“Who
Are You?”
Rev. Betsey Moe
St. Alban Episcopal Mission,
Antigua Guatemala
17 December 2023
John 1:6-8, 19-28
1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness
to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself
was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites
from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 He confessed and did not
deny it, but confessed, "I am not the Messiah." 21 And they asked
him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not."
"Are you the prophet?" He answered, "No." 22 Then they said
to him, "Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do
you say about yourself?"
23 He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make
straight the way of the Lord,'" as the prophet Isaiah said. 24 Now they
had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, "Why then are you
baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?" 26
John answered them, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you
do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the
thong of his sandal." 28 This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where
John was baptizing.
“Who are you?” I think I have never been so aware of this question as I have been these past two years living in Guatemala as an Ex-pat. There’s nothing like living outside your country of origin to make you aware of and question your own identity.
I think I answer the question of what it is I do here at least once a week. I’ve never answered the same way twice. Sometimes I say I work for a non-profit and hope that’s enough. Sometimes I say that I’m a Presbyterian pastor working with a partner organization that works for social change. Sometimes I say that I help lead groups of North Americans who come to learn about Guatemala.
You probably have your own go-to explanations of telling people who you are, what you do, why you’re here.
I know I am asked this question a lot because I look like an outsider. Eric and I both know that there’s no hiding it. When our son Owen lived with us, he would say things like, “Oh Dad, don’t wear that hat. You’ll look like a gringo.” And Eric would say, “You really think it’s just the hat that gives me away?”
We both find that It’s important here as Ex-pats to be aware of how we’re perceived, but more than that, to know for ourselves who we are and what we want to be about.
In today’s text, John the Baptist is asked, “Who are you?” by the priests and Levites. These were people who were not just curious, not just trying to strike up friendly conversation after church, but who were sent by Jewish authorities to push on John a bit because they were already feeling threatened by the winds of change.
Up to this point, readers of the gospel of John haven’t been given a lot of information about who John is. In this Fourth gospel, there is no account of Elizabeth giving birth to a baby and calling him John (that’s only in Luke). In this gospel, there is no story of John dressed in camel’s hair shouting, “repent!” (those stories are in Matthew, Mark, AND Luke). In fact, John doesn’t even baptize Jesus in this gospel.
So, what does John say to the priests and the Levites who ask him, “Who are you?” John’s answer is two-fold: Here’s who I’m not, and here’s who I am.
John said, “I am not the Messiah…I am not Elijah…I am not the prophet” (meaning Moses).
John knows who he is NOT. Even though John has seen the light, he knows he is not the light. Even though he has a word from God for the people, he is not the prophet Elijah returning, and he is not Moses. As tempting as it may have been to feel puffed up about the inside knowledge he had, the power he had to influence people, John resisted. He knew who he was not.
It’s important to know and even say aloud who we are NOT.
For instance, I am not a psychologist. When I was serving a church as a pastor, people would sometimes come to me for mental health support. I was happy to listen and to pray as someone trained in pastoral care, but if someone needed ongoing psychological help, I would be doing them a disservice if I did not refer them to a professional. Knowing who I am not is just as important for myself and the community as knowing who I am.
As a U.S. citizen working in Guatemala, knowing who I’m not is crucial. Even though I want to understand the dynamics of this country, I don’t have first-hand experience of living in poverty, of living without access to healthcare, of being limited in education. I am not an expert in history, language or culture. I am not here to fix Guatemala, I’m not here to save anyone, I’m not here to make reparations. I need to be aware of the things I am not in order effectively to do the things I am called to do: to be a learner, a listener, a bridge-builder.
Sometimes knowing who you are not is even broader. I once heard about a woman who, for her morning spiritual practice, sat up and swung her feet over the side of bed, and said: “I hereby resign as Director of the Universe.” She found it important to state before God and to remind herself that it wasn’t her place to control everything.
John knew who he was NOT. I am not the Messiah; I am not the prophet; I am not the light.
But he also knew who he WAS called to be: “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness,” a witness to the light.
John stated who he was in a tense moment, to authorities who came to chip away at his credibility and self-confidence. “Who are you? And why are you baptizing if you’re not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?” they asked. John answered them with the humble confidence of the Spirit. Knowing that he was primarily a witness to the light of Jesus, he said, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.”
John did not try to tout his authority by puffing himself up, by naming all the things that would validate his role of prophet, that would maybe have gotten the priests and Levites off his back. Instead, he used his voice in that moment to lift up Jesus Christ, the light of the world.
In this gospel, the role of witness is one all those who profess faith in Jesus, share. No one is exempt. Witnesses form the plot in this gospel – John the Baptist, the Samaritan Woman, the man healed of blindness, Mary Magdalene. People testify to the wonders they see, setting an example for the church, for every Christian. Being a witness can be seen as a minor role. But it is also incredibly important. If we don’t look for light of Christ in the world and point it out, who else will?
“I
am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, make straight the way of the
Lord.”
“I myself am not the light. I came to testify to the light.”
The world is DARK right now. But in this place, we gather to re-affirm the truth that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it. And then we go out and keep our eyes open for glimpses of light, glimpses of the goodness of God and the work of Jesus Christ in the midst of the darkness. There is light shining among the courageous people who will keep standing at the Ministerio Público through the holidays; there is light shining in those who continue to care for one another in the rubble in Gaza; God’s light is shining around every act of kindness and welcome and sacrifice and compassion. Even if you are not accustomed to thinking of yourself as a witness, wanting to distance yourself from the people who use megaphones, your voice in the wilderness matters. Your voice that says, “Look! There’s still light.”
Who are you? Who are you not? What light do you see, and how will you share it?
I want to close by reading the first part of the reading from John, but we are going to use it as a prayer, a kind of commitment. When I pause, I want you in your own head and heart to plug in your own name.
There
was a person sent from God, whose name was ______. This person came as a witness to testify to
the light, so that all might believe. This person was not the light, but came
to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming
into the world.
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