Don't kill the messenger

Today's Scripture

In today's Gospel, Jesus makes a rather mysterious statement that has actually sparked a lot of debate over the centuries among Bible scholars and theologians. As a theologian myself, I am going to propose my own theory on what Jesus was really getting at here. Take it or leave it, it's supported by scripture and church teaching, but there are certainly other thoughts on it. I just did not find them compelling. Most focus on the perspective that our 'spiritual intensity' brings a holy fervor or violence on heaven, and that there is a call for us to do that. While I don't totally disagree, I will propose something that seems a little more direct. The church does not have an official teaching on this passage, so we have some freedom to consider how we might look at it.

The statement that Jesus makes that sparks a little debate is this: "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven is has suffered violence, and men of violence it by force." By conferring Baptism upon people and then urging them to follow Jesus, John was making straight the highway to our God. When John was captured and tortured, this was indeed a violent assault on the Kingdom of Heaven as it closed off a major tributary to the Kingdom. Jesus would later proclaim baptism as THE road to heaven, and although that Baptism, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit would be different, people came with the same intent: REPENT. Actually, the Greek word is metanoia a change of heart, a change of perspective, a change in how you see everything in your life. People came to John ready for this change and Jesus greatly desired for that to be the case. The violence against that was a violence against heaven itself.

John called people in a powerful way to this metanoia. It is why Jesus proclaims that John is the greatest among those born of woman. He is turning hearts toward Jesus. Then there is this little curious statement: "yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he." This is more of a statement about heaven than a relative comparison of John to other people. When we are in heaven, we will love perfectly. John, at that moment, still here on earth, could not love perfectly. Since love is the ultimate measure of greatness, John could not compare to any who would be in the kingdom of heaven.

My friend, Fr. Mike Roche used to say: "imagine the most delicious dessert you have ever tasted...that's the crappiest thing you're going to get in heaven." Same about people. The least in heaven will far surpass all here on earth because of their ability to love. Jesus knows that someday soon, John will be in heaven with Him, but for now, He wants us to recognize the greatness of John, the greaterness (new word there) of heaven, and the importance of us following His plan of making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. He also does not want them to kill the messenger - because He loves him.