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All four gospel accounts mention St. John the Baptist at the beginning of their story of Jesus Christ as the one preparing the way of the Lord. But it was only St. Luke who researched more to show the deeper links of St. John with Jesus that extended to their conception and birth. Always considered as the artist among the evangelists, St. Luke painted a “triptych” of three interconnected frames of pictures wherein at the middle panel is Jesus Christ bridging us all with the Father, enlightening our past, present and future. In a sense, St. Luke may be considered as the “Mark Zuckerberg” of the bible!
The genius of Zuckerberg in creating Facebook is that he had practically linked us all together not only as family and friends but even through time, be it in the past, the present and the future. Consider how FB had practically made every present so special with its “live” feed as well as those simple posts and messages that link us with anyone anywhere in real time along with the countless “alerts” we have allowed to inform us of the latest in everything. As we move on with the present into the future with its “events”, we are brought into tears and laughter by its “memories” of yesteryears complete with photos. Most of all, we can choose where in the past we would want to go with #ThrowbackThursday by posting photos and music of our good old times.
That was also the idea of St. Luke in writing his gospel account of Jesus Christ and the Book of the Acts of the Apostles also known as “the gospel of the Church”. In his gospel account, St. Luke shows us our past to explain the present in the Acts of the Apostles, our time of the Church and her future. Here we find that three-panel style of St. Luke wherein he would paint that triptych of Old Testament as the past while the present and future in the Church at the other end with Jesus Christ always at the middle panel. This is evident in today’s account of the annunciation of the birth of St. John the Baptist.
In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years. Once when he was serving as priest in his division’s turn before God, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, the angel of the Lord appeared to him…said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John… and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.” (Lk.1:5-11,13,16)
Notice the old flavors evoked by St. Luke’s narration, trying to link his readers with the Old Testament through Zechariah and Elizabeth whose priestly roots can be traced to the time of Moses. Then there is that Temple worship on a Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement, a major feast for the Jews, complete with the burning of incense and the reverence it signifies. What a throwback account that we could even situate ourselves there like in a movie!
Then there is the future projection of an “event” inviting Zechariah to at least “like” and attend or “go” as in Facebook when St. Luke narrated the message of the angel that Elizabeth would bear a child to be named John to become like Elijah who would prepare the coming of the Messiah. Unfortunately, Zechariah “Xed” the invitation (“Can’t Go”) when he “did not believe” the angel’s message that he was punished to be “speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place” (Lk.1:20)!!!
Amid these pictures from the past and to the future, we find Jesus in the middle panel of the triptych, in the present which is the annunciation of St. John’s birth itself! For the Jews, the Jerusalem Temple is the presence of God along with the celebration inside the “Holy of holies” where Zechariah burned incense that eventually would be fulfilled in Jesus Christ Himself when people worship “in Spirit and truth” (Jn.4:24). If we come to visualize this, we shall find in the first panel the Old Testament with Zechariah and Elizabeth, the Temple and the feast all fulfilled in Christ Jesus in the central frame represented by the Church according to the Book of the Acts of the Apostles in the third panel where we also belong as the future. The annunciation of the birth of St. John the Baptist, like our own births in the present is also the story of coming of Jesus because this is His story. History!
Jesus Christ is the center of our lives, of our personal history. It is only in Christ can we find and have fulfillment as persons according to St. John Paul II in his first encyclical called “Redemptor Hominis” (Redeemer of Man). Every time we see our past, whether it is painful or joyful, we can always find solace in Christ in the present. When we think of our future with all the worries and uncertainties, we can rest be assured of the love and support of Jesus always present with us. Whether in St. Luke’s triptych or Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook, may we always find Christ present in and among us between our past and future. This is the very message of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis in their recent speeches regarding the internet and social media where they both hope we do not miss to meet and bring Jesus Christ always.
Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Parokya ni San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista
Gov. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan
