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“Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you
testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.”
John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what
has been given from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said
that I am not the Christ, but that I was sent before him. The one
who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and
listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So
this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must
decrease.” John 3:26–30
John the Baptist’s words are filled with humility and truth.
Imagine the scene. John had acquired quite a following. His
ministry was flourishing, and many people were coming to him to
receive his baptism of repentance. Then, suddenly, Jesus appeared
and began to gather His own followers, including some of John’s
disciples.
Human weakness and sin led some of John’s remaining disciples to
feel envious and jealous as Jesus’ ministry grew. They perceived
Jesus’ success as surpassing their own, leading them to desire what
Jesus and His disciples had and feel discontented with their own
circumstances. They were also jealous of the potential loss of
their status within what seemed to be John’s diminishing
ministry.
John, however, felt no envy or jealousy. He rejoiced greatly at
Jesus’ arrival because he knew that his ministry existed solely to
point people to Jesus. The fulfillment of John’s ministry was, in
fact, its completion, as it gave way to the establishment and
growth of Jesus’ ministry. His final words to his disciples must
continuously echo within our own minds and hearts: “He must
increase; I must decrease.”
We can apply John’s humble words to our own souls by acknowledging
that every good thing in our lives is a gift from God, not the
result of our own efforts. For this reason, God’s influence in our
lives must increase while our control decreases. This is humbling
because the closer we become united to Christ, the less we can take
credit for our own actions. If God uses us, He deserves the glory,
not us. Envy may tempt us to take credit for our own goodness and
to feel discontent when others do not praise us. Jealousy may tempt
us to hold on to self-righteousness, honors, and spiritual
consolations when we are called to live more sacrificially and
selflessly.
Like John, as our Lord increases within us, exercising His sacred
ministry within our souls, we must see ourselves as the best man at
a wedding, rejoicing that the Groom has arrived, and pointing only
to Him, rather than to ourselves. Just as John’s mission was to
prepare the way for Christ and then step aside, our efforts at
conversion and repentance should culminate in Christ taking over.
We must become His Body: His hands, His feet, and His heart. He
must take over, and our will must become His will; our charity, His
charity; our lives, His life. With Saint Paul, we must long for the
day when we can cry out, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is
no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…” (Galatians
2:20).
Reflect today on the conclusion of John’s ministry as the beginning
of Jesus’ ministry. See John’s decrease and Christ’s increase as a
model for your own soul. Consider all the effort you have put into
repenting, turning from sin, and turning to God. See that effort as
preparation for Jesus to take over. Let Him take over, and give Him
all the credit and glory. Pray that He increases in your life to
the point that it is no longer you who lives, but Christ Who lives
in you.
My transforming Lord, You invite me to embrace the humility of
Saint John the Baptist so that my human effort, my actions, and all
that I am will diminish as You take over my life. Please humble me,
Lord, and transform me, making me into Your Body in the world.
Jesus, I trust in You.
Image: Master of the Life of Saint John the Baptist,
RiminiDaderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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