All were amazed

All were amazed. 

What do you think is the most amazing thing about John the Baptist?   His uncompromising zeal for the Lord?   His clear, passionate preaching?   Maybe his gift of self-denial, or the humility he displayed despite his fame.

How about this:  that even as a fetus, John leapt for joy in the presence of Mary and Jesus.   Imagine:  Here was an unborn baby, barely aware of life outside of the womb, and yet the muffled, quiet sound of Mary’s greeting filled him with the Holy Spirit and caused such a dramatic reaction.

This leap may remind us of Isaac’s wife, Rebecca, who also felt an unusual amount of activity from the twins in her womb.   Rebecca asked the Lord why this was happening, and he told her that something spiritual and prophetic was going on inside of her.   King David also leaped before the Ark of the Covenant.   He loved God so much he could not contain himself.   The prophet Isaiah wrote that in the age to come, when the glory of the Lord is made manifest, the lame will leap for joy.

John’s leaping shows us that there is a part of us that can recognize God, regardless of what we do or who we are.   It’s encoded into the way he made us.   This ability to recognize the Lord is not limited to unborn babies or to great saints like John.   It’s in all of us, and it’s something that the Holy Spirit wants to bring to life so that we too can recognize Jesus more deeply—and rejoice in his presence.

So on this great feast day, let’s honor John the Baptist for all that he did for Jesus and for us.   John truly is one of the greatest saints of the church.   But let’s never forget that the relationship between John and Jesus is something each one of us can experience.   We can all leap for joy as we prepare this world for the coming of Christ the King!

word among us