Luke 1:80Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Or, he was in the deserts that he might be brought up beyond the reach of the malice of the multitude, and not be afraid of man. For if he had been in the world, perchance he had been corrupted by the friendship and conversation of the world. And secondly, that he who was to preach Christ might also be esteemed trust-worthy. But he was hid in the desert until it pleased God to shew him forth to the people of Israel, as it follows, till the day of his shewing forth to Israel.

John did not retreat into the desert to embrace its untamed nature; rather, he sought to subdue the chaos of the civilized world found in the wilderness. In the tranquil realm of human existence, unchecked desire acts like a ferocious beast, disrupting harmony. However, when this desire is confined to the solitude of the wilderness, it can find serenity. This is evidenced by the example of Herod, who, residing in a peaceful land, succumbed to a reckless passion for his brother's wife. His uncontrollable lust led him to take the life of John, the humble and self-restrained prophet, who dwelled in the wilderness and remained unaffected by even the lawful unions established by societal norms (Matthew 14:3 and others).

And rightly is the time noted during which the prophet was in the womb, in order that the presence of Mary might not be passed over, while they are silent about the time of his childhood, because being strengthened in the womb by the presence of the Mother of the Lord, he knew not the struggles of childhood.

The young child developed and was empowered by the Spirit of God. He remained in the wilderness until the time of his manifestation to Israel. When the day finally arrived for his revelation to the Israelites, he traversed the surrounding regions of the Jordan, proclaiming the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins (Luke 3:3). From his earliest days, he was to embody righteousness and speak with fearless conviction, ensuring that the testimony regarding Christ he shared was deserving of belief.

Or he increased in spirit, remaining not in the same measure in which he had begun, but the Spirit was ever growing in him. His will ever tending to better things, was making its own advances, and his mind ever contemplating something more divine, while his memory was exercising itself, that it might lay up more and more things in its treasury, and more firmly retain them. But he adds, And he waxed strong. For human nature is weak, as we learn, the flesh is weak. (Matt. 26:41.) It must therefore be made strong by the Spirit, for the Spirit is ready. Many wax strong in the flesh, but the wrestler of God must be strengthened by the Spirit that he may crush the wisdom of the flesh. He retires therefore to escape the noise of cities, and the thronging of the people.

The future preacher of repentance, that he might the more boldly reclaim his hearers from the allurements of the world, passes the first part of his life in the deserts. Hence it is said, And the child grew.

The Evangelist notes that the child was imbued with spiritual strength, particularly manifesting the Spirit of God. This bestowed him with remarkable capabilities, notably in moral character. “In the deserts.” The hilly terrain of Palestine contained numerous deserts, some inhabited by wild beasts. According to an ancient narrative recounted by Origen, John had to flee into the wilderness shortly after his birth to escape Herod’s persecution. He is said to have lived in a cave near the Jordan River with his mother, who passed away after six months; thereafter, John was cared for by others as hermits often resided in these remote areas. Eventually, John chose to live in solitude. The divine providence guiding John's life is both astonishing and wise.

John the Forerunner and His Virtuous Life

Around four centuries had elapsed since the last prophets emerged following the Babylonian exile when a man arose in Judea whose lifestyle and teachings instinctively echoed those of the ancient prophets. This was John, the son of Zacharias, whose birth preceded that of Jesus by mere months and who was foretold even before his arrival to be the herald of Christ’s ministry. Little is known about his personal life, aside from the fact that he displayed remarkable spiritual strength from a young age (Lk. 1:80) and chose to forsake the priestly path that his father followed, instead retreating into the wilderness.

The Evangelist wraps up his narrative about John with an important observation that influences his entire life leading up to his role as the Herald of the Lord. The child matured physically and grew strong in spirit. Following his upbringing with his parents, he resided in seclusion, spending time in the wilderness.

Luke, the Evangelist offers a concise account of John's early years and subsequent life before he emerged to proclaim repentance. He matured and was fortified in spirit while residing in the wilderness. According to tradition, news of the miraculous circumstances surrounding the conception and birth of Zechariah's son John reached King Herod. Initially indifferent, the wary Herod later became alarmed when eastern wise men arrived in Jerusalem seeking the location of the recently born King of the Jews. Fearing for his throne, Herod resolved to slay all infants in Bethlehem and its vicinity, and subsequently, recalling Zechariah's son, he dispatched assassins to Jutta as well.

The young man grew and was strengthened in spirit. While this development is a natural process, it is accompanied by supernatural assistance. He resided in the deserts. Tradition states that Herod, in his intent to eliminate the Messiah, sought the life of John, who had been foretold to him; however, Elizabeth and the child took refuge in the wilderness. Zechariah, unwilling to reveal the location of his wife and son to Herod, was executed by his order between the temple and the altar (Matthew 23:35). The wilderness where John lived is identified as the Judean Desert, located to the southeast of Jerusalem, alongside the shores of the Dead Sea.

The passage indicates that the child developed, serving as a general observation by the Evangelist about the later life of Christ’s precursor until the moment of his revealing to Israel. This signifies the period when, under God's directive, he manifested among the people as a prophet, delivering a message regarding the imminent kingdom of God and pointing towards the forthcoming Messiah, as further elaborated in Luke 3:3. The term "increased" pertains to physical maturation, while "strengthened in spirit" relates to the spiritual vitality of Christ’s forerunner. He resided in the wilderness areas near Hebron and southeast of it, in regions designated as deserts by the Jewish people.

The news of the miraculous birth of the remarkable child spread well beyond the village of the elderly couple. The account of the events that unfolded in Zechariah's home was shared throughout the entire region of Judea. Those who heard the news were filled with reverence at the display of God's omnipotent power, and they wondered amongst themselves, "What will this child become?" The answer to this inquiry lay concealed in the future, as foretold by the prophetic words of the Angel and Zechariah himself. This child, safeguarded by God's Providence for a significant purpose, matured physically and was fortified in spirit.