Homilies from the Menaion for Every Day of the Year: September 23

 

The Month of September

Day 23

24. Why John the Baptist Is Greater Than Those Born of Women

(Homily on the Conception of the Glorious and Honorable Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord John)

The Lord said: “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen one greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11). “Greater” means “higher, more perfect, better.” (Interpretation of the Gospel by Bishop Mikhail.) Why did the Lord give John the Baptist such preference among other people? Why is he higher, more perfect, and better than they are? Why has no one greater than him arisen among those born of women? We find the answer to these questions in the Church’s homily on the conception of John the Baptist, and this is what it says about the Baptist in anticipation of the future.

Why will John, who is yet to be born, be great? Will he really be greater and more honorable than the Prophet Jeremiah, to whom the Lord said: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came forth from the womb I sanctified you: I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5)? Yes, the answer says, John will be great before the Lord and will surpass Jeremiah in spiritual greatness. If the latter was sanctified before his birth, then the former, from his mother’s womb, will be incomparably more filled with the Holy Spirit. And if Jeremiah was destined only to prophesy about the Messiah, John was also foreordained to baptize Him and to lay his hand upon Him. But John will surpass not only Jeremiah, but also all the other great Saints in the greatness of God’s grace, and no one greater than him will arise among those born of women... For although many stars precede the rising of the sun, only the morning star precedes the sun itself; so too, although many Prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah, John will not only foretell Him in word, but will also point Him out to the people with his own finger as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. And for this reason he will be great and greater than all those born of women. He will be, the homily concludes, “the fulfillment of all the prophets, and the end of the Old Law, and the Forerunner of the new grace.”

Thus, John the Baptist is greater than those born of women because, first, from his mother’s womb he was already filled with the Holy Spirit; second, because he became closer than all others to the Lord who came to earth, for he was found worthy both to baptize Him and to lay his hand upon Him; third, he became greater than those born of women through the abundance of grace poured out upon him, or, as it is said, he surpassed all in its greatness; fourth, he became greater because he not only foretold the Messiah, but also pointed to Him with his very finger as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world; and finally, he became greater because he appeared as the Forerunner of the new grace.

What follows for us from this, brethren? That if, as we have seen, the Honorable Forerunner is greater than all those born of women, then it necessarily follows that he is also closer to the Lord than the other Saints and has greater boldness before Him than the other Saints. And if this is so, then we, too, should honor the Honorable Forerunner with particular zeal and, with firm faith in the power of his intercession before God, turn to him in our needs. And he, surely, when he sees our faith, love, and zeal toward him, will not leave us without his help and will not delay in asking mercy and grace from the Lord for us. Amen.

Questions for Discussion 24:

1. What was the honorable Prophet Jeremiah appointed to prophesy about?

2. Who, according to the conclusion of the Church’s homily, will John the Baptist be?

3. With what was John the Baptist filled from his mother’s womb?

4. As whom did John point to the Messiah with his finger?

5. On what condition will John the Baptist not leave us without his help and will not delay in asking mercy and grace from the Lord for us?

 

Source: The Cheti-Minei: Homilies for Every Day of the Year (Book 1: September, October, November) by Archpriest Viktor Guryev. Publication of the Russian Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos, 1896. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.