The attached scriptural quote is a very insightful and powerful passage from today’s Gospel, but often poorly understood.
Why did Jesus say that John was the “greatest man born of woman,” but then immediately added that even the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than John?
What did he mean exactly by that?
We read about this elevation of the status of John the Baptist by Jesus in both Matthew and Luke.
Here’s what Jesus says in Matthew:
“Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” [Matthew 11:11]
Context is always important. What precedes these words in Matthew supports what Luke says ‘directly’ concerning this issue of John being the “greatest born of women”.
Here’s what Jesus says about John in Luke:
“Jesus said of John the baptist:
‘ For I say unto you, among those that are born of women there is not a greater PROPHET than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.'” [LUKE 7:28].
It was John’s “deep insight” into the truth – being the last in a long line of Prophets foretelling the coming of the Messiah – that Jesus was referring to here.
John REALLY KNEW who Jesus was, and why he was born into the world. Yet, even as Jesus was speaking about John the Baptist here to his disciples,
THEY did not!
When we imagine what John pictured in his mind when we read that he saw Jesus in the distance coming toward him, I suspect most imagine that John beheld a radiant vision, perhaps with soft, glorious rays of light radiating from His body, confirming his identity as the Messiah.
Seeing Jesus perhaps was a bit of a trigger, being a reunion and all, compelling John to react similarly to how he did when Jesus approached him as a 3 month-old baby in Mary’s womb, when she visited her cousin Elizabeth (John’s mom) when John was just 6 months old in her womb, when John “leaped”…. this time around, he exclaimed, I imagine beeping forward , like in the picture:
“Behold the Lamb of God!”
If that’s how you imagine it happening, then you would have read John very wrongly!
Lambs were to the Jewish people innocent little creatures, meek, offering no resistance as they served two main purposes in their short lives, in this order: (1) to be sacrificed, (2) to be eaten!
Right up to the time of His very last night alive on earth before being hung on a cross and killed, when Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist (fulfilling the second purpose of the Lamb’s mission in this world, making it possible for us to consume Him) with the Last Supper he celebrated with his disciples, even then, his disciples still didn’t get it, they didn’t fully understand who Jesus was.
They didn’t fully grasp what John grasped seeing Jesus in the distance, who Jesus really was and what he had to do and accomplish!
Even Peter tried to get him to turn around when he was going to Jerusalem this last time, knowing there’d be trouble, apparently still unaware that Jesus had to fulfill part one of the Lamb’s purpose, to be sacrificed for us.
Most of the disciples were still expecting the Romans to be somehow put down with power by Jesus.
Even after Jesus was killed, when they met Him after the resurrection, they asked if he was going to restore the kingdom at that time.
But John knew exactly who Jesus was!
He didn’t see rays of light when he saw Jesus meekly walking toward him to be baptized in humility, he saw blood dripping down his face, all over him.
Still, John is indeed the least in the Kingdom concerning the quality of “prophecy and insight,” because although John was the greatest of Prophets, with the very Spirit of Jesus, we now have access to the full truth!
A sad, sorry, illiterate beggar with no education repenting, turning from sin and encountering and experiencing the life-giving mercy and love of Jesus will know FAR more than John the Baptist.
By sharing himself completely with us [second purpose of lamb] He made it possible for us to now have his very Spirit to see the full truth of this amazing marvelous experience we call life, as salvation history continues to unfold inching ever closer to its final culmination.
The book will soon close on history and time, and life eternal in the joy and peace of communion with others and God will commence and not end.