Sunday Reflection with Canon Robin Gibbons: 14 December 2025

Preaching of St John the Baptist - Domenico Ghirlandaio Wiki Image

Third Sunday of Advent

Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.*. (Mt 11: 11)

How many of us have, at some point, made unfavourable comparison between another and ourselves? By that I mean of course, seeing ourselves as the better person. Paul in 2 Corinthians 10;12 has something very pertinent for us to hear:

"Not that we venture to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another, and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding". In other words, don't make comparisons and be kind! Now this admonition of Pauls is an excellent entry point into the heart of today's gospel for we have Jesus making that kind of comparison using John the Baptist as the subject matter. What then does Jesus mean, what is he saying to us. Are we really better than John the Baptist?

Part of our problem, especially with armchair biblical scholars is the fact we read and understand the scriptures through the lens of those who have accepted Christ as Lord, God and the promised Messiah. In Matthew's time there was still confusion amongst some as to who exactly Jesus was. This is what we hear in the voice of John the Baptist and the story about him we discover in the Gospels. The first fact that we need to remind ourselves of is that John is the last and greatest of the Old Testament Prophets. He like Jesus is also foretold in the scriptures, as for example in the canticle of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79) where it is put clearly when Zechariah says of his son John:"

And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of all their sins".

John belongs to the context of the Old Testament and its Covenant. He cannot see Jesus through the lens of the resurrection as we do, for John the coming Messiah has to be discerned, enquired about, ascertained by truthful questions and signs of fulfilment. That is why at times he appears not to understand who Jesus is, for John is also the prophet of the unfolding of Christ, like a canvas being unrolled to gradually show the final picture. Jesus holds him in the highest regard, 'none is greater than he', but we know that one is coming who is. Jesus the Messiah. So what does Jesus mean by comparing John with all of us?

Here in front of us is the radical nature of God's relationship with humankind, in fact of all creation. John like us is born of woman, and into a network of kinship, of strong family relationships. We tend to stress family a lot in the Christian tradition, and in popular culture children are seen as important as a genetic legacy of the generations going forwards. At Christmas time we talk often of family gatherings, coming together to celebrate. All to the good, but this isn't the vision of the Kingdom is it? We are not born of woman into our faith, we have no genetic link with our Christian origins, there is a deeper music which we need to hear. We are children of the new Covenant, born in faith by water and the Spirit, our new family , that of God, is where Christ is not only our Lord, but brother and friend and where it does not depend on who we are, except in our charism and service of love and kindness. Jesus points out that his human birth is not into a legacy of future bloodlines and links, but into a gift of adoption, where we too are bound through Him into a greater family which is open to all,and where the least is through water and the spirit, greater than John the Baptist.

As we remember John the Baptist this Sunday, perhaps we can pray that like him our task is to carry on preparing the way for others to find Christ through and with us, and to rejoice that we are the adopted daughters and sons of the Most High, to whom, Father, son and Holy Spirit we give glory now and always. Amen.

Lectio

Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)

Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel,
who has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour,
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets God promised of old
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us,
To show mercy to our ancestors,
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

Free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.

And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of all their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Luke 1.68-79

Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

Malcolm Guite

John the Baptist ( his baptism)

Love's hidden thread has drawn us to the font,
a wide womb floating on the breath of God
feathered with seraph wings,
lit with the swift lightening of praise,
with thunder over-spread,
and under-girded with an unheard song,
calling through water, fire, darkness, pain,
calling us to the life for which we long,
yearning to bring us to our birth again.

Again, the breath of God is on the waters
in whose reflecting face our candles shine,
again, he draws from death the sons and daughters

for whom he bid the elements combine.
As living stones around a font today,
rejoice with those who roll the stone away