Tuesday of the
Second Week of Christmas
(I John 2:29-3:6; John 1:29-34)
In 2007 when Barry Bonds surpassed Hank Aaron’s career
homerun record, the latter made a statement of humility. He said that he was proud to have held the
record for thirty-three years but now would move over. In the gospel today John the Baptist says something
similar.
Evidently John the Baptist was celebrated as a major
religious personage in first century Israel.
The gospels record people going from Jerusalem to the desert to hear him
preach. After two thousand years there
remains a small group of people that regard the Baptist as God’s most eminent
prophet. But in all the gospels John
recognizes Jesus as his superior. The fourth
gospel is the most emphatic. In it John
recognizes Jesus as the “’Son of God.’”
As much as we would celebrate ourselves or another, we like
John the Baptist should always give priority to Jesus. We need to remember as well that he can never
be surpassed. He is God’s definitive revelation
because he is God. Indeed, we measure all
human achievement in the light of his. “Yesterday,
today, and forever,” writes the author of the Letter to the Hebrews. In this
new year we want to keep our sights on him.
