Every child is born into a certain context. John was born on a dark day, in the suburbs of Jerusalem, about 5 BCE; to a priest and his wife, who were both so old that all who heard about Elizabeth’s pregnancy laughed.
There was no laughter, however, in the king’s palace. Herod the Great was sick. Gout reigned in his lower extremities, and dementia clouded his mind. Meanwhile, it’s rumored that worms had taken up residence in his testicles. The itching was maddening. Four decades before this, Herod had been a charming, handsome, well-educated young man, with high hopes and unrealistic ambitions. Now he was in his seventies, paranoid, and despotic. Even as they brought him a royal feast — turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie — he had nothing to be thankful for.
Furthermore, all of Jerusalem was troubled. Famine and earthquakes shook the land, and a mysterious lunar eclipse darkened the heavens. For many in our country, this year’s Thanksgiving brings similar fears. Thugs in ICE uniforms raid daycare drop-offs, Home Depot stores, and courtrooms. There is no justice. Meanwhile, our finest warships have steamed into the Caribbean, spending vast resources to swat flies, while our government tells us it can’t afford to help the people of Jamaica, who have experienced an epic natural disaster.
So, this Sunday we come to the story of the birth of John the Baptist. It is the last Gospel Lesson of the old church year. John is the final prophetic voice in a succession that begins with Abraham, runs through Nathan, who stood before David, reaches its apex in Isaiah, who called the faithful to “make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3) Many prophets minor and great, spoke of how our faith is the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” for who, it is said, “hopes for what they currently have?” (Hebrews 11:1, Romans 8:24) And John the Baptist is born to a priest, named Zechariah, who summarizes all the prophets who have gone before him:
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to shine upon those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
[But, this child John will]
guide our feet into the way of peace.
– Luke 1:78-79
Yes, John the Baptist was born in a dark and dismal time. Next week we will enter the season of Advent and, a few weeks before the winter’s longest night, begin a new church year. This all underscores the sobering fact that Jesus was born into a time every bit as troubled as our own. The prophets who spoke hope to Jesus’ contemporaries will also provide those of faith today with encouragement. We, like them, have walked in darkness. We pray to see a new day dawn.
John’s father, Zechariah, speaks good news, though. The darkness will fade; the dawn will bring God’s justice. What do prophets like him say to us today? That even though we live in a time of darkness, things will work out okay. We must hope for what we do not yet see. We should prepare to receive similar prophets today and rejoice that God sends brave souls to guide our feet into the way of peace.