Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Matt. 11:11
Insight: George Eldon Ladd, the American Biblical scholar, wrote about this verse that so much greater is this new age God ushered in with Jesus that even the least member in the Kingdom of God is greater than the greatest in the previous age. Imagine that! John the Baptist was greater than Moses who parted the Red Sea, received the Ten Commandments and led the children of Israel to the Promise Land. He was greater than Abraham who believed God to the point of being willing to sacrifice his own son. Greater than David, the man after God’s own heart. Greater than Solomon whose unsurpassed wisdom lead Israel in its most glorious days. This is the age we live in, the age of the Kingdom that advances across the globe, the age of free access to God through the blood of Jesus, the age when the Holy Spirit resides in every believer. The age the prophets of old strove to understand and angels longed to look. (1 Peter 1:10-13)
Prayer: Father, we thank you for allowing us to live in this new age of the Kingdom when we can experience you personally and intimately. We thank you for filling us with your Holy Spirit who is our counselor, companion, power for life and ministry. Above all we thank you for Jesus who made this all possible through his sacrifice of love. Amen.
~~ Fr. Scott Howard