11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 Whoever has ears, let them hear.16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:17 “‘We played the pipe for you,     and you did not dance; we sang a dirge,     and you did not mourn.’18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”REFLECTIONSWritten by Vincent ChanI often find myself reflecting on how wealth has changed for my family. My grandparents lived in a time when starvation was a real thing and just getting food on the table was the weekly challenge. My parents were immigrants who had to work hard when they first arrived in Australia and buying a cup of coffee was considered a luxury. And now I live in the time when I can go overseas not to emigrate but simply for a holiday (well at least pre-covid). There is something incredibly privileged and comfortable about my situation that my grandparents probably couldn’t have even imagined.In this passage, Jesus says that whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than even John the Baptist (verse 11). This probably doesn’t really strike us until we see that John the Baptist is the last of the prophets (verse 13), the one compared to the greatest of the Old Testament prophet Elijah (verse 14) and the one of whom Jesus says there is ‘no one greater’ (verse 11). In other words, John is about as great as they come in terms of significance in the history of God’s plan.Yet even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And I think Jesus’ point is not that they achieve more, but rather that we who live on this side of the cross get to witness and experience what John could only point to: the person of Jesus Christ. The prophets longed to know the identity and works of the Messiah (1 Peter 1:12), whereas we are no longer guessing what God will do – we look back on what God has already done through the Messiah. We have not only seen the full picture of Christ’s identity and saving work, but we also get to know Jesus and experience his Spirit’s power in our lives. There is something incredibly privileged about our time in history that we shouldn’t forget.And so as you pray today, give thanks that Christ in all his glory has been revealed to you.QUESTIONThe Old Testament prophets knew that God was going to send a saving king. What things about Jesus do you think would have surprised them and blown them away most?ABOUT THE AUTHORVincent is an assistant minister with our Fairfield congregations.