Homily

Do you notice how this story of the birth of St. John is rather like the Old Testament story of Abraham and Sarah? Just like Abraham and Sarah, Elizabeth and Zachariah are old and have no children. Just like them, an angel announces that a baby is on the way despite the fact it seems impossible. Just like them, one of the parents does not believe the words of the angel and so in this case Zachariah is unable to speak. This must have made Elizabeth's pregnancy a whole lot easier. His speech returns when he insists that the baby, despite the protests of other people, will be named John, as the angel had instructed, a name which means "Yahweh is gracious."

When his speech returns the first thing he does is to praise God, and he offers a prophecy: Just as the Lord has fulfilled the prophecy of an elderly couple having a baby, he speaks of the Lord's blessing to Israel through the hour of salvation in David's house, which was a symbol of the military and political power that the Lord had granted to Israel in times past in order to save the people. But now, Zechariah says, John will become a prophet for One Who will do something new for the Lord's people. It will not be raising up a power for salvation by earthly means. Instead, a Messiah will come down, a Dawn From On High, and He will free His people and guide them not into war and struggle against enemies but into something infinitely better. This Messiah will guide their feet onto the path of peace.

St. Luke's great story-telling about the events surrounding the birth of the Baptist is written in a way to show his readers that first the Lord fulfills His promise of salvation to the Jews, as is proper for the people of the Covenant. Once this is done the Lord's mercy is expanded even further; not for the Israelites alone, but stretching out to embrace all mankind, no matter who they are. God will offer salvation to Israel first, and then to the entire world, and this salvation will be accomplished by another child Who is still in the womb of His own mother, but soon will be born in the town of Bethlehem.

FIRST: When we hear of all the fantastic details surrounding the birth of St. John, I think it can be fairly easy to fall into some general assumptions that, while I understand they are easy to come by, I'd like to tell you I don't think they are true. We might think, or assume, that because of all these unusual events, St. John was very special in God's eyes, and quite different than we are in this way. But, I ask you, do you really believe that in God's eyes you are less important, less beloved, less unique, less favored than John the Baptist? Do you think that the moment in which you were conceived and became a new human life, that your beginning in this world was any less marvelous and miraculous than that of the Baptist's? And who knows? Maybe when your mother told your father that she was pregnant maybe he also became speechless, even without the help of an angel.

John would be a man who would help prepare other people to better receive the Lord. Isn't that also what Christian parents do for their children? Don't they also tell them about the Lord and try to better prepare them to continue to receive Him into their hearts and into their lives? And isn't this also the vocation of all baptized men and women and even children, that, by our words and actions, and by our prayers, we live in such a way that we also preach the truth of the Messiah to anyone and everyone? It may not always be, in fact it will mostly be, not by direct preaching to others but by living in a way that shows the love and goodness of Christ our God. This is how we help to prepare the way of the Lord, not only for those who do not believe in Him but even for those who do. It is true that St. John's birth had some strange and unusual events surrounding it, but I can tell you that even if your birth was normal in the eyes of the world, it was as unique and precious in God's eyes as was the nativity of the Baptist.

SECOND: even though the Lord gave John a special and unique vocation to prepare Israel to receive the Savior, we also have, as individuals who have been baptized into Christ received a prophetic vocation to also preach by words and deeds the truth of Christ, each in our own way, each of us guided by the Holy Spirit. It is not just the duty of bishops and priests, monks and nuns, but it is the duty of every baptized person to proclaim the love of God as we find it in our Lord, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has the offices of Priest, Prophet and King, and when we were baptized we also were given a share in His prophetic office. We too are prophets, just as much as St. John, and, on the brighter side, we don't even have to wear camel skins or eat locusts.

I know, I know, we’re told we have to shut up when it comes to our faith. You can say almost anything under the sun, just about anywhere you please, but we are firmly and decidedly taught you need to shut up about Christ. His name is fit for swearing but it’s never fit for sharing. That’s what we’re told, one way or another, over and over again. But of course, it’s not true.

Our prophetic vocation, which is to proclaim the truth of Christ in word and deed, may not be as flashy and dramatic as St. John's. But that does not mean it is any less godly, or any less important than we might be tempted to think. It can be easy to fall into the ordinary way of looking at things and seeing St. John as a significant major league all-star hero in the plan of Salvation. And he is. The problem comes when, and if we believe that we are only called to play in the minor leagues. Not in God's eyes. Not in God's plan. You were not drafted to the Eugene Emeralds. You are all called to speak to the truth of the Lord, to testify to His love and glory, to proclaim His work of salvation, to offer hope to those who may be sitting in darkness and do not know where to find light. You are all called to be Baptists. Just not Baptist Baptists. You too must be prophets and point to the way of the Lord so that others at home, and others outside, can walk in the path of His peace. And if we make straight the way of the Lord for ourselves, we can surely help others to do the same.