Testimony of Mutual Love
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How wonderful is the relationship between Christ and Saint John the Baptist? The relationship is so loving that one cannot help themself but accompany it with tears every time they read about it …
“… And John called two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another? And when they came to Him, they said: ‘John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying: Are you the Coming One or do we look for another? ”
And when the time was fulfilled, John sends his disciples to Christ, not that he does not know exactly who Jesus is, but out of love for Him and for them, he wants them to know the Saviour of the world; the self-weary love to be fulfilled: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).
At that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and from evil spirits, and to many blind He gave sight.
The God-man Christ responds with deeds. For we can oppose the word with word(s), but not the deed; not the testimony of the Father for his Son and the testimony of the Son for his Father, in the Holy Spirit: “I have glorified you on Earth; I have done the work which you have given me to do ”(John 17: 4).
” Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk; lepers are cleansed, the deaf heard, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached ; and blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”
These words are meant only for those of us who are spiritually blind, and they are completely unnecessary to John or his disciples.
And when the disciples of John departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who are gorgeously apparelled and live in luxury, are in kings’ courts. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You. For I say unto you, That among those that are born of women there is no greater prophet than John the Baptist; but the smallest in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.”
The love and testimony of Christ for John delights and brings great compassion. He does not utter these words before the disciples of John, as we do when we want to flatter men, but before His disciples and the people who came to Him, as the great fathers of the Church do – confident in their authority in God, glorifying one another, for the salvation of their spiritual children, and for the glory of God. I wish this also was the case between us …
And all people that listened to Him, even the publicans, thanked God that they had been baptized with the baptism of John; and the Pharisees and scribes rejected the counsel of God for themselves, and they did not get baptized with him (Luke 7, 29).
Sinful people at least know that they are unworthy of all the gifts of God that they receive daily and they naturally humble themselves. Also, the Christians who asceticise properly, gracefully acknowledge their imperfection and their catholic responsibility for the evil in the world and thank God for the mercy and resurrected comfort of His Cross that they bear.
The Pharisees – those who observe the religious form, and not the essence of the faith – which is compassionate love, as well as the scribes that blindly adhere to the word of the Law to the very rejection of the Spirit Who gives life to the word, cannot but reject God’s providence for themselves. And they cannot but condemn their neighbour.
Lord, forgive me for trying to write wordlessly about this mutual love, but my heart could not contain itself.
Metropolitan of Strumica Naum
(03.11.2021 22:47)
