Are you Elijah?

Why in the world would they ask something like that?

Dec 15, 2024

Today’s readings are a bit of a history lesson and chance to share in the “aha moment” with the disciples as they connect the dots on their realization that they are seeing the prophesies playing out in real time. In response to the disciples’ question about the expected return of Elijah, Jesus interprets the mission of the Baptist as the fulfillment of that expectation.

Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11
Matthew 17:9-13

“Are you Elijah?”

That was the question posed to John the Baptist by priests and Levites sent by the Jews in Jerusalem in the first chapter of the Gospel of John. Why in the world would they ask something like that?

Image by Thomas

John the Baptist was drawing great crowds into the wilderness to be baptized in water. If John was not the Messiah (which he had denied just before this) perhaps he was the messenger of their Old Testament readings from the works of Malachi.

Malichi in chapter 3 gave, among other things, these messages to the people of Israel:

Now I am sending my messenger—
he will prepare the way before me; [Malachi 3:1]

Remember the law of Moses my servant,
whom I charged at Horeb
With statutes and ordinances
for all Israel. [Malachi 3:22]

Now I am sending to you
Elijah the prophet,
Before the day of the LORD comes,
the great and terrible day;
He will turn the heart of fathers to their sons,
and the heart of sons to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike
the land with utter destruction. [Malachi 3:23-24]

The priests expected that the Lord would send a messenger, identified as the prophet Elijah, before “the day of the Lord”. There was possibly an air of cautious optimism that this was indeed happening.

But in the book of John, John the Baptist says he is not Elijah.

The priests need to have some kind of answer to take back to Jerusalem. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

John the Baptist replies:

“I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the desert,
“Make straight the way of the Lord,”’
as Isaiah the prophet said.” [John 1:23]

Today’s first reading was an interesting choice to support the Gospel reading.

It is from the book of Sirach, one of the books found in Catholic versions of the Bible, but not in most protestant versions. Written in Hebrew in the early years of the second century B.C., the book was finished by about 175 B.C., well after the last book in the Old Testament, Malachi. Chapters 1–43 deal largely with moral instruction; Chapters 44-50 contain a eulogy of the heroes of Israel.

It seems that the reading from Sirach is used to present the highlights of Elijah’s accomplishments that can be studied in detail in the in 1 Kings 17-19 and 2 Kings 1-2. It’s a bit like a Cliff’s Notes of who was who in the Old Testament.

Unlike the verses in the two books of Kings, Sirach includes this in its summary of Elijah:

You are destined, it is written, in time to come
to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,
To turn back the hearts of parents toward their children,
and to re-establish the tribes of Israel. [Sirach 48:10]

Now that we have gotten some grounding in the Gospel of John, the Old Testament books of Malachi, Sirach, and a touch of Isaiah, let’s catch up with today’s gospel reading from Matthew 17:9, which starts out:

As they were coming down from the mountain,
the disciples asked Jesus,
"Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

I feel like I’ve joined this event already in progress, like when you get are returned to “normal TV programming” after a football game that went into overtime. Who is the “they” coming down from the mountain? Did something notable just happen? Inquiring minds want to know. Backing up to the beginning of Matthew chapter 17 we have:

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid.

But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. [Matthew 17:1-8]

Yes, this was the Transfiguration of Jesus. OK, that’s some bit of context to work with. Peter, James, and yet another John have now come to understand that Jesus is really truly the Messiah. Now they have questions, because, as they understood it, the prophet Elijah was to come as a messenger first. What gives? Let’s read today’s gospel one more time:

As they were coming down from the mountain,
the disciples asked Jesus,
"Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"
He said in reply, "Elijah will indeed come and restore all things;
but I tell you that Elijah has already come,
and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.
So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands."
Then the disciples understood
that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. [Matthew 9a, 10-13]

First, Jesus agrees that to fulfill the prophecy to the coming of the Lord that the Elijah must come first as a messenger. But then he says that already happened, and that the messenger was not recognized, so they “did to him whatever they pleased” – in this case, Harrod had John the Baptist beheaded. The Son of Man, Jesus, will also suffer at their hands.

So the priests and Levites may have been correct in their thoughts that John the Baptist might be Elijah. But don’t just take that as idle speculation. There was a reveal earlier in Matthew. While the disciples off on a mission (Matthew 10) and John the Baptist was still alive in prison, we have this:

Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are in royal palaces. Then why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written:

‘Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.’ Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent are taking it by force.

All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, the one who is to come. Whoever has ears ought to hear. [Matthew 11:7-15]

The disciples were NOT there. Jesus was laying out the details to “whoever has ears”, that is, those who had the faith and perception necessary to “hear” the message. Apparently, his words fell on deaf ears.

They have heard the voice calling out in the wilderness. It was Elijah!

Are you Elijah?

Why in the world would they ask something like that?

Discussion about this post