De nativitate Joannis Baptistae

Of our father among the saints John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, on the nativity of the holy John the Forerunner and Baptist. Today the demand for what is owed has arrived, the day that collects the debt from us is present, the punctuality of the borrowed sums is pressing. For we have truly borrowed both the present occasion and what is lacking in our words. But why do I say what is lacking, when even as it is repaid the debt increases, and when fulfilled it creates for us another beginning of indebtedness? For such are the words spoken concerning the holy John the Baptist: while striving to repay the debt, they always fall into arrears. For what can be said about the magnitude of the righteous man's deeds or about such brilliance of his achievements? Or perhaps it is only right to use that saying: "Truly I say to you, no greater than John the Baptist has arisen among those born of women." For this remembrance is worthy of the praises, this truth is worthy of the honor owed. For the one who speaks without falsehood and praises worthily is the Master. "No greater," he says, "has arisen among those born of women than John the Baptist." For none among those born of the righteous has arisen in such a way. The prophet Jeremiah was sanctified from the womb, but John the Baptist was honored even more than him. But he is also filled with the Holy Spirit while being carried in the womb. For it says, "He will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb." Therefore, leaping within the womb, he announces good news, and when born, he immediately works a cure for his father. Indeed, it says, all who heard said:

What then will this child be? For they are troubled, seeing the Baptist working wonders before his time, and they marvel at the infant's worth beyond his strength. They see the child, superior both to the years of life and to its ways. Having learned of the events before the birth, they are astounded; seeing those after the birth, they are amazed. And in their perplexity they have cried out: "What then will this child be?" Do you wish to learn the child's progress? Do you wish to know the worth accruing to him? Hear the angel crying out concerning him: "He will be," he says, "great before the Lord." Behold, again the greater is assigned to the righteous one, the beloved of the desert. He had not yet learned the interweaving of affairs, and yet, anticipating, he preserves the simplicity of his soul. For he does not deign to traffic in human wealth, he does not lust after glory that dissolves in life, he does not grant to his belly an insatiable taste, he does not know the variety of foods, he does not clothe himself in the adornment of garments. For he had, it is said, his garment of camel's hair and a leather belt about his loins. For the habit proper to his ascetic practice in the desert was his garment, suited to his manliness. For he wore the hair of a beast of burden, signifying that he too lightly bears the burden laid upon him in the desert; for the life in the desert was truly heavy. And he also had a leather belt, by which he both indicated the deadened desire of his belly and at the same time manifested the manliness of his soul. And his food, it is said, was locusts and wild honey. And this, in the desert, was sweeter than the most sumptuous fare.

The Lord and Creator having declared that no one born of women was greater than John the Baptist, and the angel having said at the very beginning that he would be great before the Lord, nothing on earth, nothing in heaven has been omitted for the honor of the Baptist. For it was truly necessary that the Baptist be magnified both before God and before us; and indeed one can see the extraordinary birth from the barren woman, the wonders of his growth, and the achievements of his way of life. For he grew, it is said, and was strengthened in spirit. These are the signs of his age and of his grace; for the virtue of his soul grew together with the body of the young man. And what is more remarkable, it is said that he was in the deserts until the day of his revelation to Israel. He was in the deserts. And what achievement is greater than this? A youth being educated in the desert, a child not yet having experience of life seizes upon the life in the desert, not yet knowing the disturbance of the world and embracing stillness. But why do we still persist in dwelling on these words, when the people running to him in the desert already press upon us? For each person was drawn to go to him by the splendid way of life of the man; for the virtuous life is always renowned and draws every virtue-loving soul to itself. And the crowds flocked even more to John because of the strange wonder of his proclamation; for after he was revealed, as was said before, he came, it is said, preaching in the desert and saying: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near; and again:

Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. These words were strange and paradoxical to the people of that time, for he was a forerunner, announcing the approaching kingdom, preparing for the arriving master, making ready the path for the king, rousing all to go out to meet him, explaining the future wonders, procuring the heavenly wealth. For he introduced repentance, the healing of souls, and gave a baptism that approached grace. Hence it says that all Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him. His preaching showed the credibility of his way of life, or rather, his way of life received the gift of his preaching. And he who was formerly utterly alone in the desert now made the desert itself into a city. Why do I say a city? He turned it entirely into heaven, for hear now of the heavenly events that followed. Then, it says, Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him. For the master of the heavens came to the desert-dweller, the one who takes away the sin of the world came to the one preaching repentance, the true light came to the lamp that shines, for this one, it says, was the lamp that shines. The source of life came to a drop that baptizes, the river of God to a very small stream, the sea of salvation to a passing channel, for this was Christ coming to John. Hence the Baptist rightly prevented him, saying, I have need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?

I,” he says, “am in need of your light, and you come to me? I was formed by you, and you come to be baptized by me? I came as a slave proclaiming you, the master, not as one who ought to baptize my master. Let my head rather bow beneath your hand, for I know to fear the authority of my master. Do not make my right hand bold, already numb for the work of baptism.” What then does the master say to him? “Let it be for now, for I have not come now to lay bare my own worth, nor to show the purity of my nature, but to fulfill the economy that benefits you.” Then, it says, he permits him. Oh, how much vigor the word signifies! The slave permits the master, the subject permits the king, for the voice was not able to overcome the Word, nor the lamp to withstand the rays of the sun, but drawing in its own light, it yielded to the victorious radiance of righteousness. Thus the Savior gives grace to baptism, thus the pure and sinless body of the Lord wiped away the filth clinging to the waters, so that the nature of the waters thereafter had not only the power to cleanse by nature, but also to illuminate by grace. Hence those who are baptized are henceforth baptized in spirit and in truth, and this the Baptist John himself clearly proclaims, saying: “I baptize you in water; but standing in your midst is one whom you do not know; he himself will baptize you in spirit and in truth.” Do you see the Baptist, after such honor and dignity, still diminishing his own work and marveling at the gift of the Savior? For he always yielded what was fitting to Christ.

Therefore he himself receives the testimony that came upon him from the heavens, being worthy of heavenly words and deeds. For he saw, it says, the heaven opened and the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to him, and a voice testifying: “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” The words are equal to the deeds; for John both sees and hears while baptizing. This one made the desert a heaven; this one showed the inhabited world as a paradise of God, watered by the grace of baptism. Truly the law and the prophets were until John; from then the kingdom of heaven is proclaimed. For from him the proclamations of the prophets ceased, when he pointed out the one whom they had foretold. The burden of the law ceased, for it proclaimed repentance announcing the forbearance of God. The many baptisms of the Jews ceased, for through him one baptism was shown, which he himself began to administer for repentance, but which Christ bestowed for the remission of sins and eternal life, to whom belongs the glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.