by confessing than by proudly neighing. Would he have persuaded them that he was Christ? They already thought this: he could confirm what they thought: deceiving them about what he was, by saying he was what he was not. And if he had done this, where would he be? You sent to John, says the Lord Jesus to the Jews: he was a burning and shining lamp, and you wanted to rejoice for a time in his light: but I have a testimony greater than John. A good lamp: deservedly it flees under the feet of the rock, lest it be extinguished by the wind of pride.

John is not counted among Christ's disciples, but rather gathers disciples in the time of Christ. To whom the highest man bears witness, he is more than a man.

Therefore, see, beloved ones, how great John was, and how it was fulfilled what the Lord said about him: Among those born of women, there has not arisen a greater than John the Baptist. Surely Christ was Lord, indeed Christ is Lord, who was before John, who was before Abraham, who was before Adam, who was before heaven and earth, because all things were made through him; surely, he was Lord, and God walked on the earth, and the Word was made flesh; and yet John is not numbered among his disciples. Recall the names of the disciples from first to last. There is John, but the Evangelist, not the Baptist: thus, as far as human appearance is concerned, he was not a disciple of Christ, indeed even during Christ's time he himself gathered his own disciples. Finally, the Jews taunted Christ’s disciples about John's disciples and complained, saying: "Why do John's disciples fast, and your disciples do not fast?" Christ had disciples, and John had disciples: John baptized, and Christ baptized. Among those born of women, there has not arisen a greater than John the Baptist; but still he appeared to be gathering disciples rivaling Christ, yet for Christ. Because he was so great that Christ could be mistaken for him, he himself had to bear witness to Christ. To whom a great man bears witness, he is more than a man. "I am not what you think." Surely, I am great that you think this: I am not what you think. And who are you? He was asked. "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness; prepare the way for the Lord." See the precursor, welcome the forerunner, fear the judge. Prepare the way for the Lord; make straight his paths; every mountain and hill shall be made low, and every valley shall be exalted; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Not me, but the salvation of God. All flesh shall see the salvation of God. The lamp bears witness to the day, because Christ is the day. What is John? A lamp. But what was the need for the lamp? Because the day was hidden: it was hidden until He suffered: for He would not suffer unless concealed. For if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

He who is least among the angels is greater than all men. As much greater as John confessed Jesus to be. John the disciple and friend of Jesus, where men do not see. John is the voice, Christ is both the word and the voice.

And yet, lest they resist the day too much, the Jews are confounded by the lamp: they are sent to John. He said: I am not; who is in your midst, he is greater than I. How much greater? Surely the Lord Christ had said: Among those born of women, no one has risen greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least - speaking of himself, in that he is lower in the flesh - in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. He called himself lesser: he did not say how much greater. Truly, lest I seem to convey something wrongly, because this sense is useful and not erring from the truth, I will also explain it. In the words where the Lord says: Among those born of women, no one has risen greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he, there is also another sense in another distinction of words, if you distinguish as follows: among those born of women, no one has risen greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he, so that you may understand that in the kingdom of heaven there are holy angels, and it was said: he who is least among the holy angels is greater than all men. Whether this sense or that, it does not depart from faith; because it is also true that Christ is lesser in age, greater in majesty; and that is true, that however great a man may be, he is less than the least angel. Yet let us hear from John, how much he confessed the Lord Jesus to be greater. Because he said: He who comes after me is greater than I, you hear "greater than I," you ask how much greater. If he were silent, we might suspect, but let us plainly believe: for John is a servant, Christ is the Lord. Let John say how much: whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie, he says. How much would he have humbled himself if he had said he was worthy of this! If he stands, or he sits, and you untie the sandal strap, I recognize: He is the Lord, you are the servant. John says: It is not enough; I am not even worthy of this. Answer us, then, if possible, why you are not among his disciples, why you gathered outside his disciples. I, says John, I am not his disciple; I am, but where you do not see. He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The voice of John about the Lord Christ: He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom stands and hears him. Surely he is not his disciple: surely a servant while he stands, a friend by His gift. For He also said to his disciples: I will no longer call you servants, but friends. Nevertheless, see the disciple within, in secret, and in the hidden sanctuary. The friend of the bridegroom stands and hears him. Let him stand and hear him: for if he had not heard, he would have fallen, and been like him of whom the Lord says: He was a murderer from the beginning, and did not stand in the truth. The devil did not stand in the truth and fell, he who falls and causes others to fall. But John stood and heard him. And what follows? He greatly rejoices because of the bridegroom’s voice. He is the Word, I am the voice. John says. He is the voice, and he greatly rejoices because of the bridegroom’s voice. For you are the voice, He is the Word; but He is both the Word and the voice. Why is the Lord both the Word and the voice? Because the Word was made flesh. Just as the word that our heart conceives is inwardly in our heart, and hidden to those who are outside us: just as now what I am going to say is hidden from you, but not from me; the word is already in my heart: but to proceed to you, a voice is assumed, and what was hidden in me reaches you, and when it reaches you, it does not depart from me. If this is my word, what about the Word of God? He who was with the Father was hidden with the Father: to proceed to us, flesh was assumed as a voice; and He proceeded to us, and did not depart from the Father. And the Jews heard this saying, even what John said: We all received from his fullness. What does it mean: We all? He was a patriarch, he was a prophet, he was a righteous man, whoever he was, any preacher, even John himself, than whom no one has risen greater among those born of women; all drank from that source, therefore they uttered such things.

