What can we say about John the Baptist?  Scripture is descriptive of him.  He is no stranger to the wilderness.  His diet included wild honey and locusts.  His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair.  The question is why such an ascetic lifestyle?  Perhaps to make a point that he is no ordinary person.  An encounter with him would either draw people away or make us question why?

Environments such as a cave or on a mountain, often signal an encounter with God.  The wilderness suggest otherwise.  Jesus was in the wilderness to be tested.  John might have had a similar experience if we make this connection.  We might draw parallels, if we consider that he opted for a less lavish life.  He did not seek to gain power nor was he under the powers of his tempter.

When we have a holiday, a time for rest and recreation, we usually re-enter the world with renewed energy to go about our work.  The work we reacquaint ourselves with is now done with focus and determination.  We might even come back with new ideas.  For others, it might be after a course of some sort where we are put to the test, as a result new skills are developed and the way we look at things are changed.

If John wasn’t consumed by the alluring things such as power and luxury, what is there to fear? or what might be the motivation?  He spoke without reservation, without a thought for his own life.  With such courage and charism people understandably mistook him for the Messiah.  He was an outright honest person, without a hint of deception, who knew his role well.  In the role as prophet, he gained both followers and adversaries which is usually the case.  Just look at the ones before him!

Even with the close family connection to Christ, John counted himself as lesser “I must decrease”.  If anyone, John is a very good model as someone who prepared well for the coming of Christ.  Most of us might not fall into the category of extremes; lifestyle or bravery, we too can be like John by taking on an outward looking, practical approach to ministry.

By Fr Hoang Dinh

Published: 6 December 2024