Birth of John the Baptist

Isaiah 49: 1-6

Coasts and islands, listen to me,
pay attention, distant peoples.
Yahweh called me when I was in the womb,
before my birth
    he had pronounced my name. 
He made my mouth like a sharp sword, 
he hid me in the shadow of his hand. 
He made me into a sharpened arrow 
and concealed me in his quiver. 
He said to me, ‘Israel, you are my servant, 
through whom I shall manifest my glory.’ 
But I said, ‘My toil has been futile, 
I have exhausted myself for nothing, 
    to no purpose.’ 
Yet all the while 
    my cause was with Yahweh 
and my reward with my God. 
And now Yahweh has spoken, 
who formed me in the womb 
    to be his servant, 
to bring Jacob back to him 
and to re–unite Israel to him;
—I shall be honoured in Yahweh’s eyes, 
and my God has been my strength.— 
He said, ‘It is not enough for you 
    to be my servant, 
to restore the tribes of Jacob 
    and bring back the survivors of Israel; 
I shall make you a light to the nations 
so that my salvation may reach 
    the remotest parts of earth.    

 

Psalm 139: 1-3, 13-15

Yahweh, you examine me and know me, 
you know when I sit, when I rise, 
you understand my thoughts from afar. 
You watch when I walk or lie down, 
you know every detail of my conduct. 

You created my inmost self,
knit me together in my mother's womb.
For so many marvels I thank you;
a wonder am I, and all your works are wonders.

You knew me through and through,
my being held no secrets from you,
when I was being formed in secret,
textured in the depths of the earth.

   

Acts 13: 22-26

he deposed him and raised up David to be king, whom he attested in these words, "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will perform my entire will." To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour, whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. Before John ended his course he said, "I am not the one you imagine me to be; there is someone coming after me whose sandal I am not fit to undo." 

    ‘My brothers, sons of Abraham’s race, and all you godfearers, this message of salvation is meant for you.

   

Luke 1: 57-66, 80

The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son; and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had lavished on her his faithful love, they shared her joy.

Now it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. ‘No,’ she said, ‘he is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘But no one in your family has that name,’ and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing–tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God. All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea. All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. ‘What will this child turn out to be?’ they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.

Meanwhile the child grew up and his spirit grew strong. And he lived in the desert until the day he appeared openly to Israel.

June 24, 2007

INTRODUCTION: We are mostly familiar with John the Baptist from the readings during Advent, as John was the prophet who immediately preceded Jesus and foretold his coming.  His birthday is June 24, which usually falls on a weekday. It is considered an important feast, so important in fact that when it falls on Sunday, it takes precedence over the Sunday readings.  For those who like to follow the readings in the red Worship book, they are 1038 (eve) or 1039 (day).  If you are curious why the feast of his birth is today, consider this. When the archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary, the archangel told her that her cousin Elizabeth was already in her sixth month.  The church figured that John’s birth had to have been six months before the birth of Jesus.  So, Christmas is six months away.

    The liturgy usually puts the feast days of saints on the day they died and entered into eternal life.  Only three birthdays are celebrated: John the Baptist, Mary the mother of Jesus and Jesus himself.  This is because their birth is considered especially holy since they were born free from any sin. 

    [at 4:00] (Vigil) (Jer 1:4-10; Luke 1: 5-17)

    Our first reading is from Jeremiah, a prophet who lived 600 years before Christ.  The reading describes the role of a prophet as was John the Baptist. It is a fitting description of John.

    The gospel is the annunciation to John’s father, the old priest Zechariah, that he and his elderly wife would have a child, a special child who would prepare God’s people for the coming of the Messiah.

    [at 8:00 and 10:00] (Isa 49: 1-6; Luke 1: 57-66, 80)

    In today’s first reading, the prophet Second Isaiah, who lived about 500 years before Christ, speaks of some mysterious person who was identified simply as God's servant.  This poem and three others in Isaiah’s writings are known as Servant Songs.  The early Church found these songs described Jesus in a most uncanny way.  They are usually read during Holy Week.  Today, however, the liturgy applies this second of the Servant Songs to John the Baptist because it states: “the Lord called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.”  

    When the archangel Gabriel had appeared to John’s father Zachariah nine months earlier, he told him his wife Elizabeth would have a son and he was to be named John.  Zachariah and Elizabeth were an older couple and Zachariah didn’t believe the angel.  Not smart!  He lost the ability to speak because of his lack of faith.  (It’s like the angel would not allow him to speak out his doubts but to keep his lack of faith to himself.)  We hear in the gospel how Zachariah’s ability to speak returned once John was born.

HOMILY: Since I gave a long introduction, I do not have a very long sermon. Or as Henry VIII said to his third wife, “I will not keep you long.”   One of Aesop’s most famous fables is the story of the ant and the grasshopper. 

    The story goes like this:

    In a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content.  An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil a kernel of corn he was taking to the nest.  “Why not come and chat with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling and moiling in that way?”  “I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.”  “Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper; we have got plenty of food at present.”  But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil.  When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer.  Then the Grasshopper knew: “It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.” 

    Solid, practical, down to earth wisdom from 2500 years ago!  It’s still true.  If we do not learn this lesson when life is good, we’ll regretfully learn it when it’s too late.  This goes for education, investing, health and all kinds of important areas of life.  John the Baptist’s role in life was to insist on the need to prepare.  He called people to repent and prepare for the coming of God’s kingdom.  His message is as important today as it ever was.  There is a kind of new age theology that follows the attitude of the Grasshopper.  It says don’t worry.  We’re all going to heaven.  We’ll all be happy in the end.  God wants all people to be saved, as St. Paul tells us, but there are abundant passages in every part of the Scriptures that warn us that salvation is not a given.  There are things that are necessary for salvation and things that will prevent our salvation.  The gentle, loving Jesus, who revealed to us so clearly the love of God, warned us: “The door to heaven is narrow.  Work hard to get in, because many will try to enter and will not be able.”  (Luke 13,23)  Jesus, too, like John the Baptist called us to repentance and conversion of heart.  I think the most important lesson we can learn from this feast of John the Baptist is to prepare.  The fact you are here today is one good sign that you understand the need to prepare.  If you want some more specific ideas, the insert in today’s bulletin about love of God might give you a few good ideas on how to prepare better.  Amen.