St. John the Baptist: Our Model of Testimony to Jesus

You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way. 

(Luke 1:76)

In Zechariah's song, John the Baptist is called to be a prophet, a herald who prepares the way for Jesus Christ, the Lord. John is a chief witness, pointing the way for the Jewish people -- for all people -- to the Messiah. And throughout his life, John does just this, even to his death through the cunning of Herodias. 

John is a model for all Christians. We, too, are called to be heralds, pointing the way to Jesus. How do we do this? Well, it all starts with God's grace. And through that grace we are strengthened to be living testimonials of love. It is through our love that Jesus will be made known to the world. Are we treating others with kindness, mercy, fairness, love, and respect? Are we giving ourselves away in love and kindness to others -- all others? Our lives bear witness to Jesus. We should act accordingly. 

Turning the Other Cheek and Active Non-Violence

Teaching About Retaliation. “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on [your] right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. (Matthew 5:38-39 NABRE)

Revenge, in all its various forms, is the easier way, the more instinctive way but it is not the better way. The way of active (not passive) non-violence is, in the long run, far more productive, far more in keeping with human ideals and human dignity. We have more than enough evidence in our world of the bankruptcy of a never-ending cycle of violence and counter-violence. We see it in the Middle East, in Northern Ireland. Violence does not pay; revenge is not sweet.

The example of Jesus has been followed by a number of outstanding people in our own time. Gandhi in India, Martin Luther King, and Rosa Parks who inspired him, in the US, Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Nazi Germany, Dorothy Day in the US, Jean Goss and Hildegard Meyer of the active non-violence movement in Europe… All of these people were actively involved in the correction of seriously unjust situations.

There is a striking scene in the film To Kill a Mockingbird where the lawyer (played by Gregory Peck) has been defending a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. As a white man himself the lawyer earns the hatred and contempt of his fellow-whites for defending a “nigger” they have already condemned as guilty. In this scene one of the townspeople approaches the lawyer and spits into his face. The lawyer stands there, says nothing, and slowly wipes away the spit. For the film viewer the contempt immediately shifts to the man who spat. The positive non-action of the lawyer reveals the smallness of his assailant.

Turning the other cheek is not at all a sign of weakness. It requires great inner strength, self-respect and even respect for the dignity of one’s attacker. Jesus is calling us a long way forward and upward from “an eye for an eye." 

by Fr. Frank Doyle, SJ. (https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/o2112g/)

In times of tumult and in the context of the heartbreak over the wrongful deaths of many people of color, listening to and following the example of Jesus is even more of a challenge. But it is a necessary one. As Fr. Doyle states in his commentary, revenge is easier and more instinctive than active nonviolence. And as human beings, made in the image and likeness of God, we are called to peaceful, active resistance. Everyone's life is sacred, and in the midst of the chaos and wrongdoing in our society, it is our responsibility to listen to the Master, to follow his example of active, peaceful change. It is too easy to get angry and lash out with destructive force. Christ's example speaks volumes. Amen. 

Have a blessed week, 

Stan