Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Matthew (11: 11-15) in which Jesus says, ‘Of all the children born of women a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is’.

Fr Paul says a question that is asked is, was Jesus at one time a disciple of John, during which time John did not recognize him (John 1.31)? Jesus was wholly human in mind and must have had the humility to learn not only from Mary but perhaps also from his cousin John the Baptist. This could be what John means by saying, ‘Behind me comes one who has passed ahead of me’ (John 1:30), as though saying, ‘I was his Rabbi, and now he is mine.’

John was certainly revered by the people, to the extent that – according to the Jewish historian Josephus – he had to be taken into custody to make sure there was no messianic disturbance. Herod revered him but was not strong enough to resist his new wife’s plans to eliminate him for chiding Herod about his incestuous marriage.

John was a great herald of Jesus so much so that Jesus praises him as the greatest ever born which is high praise indeed.

Mindful of John the Baptist and how he proclaimed to others the good news of Jesus coming, Fr Paul invites us to consider, ‘How do I proclaim Jesus to others around me?’