December 1998 Issue

In the world of art, image is important. In fact, it's crucial. Whether it be drama, dance, painting, sculpture, movies, television, music, or anything else, image plays a very important role. We all, in fact, recognize this as true in our own lives. Through the media of our own bodies, the clothes that we wear, the car we drive, the house we live in, the words that we use in conversation, all of us artistically "paint a picture" to others of who we are and what our lives are like. We are constantly giving an "image" of ourselves and of others to the rest of the world.

So it is with John the Baptist. In this passage John is giving two artistic images. The first one is the image that he portrays of himself, the other is the image he gives of the one who is to come, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Assuming that the author of this biblical narrative is somewhat accurate in his description of John the Baptist, he portrays himself as quite an alternative character. John is a rebel, a fanatic, a "post materialist," a prophet who shocks his audience into attention. He is not afraid to speak what he believes to be the truth, and he doesn't care if he steps on a few toes in the dominant culture.

Our recent history reveals a plethora of kindred spirits in the art world, both in terms of attitude (and sometimes even in terms of dress!). When we look at the 1950s, through the 60s and 70s and even today, we see artistic rebels shouting out their prophecies. Poets like Jack Keroac and singers like Bob Dylan proclaim that the "times they are a changin'." Even when the establishment tries to move toward them, joining the bandwagon of other followers, these alternative artists push them away.

Likewise, when the Pharisees and Sadducees came out to see what all the excitement was about, John harshly rebuked them. He told them that their attitude had not changed. They were still seeing things through their same old world view. Their change had to be from the inside out. John's attitude reminds me of the late ex-Beatle John Lennon. He visioned a very different kind of world during a difficult time in our recent history. Through his radical nature, he kept his distance from those of the dominant culture. His "vision," like John the Baptist, ended up costing him his life.

The other image that is given in this passage is John's description of their Messiah, the one we know to be Jesus Christ. As we would expect from John, this image is also portrayed in shocking and extreme terms. Metaphors of axes, threshing, and unquenchable fire are thrown out like hand grenades of fear and guilt. These metaphors form a powerful theme of judgment that seems to be intended to shock hearers into repentance. They paint a picture reminiscent of a scene in the movie, Last Temptation of Christ. In the scene, the Jesus character (played by William DeFoe), stands amidst his disciples, with an ax in his hands. His face glows against the roaring fire which penetrates the dark night. He is very angry, and he describes to his followers that it is time to go into Jerusalem and start fighting. To be sure, this movie scene is a disturbing image of Jesus. Yet, it is not totally unfounded. Despite the more soothing "suffer the little children" images to which Jesus is often constrained in our culture, there are also biblical references of Jesus bringing a sword, dividing up families, and taking up sides of who is "for him" and "against him." Matthew 3:1-12, then, seem to add yet another one of those disturbing images to the list.

When we look at John's image of Jesus, it is appropriate to ask the question, "What are the images of Jesus that we proclaim?" Are they similar to John's, or are they almost the exact opposite? I grew up with the notion that Jesus is a kinder, gentler man. Maybe this came from the pictures (images) of Jesus found on the walls of my Sunday School classes. They showed him as a loving, parental sort that constantly had children on his knees, and a smile on his face. Maybe your view of Jesus is that like the movie Jesus of Nazareth that comes on television almost every Easter. This film shows Christ as a quiet, serene, yet determined character. The director seems to keep him very intentionally stoic; as if to say that all we really know about Jesus Christ is that he is special.

Like John the Baptist, the images that we give, both of who Jesus is and who we are as Christians, are very important. These images are powerful, perhaps even more powerful than we realize. Once an image goes across a television screen, it no longer belongs to the one who produced it; it belongs to the one who receives it. So also are our images of Christ, the Church, and of ourselves. Sometimes our images are frightening, like those given by John the Baptist; but hopefully we also give images of hope and healing.

Bill Buchanan