two accounts

In the bible we have accounts of Elijah and of John the Baptist. John the Baptist comes in the spirit of Elijah and is spoken of as a forerunner of Christ.
We have a much more detailed account of Elijah than of John. We are given Elijah’s ups and downs, his wanderings, his conflicts, his turmoil and despair. We only get John’s steadfast purpose, his sudden rise to fame, his sudden demise. Elijah runs from pillar to post, chasing and being chased by people and God. John stands his ground in the wilderness until he is arrested. Elijah constantly prays and saves his neck, while John stays defiant and loses his. Elijah gets a sensational and emotional departure from earth, while John’s death seems so senseless, petty and cruel.
Jesus gives tribute to John after his death, yet strangely, he claims that he is least in the kingdom of heaven.
Elijah’s account is like “Gone with the Wind”, while John’s is like “The Great Gatsby”. The first is long and gets its appreciation from the story itself. The second is short and requires more reflection in order to gain its appreciation. The first is ornamental and triumphant, the second stark and disturbing.