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“I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not
recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am
not worthy to untie.” This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing. John 1:26–28
Though John the Baptist prepared the people of Israel for the
beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he also prepares us to receive the
fruit of that ministry and mission. One way he does this is by
revealing the identity of the Messiah with great clarity.
Of John, Jesus said, “Among those born of women there has been none
greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of
heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11). This is high praise!
One of the most important qualities that made John so great was his
humility. It was his humility that enabled him to turn the
attention of his followers away from himself and toward the
Messiah.
During this transitional period between the octave of Christmas and
Ordinary Time, we are invited to anticipate all that this newborn
King came to do in our lives. He came to set us free from all sin
so that we can enter into union with Him. One of the best ways to
embrace our Lord’s mission is to understand who He is—His identity
and mission.
With John, we are invited to acknowledge the unfathomable glory of
the Messiah. With John, we must profess that we are not worthy even
to untie His sandal strap. In the cultural context, that function
was delegated to the lowest servant in a household, who untied the
master’s sandals upon his return home and washed his feet. If we
understand who Jesus is in relation to us, we will believe and
profess that we are not worthy even to be His lowliest servant.
This is the truth: in regard to worthiness, we have none in the
presence of the Messiah.
Once we understand and believe this truth, we will be better
prepared to embrace the even more glorious truth that our King,
Master, and Messiah has chosen to stoop down to wash our feet and
serve us by laying down His life for our eternal salvation. He
takes all our sins upon Himself and suffers their consequences,
death on a cross.
Without imitating and participating in John’s humility, we cannot
experience the depth of gratitude that we must have for Jesus’ life
and mission. Acknowledging our complete unworthiness with John is
not demeaning, nor does it make us any more unworthy. Instead, this
act of true humility prepares us for the gift that began with the
Incarnation and culminated in the Ascension into Heaven.
Reflect today on the humble truth of your complete unworthiness
before the life and mission of the Messiah. Ponder John the Baptist
as your model. Look at Jesus as John looked at Him, and believe
what John believed. As you do, allow that realization to fill you
with gratitude as you ponder God’s choice to meet you in that lowly
state so as to serve you with the gift of His very life.
My glorious Lord, I am not worthy even to be Your lowest
servant. Help me to understand and believe this humble truth. As I
do, I offer You my utmost gratitude for choosing to meet me in that
humility and to draw me to Yourself as my Messiah and King. I love
You, my Lord; help me to love You more. Jesus, I trust in
You.
Image: Boston at English Wikipedia & John Stephen
Dwyer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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