John the Baptist Knew Himself
In my Bible study group we recently read Matthew 3, which concerns John the Baptist. It was an excellent discussion, and one of my friends pointed out that John knew exactly who he was. Which, for a human being, is unusual. He knew he was
A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ (Isaiah 40:3).
John knew God at a depth difficult for me to comprehend. His identity was intimately tied to his obedience to God’s will. Seriously, who chooses to become a prophet? It’s not a career my parents encouraged me toward as a child. “We hope you grow up to live in the desert, wear clothes made of camel hair and eat insects, until you’re gruesomely executed by the people you were sent to save.” Nope. Yet that was part of John’s identity.
The old Greek dictum “Know thyself” is a kind of riddle. I have tried so hard to know myself, to analyze my past, think it through, plan ahead, but most everything I did led me into deeper thickets of confusion. I made all kinds of plans, but rarely factored in God’s will.
Though John had a close relationship with God, he didn’t know God’s will automatically at all times. At first he thought Jesus should baptize him, but God wanted it the other way around. Later when John has been imprisoned for months, some of his disciples tell him there’s this guy healing people left and right out there, doing all manner of signs and wonders. John then sends them to inquire whether this man is the Messiah (paraphrase of Luke 7:16-20). Not even John just “knew” what was going on outside the prison walls or that this person must be Jesus.
This is by turns comforting and discouraging to me. Jesus said, “Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11). If not even he always knew God’s plan, how much can I expect to know?
The only answer I have is that God will tell me what I need to know, when I need to know it. Assuming I’m listening to Him, which I intend to do more often.
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