I did not know him myself. This extraordinary statement by John the Baptist is at the heart of this weekend's Gospel. But it is not the end of the story. There was an understanding of what he had encountered in prayer and the meeting with the person himself. He saw not only with his mind but also with his heart. Also, he did not witness just for himself but to point others to the person of Jesus. the witnessing was able to point a way for people to meet Jesus.
The same is true of our own lives. We are called to be people who live out our prayer in a way which allows people to encounter Jesus. This is not to draw attention to ourselves but through us that they may grow in a living relationship with Jesus. It presumes that we are able to know the person of Jesus ourselves. This can happen in many ways, through our study of scripture, through our encounters with other people, through our consideration of the way we live our lives and the way we allow our lives to be shaped by our thinking. We never do this on our own but as a Christian community which gathers together to listen to God's word, to receive him in Eucharist, and to live in a way which binds us closer to God and each other. It builds on a rich tradition of Christian theology and practice which has shaped our lives. In this way, we encounter the person of Jesus in our daily lives and can point to him by the way we respond to his life-giving Word.
The same is true of our own lives. We are called to be people who live out our prayer in a way which allows people to encounter Jesus. This is not to draw attention to ourselves but through us that they may grow in a living relationship with Jesus. It presumes that we are able to know the person of Jesus ourselves. This can happen in many ways, through our study of scripture, through our encounters with other people, through our consideration of the way we live our lives and the way we allow our lives to be shaped by our thinking. We never do this on our own but as a Christian community which gathers together to listen to God's word, to receive him in Eucharist, and to live in a way which binds us closer to God and each other. It builds on a rich tradition of Christian theology and practice which has shaped our lives. In this way, we encounter the person of Jesus in our daily lives and can point to him by the way we respond to his life-giving Word.
Thank you for highlighting this statement, "I did not know him myself"......so much to ponder here.
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