Did you not
preach Him to all men, even before these signs and
wonders? Why then, when He is known to all and when His
fame spreads in all directions do you send to ask this
concerning Him? What has happened? Were all those
testimonies of yours false; nothing but fables and old
wives' tales? Who of sound mind would say such a thing;
certainly not of John who leaped in the womb of his
mother at the approach of Christ, who, then unborn, had
still proclaimed Him; the dweller in the desert, of
angelic life. Even were he the lowest of men, he could
not be uncertain about Christ after his own testimony
and that of others. Therefore it is plain that he did
not send to Christ through any doubt of his own nor did
he enquire as one in ignorance of the facts.
Nor can anyone say that he did
know the facts but had become timid in prison. For he
did not expect to be freed from prison, nor if he did
was he prepared to deny the truth, for which he was more
than once ready to die. Unless he had been more than
ready to die he would never have shown such courage
before a people who were well known for their proclivity
to shed the blood of the Prophets.
We must then give an answer: Why
did he send to ask this question? The disciples of John
were moved to envy against Christ, as is seen from what
they once said to their Master (John 3:26), and again
from the complaint made by one of them, together with
the Jews: We and the Pharisees fast often, but your
disciples do not.
They did not yet know who Christ
was and, thinking him a mere man, however great, and
that John was more than a mere man, they were grieved to
see Jesus' fame increasing, while that of John was in
eclipse. This attitude had kept them back from drawing
near to the Lord. So long as John was with them, he
tried to convince them of the truth regarding Christ;
but now, when he expected nothing but death at the hands
of Herod, he was concerned about them. He was afraid to
leave them in this uncertain state; afraid that they
might remain thus, apart from Christ, to whom he had
tried to lead them. Had he said to them: Go, follow him,
for he is greater than I, they would not have obeyed
through conviction. He sends them to Christ so that he
may convince them!
