“Let Your Work Be An Evidence For Who And What You Are!”

“Let Your Work Be An Evidence For Who And What You Are!”
In the gospels of Matthew and John, John the Baptist knew who Jesus was (cf. Mtt. 3:13-15& Jn. I:29-34). On their part Mark and Luke do not directly tell us whether John the Baptist knew Jesus in person. However Luke says that as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice when Mary visited her, “the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit…”(1:39-45).
According to Luke, when John the Baptist heard so much about what Jesus was doing, he sent two of his disciples to go find out from Jesus, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”
Jesus did not give them a straight yes or no answer. Rather he told them: “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard. The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”
There are moments when the only convincing response is through the evidence on the ground. How much hope, healing and the message of salvation which you brought to the people of God is testimony of who you are; it is not what you say you are or what you’ve done! No need for that because the people have eyes to see and ears to hear.
Secondly, life is a mutual “give and take!” Earlier on John had told the people that he had only come to prepare the way for one through whom “all mankind will see God’s salvation.”(3:4-6). But here we see Jesus extolling the greatness of John that “among those born of women there is no-one greater than John…”
Ironically the kingdom of God is designed in such a way that even “the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than” John.
Lastly, wisdom can only be proved right by those who possess wisdom. Otherwise naive minds will only be sentimental and emotional thus arriving at faulty conclusions!
For instance, “John the Baptist came neither eating nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners”.'”(Lk. 7:18-35).
Dear friend, our Master and Lord was humble enough not to boast of who he was, but rather asked the people to use their eyes and ears to see the works that bear testimony to his ministry! Let us follow his lead!
He was even the more humbled to acknowledge that even the least in the kingdom is greater than great men like John the Baptist. By this he teaches us to recognise the worth of each other and be tolerant of one another irrespective of our status in life!
If the commemoration of his birth should have any significance for us this year, it must be that we should do our best to humanly follow his example of humility and wisdom!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!