Matthew 11:2-11
In the Gospels you read a little bit here and there about John the Baptist. When Mary visited Elizabeth, the infant in Elizabeth’s womb leapt for joy. His father, Zachariy, sang a canticle when he regained his speech, prophesying the future for his son who would be the prophet of the most high, who would go before the lord to prepare his way. If Zachary and Elizabeth had had those experiences, you can be sure that they did everything they could to get John ready for his role. And John was ready as well. We don’t know when he went into the desert, but when he came out he attracted a large following, and preached repentance. And in the Gospel of John we hear him point to Jesus and say, “There goes the Lamb of God”. Now John is in prison, and probably knows what’s ahead for him. You don’t cross Herod and expect to get off lightly. And John is wondering whether he’s been a fool, whether that cousin of his is really the one who is to come.
John has had a lot of success, he’s been a rock star. And Jesus is starting out in his own ministry. John at least can point to his ancestry -- he’s the son of a priest, and priesthood was hereditary -- Zachary and John could trace their ancestry back to Levi, one of the sons of Jacob. Any time you meet a Jewish person whose last name is Cohen, he could probably trace his line back to Jacob as well, and in orthodox circles someone like that can do certain priestly activities, like witnessing marriages. Jesus on the other hand, seems to be a nobody. His dad is a craftsman, a carpenter; his Mom had Jesus a little too early after she and Joseph married, and people are still talking. And while the gospel writers trace Jesus’ ancestry back to King David, it’s not apparent that this means much to the day to day lives of Mary and Joseph. Is Jesus really the one who is to come?
John asks that question. And Jesus answers, you decide for yourself. And that’s what each person has to do. John was made aware that Jesus was going around doing things that Isaiah the prophet had predicted that the Messiah would do. But there were a lot more things that had been predicted. The Messiah was to raise an army and drive out the Romans, and restore the kingdom of Israel. The Messiah was to bring in the nations of the world to join Israel in the true worship of God. The Messiah was to restore the twelve tribes of Israel. He was to lead the worship in the temple. You can find these prophecies throughout the Old Testament. But Jesus was wandering around northern Palestine, far from Jerusalem, preaching and healing people. He didn’t match the expectations. No wonder John was wondering.
As John’s messengers go off, Jesus confirms that John is the prophet who is to usher in the Messiah. There have been no human beings greater than John. But Jesus adds the disturbing words, “The least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.”
And that’s the question we need to ask ourselves today. Are we in the kingdom of Heaven? Did John get into the kingdom of Heaven? I don’t know the answer to that. He was a martyr for Christ, and as such, Catholic theology would agree that he’s a saint, just like the Holy Innocents who were children martyred by Herod when Christ was a baby. John is in Heaven. But the kingdom of Heaven is not the same thing as Heaven. Jesus said that the kingdom of Heaven is among us. It’s not far off, it’s not after we die, it’s right here and now. Because you can’t get into the kingdom of heaven until Jesus establishes it. And his whole life, death and resurrection ushers in the Kingdom. His life is the turning point, the new dispensation. At that moment in time and space, God became man, and nothing will ever be as it was before.
I know a lady over at the Jewish nursing home. I’ve always admired her -- she worked patiently and enthusiastically with patients with Alzheimer’s disease. She seemed to touch the humanity of these people. She treated them with kindness and dignity. She is in the kingdom of heaven. I know a high school teacher who, no matter how she feels, goes to work every morning determined to make a difference -- and she does, if you go by the enthusiasm with which her students sing her praises. She changes lives, she’s in the kingdom of heaven. I know a businessman who helps other businessmen understand that they have a noble and holy profession. He’s in the kingdom of Heaven. i know a person who has a tedious job moving patients in the hospital to surgery and diagnostic studies, and she treats all of them as though they were Christ himself. She is in the kingdom of heaven.
John could not enter the kingdom of Heaven, because Jesus had not established it. You and I can, because we share in his divinity, we are sons and daughters of his Father; and we are given the grace to do what He would do. And to the extent that we do it, we are in the kingdom of Heaven. During Advent let’s review our lives and ask whether we are in the kingdom of Heaven. Are we doing what Jesus would do if he were in our shoes?
