Breaking the Word

Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force. All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come. Whoever has ears ought to hear. (Mt 11:11-15)

The reading speaks about John the Baptist and his work. As regard him he is in the long list of people who prepare for the arrival of the Messiah. In fact he is the last one. The preparation has begun with Abraham, Moses and Elijah (law and the prophets). Jesus says that John was Elijah. Here he is trying to say that, the belief of the people that Elijah should return before the coming of the Messiah, is fulfilled. Jesus is telling us to see the events in God’s time table. According to God’s time table the things are happening as HE has planned.

John has completed his mission and in fact he has been pushed into the prison for it. He is the greatest among men because he has completed his mission. But from the point of view of the kingdom he is not the greatest, for the criteria in the kingdom has a different scale of rating.  Jesus is not just telling about John, rather he is talking about himself. He is talking about his own messiahship. The messiah he is trying to be is not according to the expectation of most of the people and he does not want to force himself on people.

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."…

May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.  (Lk 1:26-38)

God chooses specific persons to complete his mission. Here the identity of the person is given in detail. The person and the whereabouts of the person is given in detail. God does not work on vague and unidentified way. He chooses the person with all his/her background.

Mission is explained the person before he/she accepts it. The person is not forced to do anything. The person is not kept in ignorance or not given a surprise to do the mission. The person is also cleared of all the doubts in fulfilling the mission. The person is given a total knowledge of the happening.

The person accepts it freely and willingly. Here, in this passage Mary is given a calling to be the mother of Jesus (vocation) and before she accepts she is given the details of her mission but with the assurance that God will be with her. Whatever happens to her will be in accordance with the will of God and nothing would be impossible to God. God waits for the positive response from Mary to begin the mission.