THE WORD
Mal 3: 1–4.23–24 / Lk 1: 57–66
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. He asked for a tablet and wrote,
“John is his name,” and all were amazed. Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
IN OTHER WORDS
At the Divine Word Seminary, every class has a name. It is interesting how students choose their class names—mostly because they sound “Greek”; the stranger they sound, the better. One class is named Tekton (Greek for “laborer” or “carpenter”); another, Hasidim (Hebrew for “faithful ones,” the name of a group found in the books of Maccabees; Sondergut (German word for “special material,” a technical term in biblical exegesis referring to a passage unique to a single gospel); and the like.
One wonders why Luke takes time to narrate the naming of John the Baptist. After quickly recounting the Baptist’s birth (in two verses only), Luke tells us, slowly, of the naming (in eight verses)—that it is on the eighth day, on the day of the child’s circumcision, that Elizabeth intervened to say that he will be called “John”; that the relatives object; that Zechariah, unable to speak, is consulted who in turn writes on a tablet the name “John”; that at once the mute priest begins to speak; and that the people are afraid although they also consider all these things.
The name “John” (literally in Hebrew, “The Lord is gracious”) is a common name—in fact, it is a name popular in the priestly circles—John the grandfather of Judas Maccabeus and John Hyrcanus, for example. What’s in the naming of John? It seems that Luke, by taking time to narrate this seemingly unimportant incident, wants to highlight the effectiveness of God’s word. The incident is an essential part of the confirmation of the prophetic word of the angel Gabriel who foretold of the birth of John the Baptist at the annunciation to Zechariah (1:5-25). There should be no doubt then that the prophetic word of the angel foretelling the birth of Jesus at annunciation to Mary shall be confirmed indeed (see 2:1-7). For us who hear this word today and who at times have doubts about God’s promise of goodness to us, we are continually assured that, echoing Elizabeth’s words to Mary, what was spoken to us by the Lord would be fulfilled (cf. 1:45).
- Fr. Randolf Flores, SVD (DWST, Tagaytay City)
The Word in other words 2015
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
