Matthew 3: 1-12

“In those days…..” thus, Matthew uses three small words to jump his readers from Jesus at about age 8 in his account into adulthood, most likely early 30s. But, before we will read more about the Messiah he introduces us to another person who will take on a major role in the “birth” of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Meet “John the Baptist”. Matthew doesn’t give us background information on John like the other gospels which tell us he was born a few months ahead of Jesus in the same time frame. His mother is Elizabeth who is a cousin to Mary, making him a cousin to Jesus. His father Zechariah was a temple priest, a position of prominence in the Jewish religion and community. But here, Matthew, begins his account with John as an adult, living in a desert region whose diet consists mainly of locusts and honey. Why we need to know that I’m not certain. Maybe it lends to how I envision him as a rugged nature loving survivalist kind of great outdoorsman! However one imagines what John’s appearance is, one thing is most certain and that’s in the message he is proclaiming.

I think John had a personality people were drawn to or because his message was something they’d not heard before, curiosity was their driving factor. Matthew describes the crowd situation as “went out to him (John)”. Not only did the people feel compelled to confess their sins, they also were being baptized by John. All this “new” activity caused the religious leaders to seek out John, too, who didn’t mince words with these men of high esteem within their communities. John’s strong words to them aren’t the most uplifting but that’s not where I want to camp out; I want to focus on verse 11: “I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry.” (Other versions say “fit to untie”) What did John mean by that? Why are we talking about shoes in the middle of repentance, baptism and being chastised?

In the midst of introducing the Jews to a message of repentance from sin, accompanied with being baptized with water, John is telling them that another “one” is coming with greater authority, more power and that John doesn’t have what it takes to even untie the thong on his sandals. In the culture of the day among Jews, Greeks and Romans alike this office of untying and carrying the shoes of the master of the house or a guest was the well known function of the lowest slave of the household. You can imagine why perhaps. Remember, travel by foot was most common and there was plenty of filth to be picked up on one’s shoes along the way, dirt and mud soaked with animal excrement mixed in with whatever else fell on the roadways. Having to touch and smell the evidence of a man’s long day on his feet wasn’t the most refreshing job to have! So, by making this comparison with being unworthy, John is letting his audience know that he is NOT the messiah that the Jews have been long awaiting. He is beginning to connect the dots between Jesus entering the region and the approximate three or three and a half years of ministry that will invade the Jewish religious system and turn ancient laws and customs on the heels of reform and prophetic fulfillment. John does this with boldness, prophetic references, and reference to a daily custom concerning dirty shoes–all of which were familiar words and customs, now bathed in deep mystery that will slowly be revealed when Jesus comes on the scene. For the revelation to unfold, we must stay tuned…..