Tuesday, August 6, 2024  

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Today's Scripture
John 1:19–28

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing. (NRSV)

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Reflection

In 1948, Abner Mikva, an eager, young law student, stopped by Chicago’s 8th Ward office to volunteer for Adlai Stevenson’s campaign for governor. When asked who sent him, Mikva replied that nobody had. The ward committee chair famously replied, “We don’t want nobody nobody sent.” That’s Chicago politics. In our passage, John is getting similar messages from the religious leaders of the day. Their questions might be mere curiosity, but I doubt it.

Who sent you is another way of saying, what’s your authority? And that’s another way of saying, “Are you one of us? Do you do what we do? Do you see the world just like us?” It’s not just in Chicago politics that we want to be sure we are surrounding ourselves with people who won’t challenge the system too much. John, how dare you call out sin? What makes you think you can baptize people and send them into a new way of interacting with the world? Who sent you?

Whether it’s in national or local politics, our work world, or even in church, we tend to favor comfort. Prophets who challenge the way things have been are scrutinized, derided, and minimized. Yet no progress, no positive change has ever occurred without a system being upended. It is rarely comfortable for those who benefit from what exists. Jesus showed us just how far God would go to be with us. And it changed everything. At least it should change everything. Who sends me? On my best days, I can boldly claim that I am living the way of Jesus.

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Prayer
God, when you send your prophets, help me to stay open to the systems that need to change. Give me courage to step beyond what is comfortable so that I can be a part of bringing about your dream for the world. Amen.

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Written by Andrea Denney, Executive Director of Operational Ministries

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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