Isaiah 35.1-10; Psalm 146.1-10; James 5.7-10; Matthew 11.2-11
THIS will not be a Gospel for many who like easy answers. One commentator remarks that, among the many 4 Evangelists, “Matthew’s presentation of the Baptist is . . . probably the most puzzling and difficult.” Another refers to Matthew 11.11 as “an enigmatic verse”.
My first response was to disagree with each views. Jesus’s meaning is evident: the least significant people within the Kingdom are greater than the best of those that should not. The creator of the Gospel of Thomas tried to make Jesus sound more mystical: “There is none higher than John the Baptist, in order that his eyes shall not be broken . . . whoever amongst you becomes as a baby shall know the Kingdom.” But the Kingdom of heaven will not be a matter of secret knowledge. Real Gospels haven’t any truck with such stuff.
At first, Christians understood Jesus’s words in verse 11 as referring to himself. Then, within the fourth century, Jerome argued that Jesus’s words were a reference to each Christian still involved within the battles of this life. Jerome’s view has come to prevail — but much is determined by whether Jesus believed that the Kingdom of heaven had begun already, or whether, for him, it was something set in the long run.
Either way, the passage presents us with a challenge, since it introduces the concept of rank into the Kingdom. That is a sensitive matter: does hierarchy (“least”, “greater”) persist within the Kingdom of heaven in the identical way because it is embedded on this life? In other words, will some people at all times, eternally, be more “vital” than others?
My first instinct is to say “No!” For me, the creation story in Genesis 1-3, right in the beginning of salvation history, establishes the truest foundation for tackling this query. Hierarchy is a by-product of the Fall. Before the curse is put upon Adam and Eve, they’re alike, equal. After it, hierarchy rules their relationship: “your desire shall be on your husband, and he shall rule over you” (3.16). Obviously this can be a negative for the girl, but I see it as a negative for the person as well. Putting it in an extreme form, lets say that there will probably be no domestic violence within the Kingdom of heaven.
When we have a look at this matter within the universal context of creation, a level of hierarchy within the Kingdom is confirmed. None of us, I hope, would claim to be equal with the angels, even when we do manage to enter the Kingdom (Psalm 8.5). True, they’re created beings, as we’re. But, although they’ve the capability to sin, they don’t sin. And their closeness to God puts them above humankind in every way except one: the blessing of knowing the Lord’s salvation. That extraordinary privilege belongs to humankind alone.
The hierarchical nature of earthly humanity is something we absorb without really reflecting on it. At the identical time, our faith teaches us the principle that it’s characteristic of God to overturn such human hierarchies. Hannah’s song (1 Samuel 2.1-10) finds resounding echoes in Psalm 113.7 and, centuries later, in Luke’s Magnificat: “He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honour.”
Back to the primary a part of this Gospel, to the query of Jesus’s identity. When someone asks us to prove our identity, we reach for our driving licence or passport, although I used to be recently stumped by being unable to supply a single utility bill in paper form as proof of identity. Technology often outstrips rules, just as social trends leave faith struggling to search out words and actions to fulfill latest situations.
Here, John sends his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who’s to return, or are we to attend for an additional?”. But, as an alternative of using words to validate himself, Jesus directs John’s disciples to think about concrete physical proofs: blind people receiving their sight; lame people walking; lepers being restored to health; deaf people becoming capable of hear; and the dead being “raised”. Facts, not words, prove who he’s. We might even take the last item of Jesus’s list as a summary of all of the others: “The poor have excellent news dropped at them.”
Perhaps the deep message in Jesus’s words is that being his disciple is the one identity that basically matters.
Buried Treasure: The collected Church Times Sunday Readings by Cally Hammond is offered now (Canterbury Press, £24.99 (£19.99); 978-1-78622-567-2).
