Contemplative Bible Reading

John 1:31-34 (New Living Translation)

31 I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”

32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.”

John the Baptist is talking. John met many people. Large crowds came out to see him. John was from a big family, lots of distant relatives.

Jesus of Nazareth was one of John’s cousins. John saw cousin Jesus in the crowd one day. Note verse 31, John saw his cousin and didn’t recognize cousin Jesus as the Messiah. Just good old cousin Jesus.

Then John saw the Holy Spirit descend on cousin Jesus and rest on him. Hmmm. Odd. Then John remembered something God had told him. John would see the Holy Spirit rest on the Messiah.

Let’s pause a moment and try to be John. Cousin Jesus; nice fellow. Son of Uncle Joseph who had a little carpentry shop up in that poor village of Nazareth. Uncle Joseph made basic stuff from wood. Nothing fancy because no one in Nazareth could afford anything fancy. Poor country cousins, not like John who was from the big, rich city of Jerusalem.

But here was the Holy Spirit descending on poor country cousin Jesus. Hmmm. Perhaps I misheard what God told me. Perhaps my eyes played tricks on me. This cousin Jesus, why he couldn’t be…could he?

Despite all that made sense, John the Baptist proceeded with what he heard from God and what he saw with his own eyes. From that point on, he proclaimed that his cousin Jesus was the Chosen One of God.

God speaks to us with Spiritual means. Sometimes God speaks to us through our ears and eyes. God, help me to be aware of both the spiritual and physical.