Gospel for the Day: My God of Surprises II

These past few days, I've found myself drawn to John the Baptist and have recognized that he is a tragic figure. Like most people during Jesus' time, John was waiting for a political Messiah. While he was in jail, maybe he even sent out his disciples to ask Jesus if he were the one they were all waiting for so that he could look forward to Jesus busting him out.

But Jesus' (indirect) reply to John's question is that, yes, he is the Messiah, but not the kind of Messiah John was expecting. In today's Gospel, Jesus says, "John was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John's". Testimony greater than John's. Greater than any notion of political liberation. 

And no, I'm not busting you out. And that must have been difficult for John to accept, especially given his circumstances.

Long, long ago I gave a talk entitled My God of Surprises. But the God of surprises there was a lovey-dovey God.

I guess there is a different God of Surprises who is much more difficult to accept.

Difficult for the Jews of Jesus time (especially the Zealots) to accept because they were expecting an earthly king and not a son of a carpenter without political/ nationalist aspirations. Difficult for the Pharisees and the Sadducees to accept because Jesus did not recognize their authority and upended their laws and acted as if he (actually) was God which was sacrilegious for a people who thought seeing God meant you're dead. And for a while, difficult for his own disciples to accept because his mission ended in complete failure with his crucifixion.

And difficult for John to accept because his second cousin and Messiah wasn't going to bust him out. (I remember when we were in high school there was this phrase we used to laugh about, "I thought pa naman you were my friend")

A God who is hard to accept. Will leave it at that for now.