JOHN THE BAPTIST AND JESUS (MARK 1:7-8; MATTHEW 3:11-12; LUKE 3:15-18)

  

              Scenes in a Life: Panel F 

In reply to the crowd's question as to whether John was himself the Messiah (as we learn from Luke's account only), John replies that the Messiah's baptism will be more powerful in effect than his. In addition, he compares himself unfavorably with Jesus in that he is isn't even worthy to unfasten His shoes. Matthew and Luke add that the coming Messiah will separate the wheat from the chaff. Luke concludes by labeling John's preaching to the people “the good news,” or Gospel.

If you read these three accounts, you may be surprised to note that the word “Messiah” is actually never used by John the Baptist. Grassmick suggests that the term was avoided “because of popular misconceptions associated with it.”

“the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose” (Mark and Luke – Matthew says “worthy to carry” instead).

There is some disagreement among scholars regarding the historical situation at the time. Thus, Grassmick says, “Even a Hebrew slave was not required to do this menial task for his master!” Lane agrees with this assessment when he states that “he affirms that he is not worthy of performing the most menial task from which even the Hebrew slave was released, the removal of the master's sandals.” However, he cites two different rabbinic documents which give contradictory instructions. And one of these sources actually states that even though a slave must not wash his master's feet, a son or pupil may.

Contradicting both Grassmick and Lane, Marcus states: “In rabbinic sources the untying of the master's shoe is the task of a slave. Hugh Anderson agrees with this assessment: “Beside Jesus, the Baptist cannot claim even a slave-master relationship. It was the duty of a slave to carry his master's shoes after him or to take them from his feet,” as witnessed in rabbinic literature. This is also the understanding of The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery: “John the Baptist considered himself unworthy of even carrying (Mt 3:11) or untying (Mk 1:7; Lk 3:16; Jn 1:27) Jesus' sandals, a task usually reserved for slaves (cf. 1 Sam 25:41; Jn 13:6-7).”

The problem seems to boil down to which rabbinic source one cites and whether that source accurately reflects the ruling at the actual time period in question. Another article in DBI adds somewhat to our understanding of the Baptist's words: “In the context of foot washing, the baring of feet signifies the status of an honored guest. John the Baptist extends this image further by confessing that he was unworthy even to remove Jesus' sandals (Mt 3:11). In turn, Jesus dramatically subverts this symbolism when he washes the bare feet of his disciples, using the occasion to teach that service, rather than social standing, determines greatness in the kingdom of heaven (Jn 13:1-20).”

“I indeed baptize you with water...but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire.”

Powell feels that John “announced the coming of the new kingdom and invited all who would enter to submit to the ritual of baptism in the Jordan River (Matt 3:1-12; Luke 3:1-20). The parallel with events in Joshua, with baptism replacing 'crossing,' seems too clear to be coincidental.”

Then concerning the baptism with fire, Barbieri states that it “referred to the judging and cleansing of those who would enter the kingdom, as prophesied in Malachi 3.”

“He will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor; and he will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.”

“Threshing was used as a figure of the violence inflicted by one people on another (Is 21:10; Amos 1:3), particularly in judgment (Jer 51:33; Mic 4:11-13; Hab 3:12).” (DBI)

“The presence of eschatological fire that will burn up the chaff in the context of the judgment of Israel brings to mind Mal. 4:1a: 'See the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble...Nevertheless, the comparison of the judgment of the wicked to chaff burning in fire is not unique to Malachi (cf. Ps. 83:13-14; Isa. 29:5-6; Obad. 18)...The reference to pyri asbesto ('unquenchable fire'), for example, finds its parallels in other passages...(Isa. 66:24b; cf 34:8-10; Jer. 17:27).” (Pao and Schnabel)

As to the barn itself, DBI says, “The barn embodies safety in the face of ultimate danger. The wheat left on the threshing floor will be consumed; the grain in the barn will not. 'Barn' represents the sovereign protection of God.”

Finally, Bruce Metzger comments on the text of Matthew 3:12 as follows: Some manuscripts read autou after both siton and hapotheken, “the result of scribal expansion (to emphasize that the Messiah owns not only the winnowing forks and threshing floor, but the wheat and the granary as well).”