Least
"Then stirs the feeling infinite, so felt in solitude, where we are least alone." Lord Byron
I’ve thought about this word all day.
Least.
The word is inspired by this line from the primary Gospel lesson for the third Sunday of Advent:
"Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
There’s that “upside-down” perspective of Jesus. Those with the least power are greater than the prophet who called people like me “brood of vipers.” The story of God focuses on the unlikely, often underestimated group pushing forward through the wilderness. The thing about God is that, despite the claims of the powerful with their predictions and reports about this or that, the Holy One offers a path opposite to the direction of the world and its oppressive, dehumanizing, and destructive systems.
The story of God is not one of least resistance. Rather, the way of God. Perhaps that’s why there are so many occasions in the Bible where servants and the like are told, “Do not be afraid,” because the ways of justice and peace are brutal. I guess that’s why I like hearing the stories we listen to during Advent. They are full of tales of our ancestors who went against the status quo, proclaiming that love will rescue us.
I understand. It’s difficult to accept, especially considering everything happening in the world. But you’re not alone in questioning. John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one to come, or should we wait for another?” I believe his cousin needed reassurance that Jesus genuinely is the one who will offer salvation and new life amidst the empire’s systems of violence and fear. At the very last, John needed some comfort that his prison sentence wasn’t in vain -- not for himself, but for his community. [He uses the plural form of the verb meaning “to look or wait for” (prosdokomen). This indicates that he is just one person in a community of people waiting for Christ to come.]
Know what else I love about this question? It’s how Jesus responds – and he doesn’t give a theological declaration. Doctrine and dogma were the least and farthest things on Jesus’s mind. Instead, Jesus gives a call to action – of course, he did. Jesus answered them,
"Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.”
Jesus says that it’s the least, last, and left out—those pushed to society’s margins—that the good news comes to not only in words but through embodied love. It’s an experience, not just a sermon. It’s like what professor Karri Alldredge says about this when they write, “Those most vulnerable in society—like John in prison—receive the gospel not only through words but through actions and community relationships. Caring for those who are most vulnerable, oppressed, and ostracized is a sign of living out the good news, just as Jesus did throughout his ministry.” The good news as experience—woah.
What I hear in all this is a question I least expected: Am I … are WE … the ones who will join God in bringing forth the world Mary sang about in her Magnificat?
Maybe we don’t feel very confident in ourselves. Or like we can actually do this work. Yet, isn’t that the irony or paradox or whatever the word is regarding God’s reign of love? It shows up in the least likely of places … in the least likely of people.
Least.
No comments:
Post a Comment