The confusion of the Jews about the lamp John, foretold in the Psalm, fulfilled in the Gospel.

Therefore, the Jews, the enemies of the hidden day, are confounded by the lamp. And indeed they were confounded. See how they questioned the Lord Himself one day, and said: How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. They were preparing to calumniate, not to seek the truth. How long, they said, will you keep us in suspense? How long will you keep us hanging? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. And he said to them: I ask you one word: tell me, John's baptism, was it from heaven or from men? Wisdom shone, imprudence was repressed; they returned to themselves, who had gone forth to him. Those who had approached to calumniate, returned hesitating; and they said among themselves, or within themselves: If we say: from heaven, he will answer us: why did you not believe him, when he testified to me? If you believed him, why do you question me? If we say: from heaven, he will answer us this: Why did you not believe him? If we say: From men, we fear the crowds, lest they stone us. For all the crowd of the Jews held John as a prophet. Therefore, seeing the lamp before the day, they understood that whatever they answered would be against them, and they replied: We do not know. What they knew, they answered: We do not know. And the Lord: Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things. What were they going to say? What could they answer? Without a doubt, they were confounded, and the prophecy saying in the Psalm was fulfilled: I have prepared a lamp for my Christ. See when it was said, when it was fulfilled. When it was said, read the Psalm; when it was fulfilled, read the Gospel. I have prepared a lamp for my Christ. For what purpose? To clothe his enemies with confusion. O harsh confusion! They are daily confounded, and they do not convert.

Whatever good we are, it must be attributed to God; whatever evil, must be imputed to us. God increases in us when we understand Him.

But we, beloved, who have been grafted into the place of the cut-off branches - as the Apostle says - let us listen to him and not be wise in our own conceits; whatever good we are, let us attribute to the good God; whatever evil we are, let us impute to ourselves. He has a righteous heart who in his good deeds praises only God, in his evil deeds does not blaspheme against God. For whatever God does with us, He does knowingly; no one is better, no one wiser, no one more powerful than Him. He called us, and remember from where. He freed us from idols, freed us from the servitude of demons and from such sacrileges. Whence is this to us? Whence, he says, is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Just as men humble themselves, and only in the Lord boast, that He may be exalted; we may be diminished, that we may grow in Him. See the greatest man, among those born of women none has risen greater, what does he say of Christ? He must increase, but I must decrease. Let God increase, let man diminish. And how does the perfect grow? For what does God lack that He should grow? God grows in you when you understand Him. Consider therefore the humility of man, and the height of God. He must increase, he says, but I must decrease. Their birthdays indicated this. It is done under the light, the sun itself bears witness: from this day, the days are shortened, from the Lord's birthday, the days lengthen. He must increase, but I must decrease. For the Lord Jesus Christ, the governor and author of creation, the ruler of the world, the maker of the stars, the orderer of times, since He was born when He willed, chose the day to be born, to be well signified; and to his forerunner, He himself gave the day. In him, He willed for man to be understood, in Himself God. Let man be diminished, let God grow, this is indicated by their sufferings: John was beheaded, Christ was exalted on the cross. Therefore, brethren, I will briefly conclude this. For there are many things which can be said about Saint John the Baptist; but we do not suffice to speak, nor you to hear. Therefore, I will briefly conclude now: let man be humbled, let God be exalted. Let him who glories, glory in the Lord.