Opinion of John the Baptist

28. Opinion of John the Baptist

Remember that John believed in and preached the coming of the apocalyptic messiah (“…there cometh he that is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with fire: whose fan is in his hand, thoroughly to clear his threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn up in unquenchable fire.”).

John sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the messiah of whom John spoke, or should they be looking for someone else? Jesus response: “You’ve heard what I had to say, go report on it. And hopefully my imperfections will not get in the way of your understanding.” Why does he add that last sentence? Because he knows that people project on leaders, burdening them with unrealistic expectations. And what happens when those expectations are not met? People throw out the baby with the bath water: Disregarding not just the teacher, but the teachings as well.

Jesus continues in this vein:

And when the messengers of John were departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out in the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously appareled, and live delicately, are in king’s courts. But what went ye out to see? A prophet? I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there is none greater than John: yet he that is but little in the kingdom of God is greater than John. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of God suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesized until John.

Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation, and to what are they like? They are like unto children that sit in the marketplace, and call one to another; which say, We piped unto you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not weep. For John is come eating no bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, he hath a devil. I am come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold, a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! And wisdom is justified of all her children.

So what’s the point? These passages have perhaps lost some context in the retelling, but Jesus seems to be saying that people are making excuses for not taking in the teachings of their prophets.

Apparently both John and Jesus have come under criticism for their behavior. So he asks the multitudes, when you went out to the wilderness to see John, what were your expectations? Did you expect to see someone refined and well dressed? If so, you would be disappointed. People like that are in king’s courts.

But if you expected to see a prophet, John should not disappoint you. In fact, among men born of women, there is none better. [Remember, Jesus had quite an experience in his baptism by John, and no doubt felt indebted to him, even if he did not agree with everything he taught. If you’ve ever had a mentor that you outgrew, you’ll understand.]

At the same time, Jesus makes the point that John has limitations. Even a prophet “little in the kingdom of God” -- that is, one just waking up to the reality of the unity of life and its inherent implications – is greater than John, who never had that fundamental, reorienting insight.

John, says Jesus, comes in the tradition of the prophets before him, preaching a violent, apocalyptic arrival of the kingdom of God, where the “evil” are slaughtered and the “good” lifted up to everlasting life. Jesus comes offering a new vision of the kingdom of God, one governed by love and mercy and forgiveness, not violent retribution.

But whether listening to the teachings of John or of Jesus, people are finding excuses to not act on what they hear. One has a devil, they say. The other is a friend of publicans and sinners. And because they have found fault with the teacher, they have given themselves reason to not take in the full implications of the teachings.

See also “Opinion of Disciples about Jesus,” Commentary 10-47.