Nativity of John the Baptist 2012

The other day executive members of the pastoral committee and finance committee of the parish celebrated the birthday of Fr. Milanese, our parish priest. I had the opportunity to expression my admiration of his Sunday homilies face to face. He demonstrated that he was very well-versed in the background information of different books in the Bible and in the proper hermeneutics a Biblical scholar should follow. He humbly said that in his formative days, the professors in the seminary put a lot of emphasis on the scripture. He did not think himself a Biblical scholar. Today, in his homily, he mentioned the "Baptist Movement" and the "Jesus Movement". These are no layman's terms. Fr. Milanese is serious.

From a sociological perspective, Christianity was just one of the many religious movements flourishing in Palestine in the first century. The socio-political situation was explosive. The common people, the ordinary Jews were resentful of the Roman occupation. The Romans were political genius. The Romans gave some benefits to the upper class to win them over to help the Romans rule over the majority. When the temporal rulers could not be trusted, common people naturally turned to deities. Such was the breeding ground of various political-religious movements. There arose the Herodians who supported the Roman rule. There were Zealots, a band of "terrorists" who engaged in guerrilla warfare with the Roman soldiers. There were Pharisees, legal professionals who could only criticize the Romans on a rational level. The Sadducees were the religious nemeses of the Pharisees. Disillusioned by the Temple worship in Jerusalem, the Essenes were ascetics withdrawn into the deserts. Relying on the availability of archeological discoveries, scholars do not still have any definite understanding of the religious landscape at that time. They speculate as much as the evidence allows.

Some scholars believe that John the Baptist was a member of the Essene sect. His baptism was a phenomenal success and a movement began. It is well known that Jesus was baptized by the Baptist. The Baptist and Jesus were cousins and many religious groups started with family members. For example, the Maccabeans who secured independence from the Greek empire for a hundred year. But Jesus did not stay with the Baptist. He had his own agenda. According to the canonical gospels, Jesus began his public ministry only after the Baptist was arrested by Herod Antipas. Two different movements were engendered. According to the Acts of the Apostles, the Baptist movement reached Ephesus before the Christians. However, the disciples of the Baptist were converted to Christianity upon hearing Paul's preaching (Acts 19:1-7). Perhaps that was the fate of the Baptist Movement in the future. The Baptist Movement did not leave behind any writing. We can only deduce their existence (and demise) from Christian documents.

The Baptist Movement and the Jesus Movement share some common features. For example, both founders died a martyr. Both movements were prophetic and challenged the authorities of the status quo: Baptists towards corrupt Herods and Christians the Jewish Council. We have no idea why the Baptist's followers had left the desert. Perhaps at the beheading of the Baptist, his followers sensed an impending danger and fled.
Similarly, Christianity began in Jerusalem. Had there not been persecutions from the Jewish Council and in particular, from Saul, they would have stayed there forever. Persecution only serves to spread a religious movement further abroad. If the Herodians were meant to destroy the Baptist Movement, they did not have to. The Christians had absorbed them, had helped them eliminated the annoying Baptist Movement.

If Christianity has been successful in  "absorbing" the Baptist Movement, it has been less successful with Judaism. There had been converts coming from the Pharisees and the priests but Christianity fails to absorb or to replace Judaism. The ritual question of circumcision over which the acceptance of Gentiles inevitably raises is one of the irreconcilable factor. Moreover, the first Jewish Revolt in 66 to 70 A.D. was the final cut that severed them forever. The Christians refused to participate because the revolt leader claimed to be the Messiah, thus a false Messiah, an anti-Christ to them. Their schism was sealed. In 100 A.D., the Jews officially cursed Christians in their 19 Blessings.

The canonical gospels portrayed the Baptist as a herald, a forerunner for Christ. He knew his position in God's plan. The following statement attributed to him is found in the Synoptic Gospels.
John answered them all, "I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Luke 3:16)
The gospel of John of has a similar saying minus the mention of the baptism of the Holy Spirit (John 1:26). The Baptist further said
He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30).
This is a good reminder for all evangelists, including us. We preach Christ, not ourselves. Christ must increase but we must decrease. Let us all follow the model of the Baptist to proclaim Christ.

Dear Lord, You have sent the Baptist to prepare for You a holy people to receive Your salvation. Bless our efforts so that the Kingdom of God may increase on earth. Amen.