Prior, Fr. Anastasius Reiser, OSB - Celebrant
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Jesus heard that his cousin, John the Baptist, was thrown into prison by Herod. He must have known Johannes well. The same family, probably they grew up together too. But then 2 different ways of education. It is not known which one. But Jesus probably graduated from the Jewish rabbinical school. It is not known which way John went. But we know his teaching and preaching, which dealt harshly with the people and the authorities:
Mt, 3 7 When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8 Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.
9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
10 Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
John still appeared like one of the prophets, entirely in the style of the Old Testament. He had many followers including the apostles Andrew and John. However, when Jesus comes into contact with them, something must have changed among the followers:
Andrew was an enthusiastic follower of John the Baptist. John the Baptist preached repentance from sin. The kingdom of heaven is near. John the Baptist knew he was not the Messiah. He was expecting the Messiah. He would come soon. I.e. not yet! One day when Jesus came to John the Baptist at the Jordan, it happened. John said: “behold, the Lamb of God “. Andrew sensed that something must have changed in John's language. Salvation now seemed to be within reach in this Jesus of Nazareth, whom everyone only knew as the carpenter from Nazareth. Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan. And as he went away, Andrew and the other disciple ran after him. Jesus asked what do you want. The question Jesus asked: “Rabbi, where do you live?” And Jesus simply answered: come! And see!
What were the differences between the teaching of John the Baptist and the message of Jesus?
John
- preaches judgment and also knows about salvation
- proclaims the judgment is near that cannot be postponed - the ax is already lying at the root of the trees (Lk 3.9 Mt 3.10)
- underlines his message of judgment through a strict practice of fasting and is therefore accused by his opponents of demonic possession (Lk 7.33 Mt 11.18)
- announces “the coming one” for the near future - sees in its effectiveness the beginning of the reign of God already happening
Jesus
- preaches salvation and also knows about judgment
- proclaims a time of repentance before judgment - the fig tree is given another period to bear fruit (Lk 13:6-9)
- emphasizes his good news by celebrating festivals and is therefore defamed by his opponents as "Eater and wine drinker" (Lk 7.34 Mt 11.19)
- sees in its effectiveness the beginning of the reign of God already happening
John the Baptist calls for a change of heart and conduct, a turning of one’s life from rebellion to obedience towards God. But his message is still in the tradition of the Old Testament. It is no change in the content of the Old Testament. Like the other prophets his message will be heard, some of the people will return to God. But then it will be like with the former prophets before John the Baptist: the people fall back in their old life and the prophet will be killed!
Perhaps the fact that John was in prison initiated in Jesus to take over John's role as a preacher, but to speak to the people in a whole new way: Healing the sick, love, God is present, salvation has already begun. It is the changing point in the life of Jesus and his new disciples. And Jesus must have said that with such conviction that the people who followed him had no doubt about his words.
This gospel today is the turning point from the Old to the New Testament! John the Baptist, the last prophet of the Old Testament, hands over the staff to the "Lamb of God" to make God's presence visible among us in a new way.
Dear sisters and brothers, when we talk about today about the transition from the Old to the New Testament, we too can ask ourselves the question: Have we made the step in our lives from the Old to the New Testament? When I talk about the Old and New Testament in our lives, I mean the part in us which falls back into sin or behavior which is not according to the gospel or teaching of the New Testament. Paul speaks from a new creation, a new self in the letter to the Ephesians: 4, 22 that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
24 and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.
Does the Old Testament still apply in our lives with "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth", or do we follow the New Testament and "love our neighbor as ourselves"?
In our minds, are we still holding the ax to chop down the trees around us? Or do we have a shovel in hand to dig around the fig tree again and give the tree another chance?
We can continue this game with passages from the Old and New Testaments.
What is important is that some of the apostles were with John the Baptist at the Jordan and initially followed his preaching. So, all were connected to the Old Testament…
…Until Jesus came and preached the new way.
The Change of the disciples did not happen immediately. Although they have followed Jesus immediately. That is clear. But we see in the biographies of Jesus' disciples that it probably took them a long time to become the convinced followers of Jesus as we know them today. It wasn't until Easter, or even Pentecost, when they received the Holy Spirit.
It is important that we too are ready to repent, that means that we are ready to let ourselves be changed. Not only to come back to an old way of life, furthermore to “change our thinking” at all.
“Metanoia” is the word in the New Testament for the Change of the “whole self”.
To leave our own, every one’s personal “Old Testament” behind himself and look forward to the “New Testament” of love, health and life in the Kingdom of Heaven, which started already here on Earth with Jesus Christ. And then we can say with Jesus: “The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light”
Amen!
~Prior, Fr. Anastasius Reiser, OSB