St. Mark the Evangelist opens his Gospel with the beginning of preaching among men and of the service of Christ in the world. And it does not take long to portray in its true meaning Malachi’s prophecy about John the Baptist, an angel who will go before the face of the Lord: “Behold, I send My angel, and he shall prepare the way before My face” (Malachi 3: 1).
The prophet Malachi and the evangelist Mark call John an angel, because John was in his life like an angel from heaven, closer than all men to angelic life. Then, in order to see clearly that the purpose of Christ’s work on earth was to make men angels, mortal men, sinners, slaves by nature, to make beings without death, without sin, as angels are in heaven. John like an angel first, through obedience to God. Then, through freedom from the world; and third, by neglecting the body.
Angels obey God perfectly. Every day the unspeakable mysteries of God’s wisdom, power, and love are revealed to them, and their obedience to the Builder springs from joy and obedience. St. John also obeyed God from his youth. Born of elderly parents, he was orphaned from childhood and had only God as his Father. He went into the wilderness (Luke 1:80) so that his spirit would be day and night one with the will of the Living God. He gave himself completely to God, expecting everything from Him alone.
John is also like the angels in his independence from the world and from men. Not being bound in any world, John, like an angel of God, thundered without passion upon the elders of Jerusalem, before whom the people bowed down as before idols: “O generation of vipers, who hath taught you to flee from the wrath? next? ” (Luke 3: 7), and rebuked Herod for all the evil he had done (Luke 3:19). John cared only for God and His will. He did not distinguish between people, he did not look at clothes, nor at dinner, nor at science, nor at wealth, nor at years, but only at the soul.
And again, John was like an angel in neglect of earthly things. Angels are not bodily beings like men, they are clothed in heavenly bodies (I Corinthians 15:40). Angels have no self-care. They do not bother worrying about what they will eat, or what they will drink, or what they will wear. I serve God and I know that from Him they have food and drink and clothing.
John fed on locusts and wild honey. Do not drink wine or strong drink. But it is not said that he ever had anything to eat and drink. It was not the locusts and honey that fed him, but the power of God that is shared with His believers through them. John didn’t worry about clothes and housing either. His house was the desert covered with the vault of heaven, and his coat of camel’s hair, warmed with a leather girdle. And Elijah was girded with a girdle of leather, a sign of the death of the passions and of the fulfillment of God’s will. He slept either in the open air or in one of the many caves in the wilderness across the Jordan.
“He looked wild and frightening and unmatched by other people because of his long time in the wilderness. His hair was thick and tangled, his face was sunburnt, thin on his body, and his arms and ribs were so weak that he looked like a spider. And his feet were like those of locusts. His speech was harsh and sweet; harsh for those of shame, sweet in preaching to repentance. And in a word, as his food was wild honey, so was his teaching, mixed with sweetness and harshness. “