Whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie

THURDAY 2 JANUARY (Jn 1,19-28)

It is not enough to affirm a truth, for it to be truth. It is necessary that the truth is proved by history, by facts and by events. Moses presents himself to Pharaoh with these words: ““After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Let my people go, that they may celebrate a feast to me in the desert.” Pharaoh answered, “Who is the Lord, that I should heed his plea to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord; even if I did, I would not let Israel go.” They replied, “The God of the Hebrews has sent us word. Let us go a three days’ journey in the desert, that we may offer sacrifice to the Lord, our God; otherwise he will punish us with pestilence or the sword.” The king of Egypt answered them, “What do you mean, Moses and Aaron, by taking the people away from their work? Off to your labor! Look how numerous the people of the land are already,” continued Pharaoh, “and yet you would give them rest from their labor!”” (Ex 5,1-4). There is no other lord above me. I am the Lord of all the earth. The proof of attesting to his truth belongs to the Lord and not to pharaoh. Pharaoh says he is the lord. The Lord says that He is the Lord. Who is the Lord over every other lord?

The Lord, the God of Israel, carries out ten miraculous signs through which he attests to Pharaoh that he is the true Lord not only of men, but of the whole creation. He is the Lord even of death. That only the Lord is the Lord is revealed by the miserable end made by pharaoh and his army: they all ended up drowned in the Red Sea, because of their foolishness. Jesus is the Eternal Word of the Father, his Only Son, the Full of grace and truth. He is the light of the world, life and resurrection. It is up to God to prove this truth and also to Christ the Lord. God proves the truth of Christ Jesus calling his witnesses, the first of all is John the Baptist. John is not like pharaoh. In the Holy Spirit, he sees his human inadequacy. He is just a man. He is a man chosen by God and sent to bear witness to the true light that is Lord Jesus. John is not the light, he is not the truth and he is not grace. John is only a voice from God to cry out to the world the truth of Christ the Lord. He is the witness chosen by the Father to tell the world who Jesus of Nazareth really is. Where does John’s testimony begin? From saying first of all who he is not. He is not the prophet who must come. He is not Elijah. He is not the Christ of God. He is only the witness. This is his truth.

And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites (to him) to ask him, “Who are you?” he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, “I am not the Messiah.” So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?” He said: “I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the desert, “Make straight the way of the Lord,”‘ as Isaiah the prophet said.” Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The first testimony given by John to Jesus is on the affirmation of his origin. He comes from a man and a woman, even if he comes full of the Holy Spirit. He comes from the flesh and from the earth. He is just a man. Nothing more. Without the affirmation of this primary truth, there is no truth. Lucifer made himself God. He cannot testify. Man also made himself God. He cannot testify in favour of truth. John is a man, he remains a man. He can testify in favour of the truth. This is the source, the spring of every religious error. It is the fruit of all those men who are only men and have proclaimed themselves saviours and redeemers and still continue to proclaim themselves or to be proclaimed redeemers and saviours, while only one is the Redeemer and only one is the Saviour: God. Taking the place of God on the part of a man is the greatest lie and falsehood. Who deceives himself is deceiver of the world.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, ensure that every creature is recognized as only a creature.