One of the best ways to come to know Jesus, is through John, who is a prophet. If you are seriously looking for ‘the One True Light’, a full awareness of what is real and a genuine illumination into Sacred Things, there is only One who can do this, and His name is Jesus. John, the one who isn’t the true light who enlightens everything, cannot produce that much wattage. Even though Jesus called him ‘a burning and shining lamp’, His greater light makes John a mere reflection – like us. One who prepares others to meet Him.
John is sent by God, but those who have come to interrogate him are from the authorities in Jerusalem. They want to know who he is, but all John will tell them is who he is not. Irked, they offer to help by supplying identities, but John refuses them. They cannot return to Jerusalem empty handed or with a list of what John is not, so they almost plead for an answer. John answers by hinting again that they are looking in the wrong place. Now, these have been sent by the Pharisees, so they have one last pop at the question. They are curious about John’s activity of baptising. That would be okay if he were a prophet or a messiah. But even here, John sidesteps them. If they want to know who he is they will only find the answer in the one who is coming, who stands amongst them unknown. The interview is over. They need to start looking in the right place. Here is a great little story which explores this theme. The theme is clear. In the woods surrounding a monastery, a rabbi lived in a small hut. Sometimes, the monks would see the rabbi walking in the woods and would wonder why he was there.
The Abbot was very distressed as the monastery was in terminal decline. He has prayed and pondered over the situation. He had admonished the mood and behaviour of the monks. All to no avail. One day he saw the rabbi walking in the woods and decided to ask his advice. He walked up behind the rabbi. The rabbi turned, and when the abbot and the rabbi looked into each other’s eyes, they began to weep. The sorrow of the situation affected them both deeply. The Abbot knew he did not have to explain the decline of the monastery. He just asked, “Can you give me some wise words to help our community thrive again?” The rabbi said, “One of you is the messiah’. Then he turned and continued to walk in the woods. The Abbot returned to the monastery and the monks asked him, “What did the rabbi say?”
“One of us is the Messiah,” the Abbot said the words slowly, almost in disbelief. The monks began talking to one another. “One of us? Which one? Is it brother John? Or perhaps brother Andrew? Could it even be the Abbot? From that day, things started changing at the monastery. The monks began to look for the Messiah in each other and to listen to each other for the Messiah’s voice. Soon, new younger monks joined them, and people started coming back to the monastery for spiritual leadership. In ‘The Gift’ Poems by the Great Sufi Master’, the poet Hafiz wrote on the same theme- How Do I Listen to Others?
As if everyone were my Teacher.
Speaking to me
Their
Cherished
Last
Words.
