"He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30) These are John the Baptist's words from yesterday's reading from the Gospel of John as he explained to a confused follower the reason why it was better for people to follow Jesus. Of the many well-known phrases from John - "In the beginning was the Word"..."For God so loved the world..."..."you must be born again..." - this is one that always seems to have a radar target lock on my heart. "I must decrease." Life is not about me. God help me to understand this - that of all the things that life is about - growth in the love and knowledge of God and all of his ways and all of his creation - me is the one thing it is not about. I'm cut to the heart. "Good, I can decrease" I think to myself. "I can be satisfied. I won't say that next thing I was going to say." (Exhale).
It occurs to me though that I only think about decreasing, and that I've never really thought about what John the Baptist means about the other part. "He must increase." It's the main part of the phrase. The fact that we decrease is really only an afterthought. John's focus is on Jesus increasing. That is the big deal. That's where his joy comes from. That is what we need to understand.
Easier said than done, I must admit. This is tricky for two reasons: one is because John has already made it so clear that Jesus is in fact divine. Look again at 3:31 - "The one who comes from above is above all...the one who comes from heaven is above all." How then does someone who is already divine increase? The other reason is that chapters 4-6 - today's reading - follow a trajectory that we don't exactly associate with 'increasing.' Though he gains followers through his ministry in Samaria with the woman at the well, and though he not only draws a crowd of 5,000, but also feeds them miraculously with a small amount of bread and fish, he is forsaken by the end of chapter 6, his teachings having proved too difficult. He's been passed over, abandoned. Only the few disciples are left.
What then did John the Baptist mean, because apparently Jesus' 'increasing' does not coincide with the success of big numbers and happy customers?
Jesus will not fit into our schemes. His increasing has nothing to do with popularity and appeal to the masses, and everything to do with true rightful and royal authority. He must increase, not in the amount of times I say his name, not in the way I manipulate my mannerisms for the watching eyes of others, but in my regard for what is real or unreal, meaningful or meaningless, of eternal value or passing away. When Jesus feeds the 5,000 in chapter 6, the people are so overcome with awe that they want to make him king. But Jesus is not impressed with them. The text says that Jesus "withdrew again to the mountain by himself." (6:15). When he sees them again, he tells them that they are looking for him not because they saw who he really was, but because "you ate your fill of the loaves." What he is saying to them is, "you may think you're decreasing by following me in this way. You think you're all in. But you are still just interested in your own hunger and your own ambitions. You aren't any less interested in yourself, and I mean nothing more to you than the things I've given you."
It is not enough for us to merely 'decrease' today, because we can always find some new way to make life about ourselves. Jesus must also 'increase.' There is room for only one sun in the sky to light up the world, to bless the land, to warm us when the colder winds begin to blow. Likewise, there is only room for one Lord - Jesus.
Now who doesn't love attention? I sure do. But unless I let Jesus increase, I'm telling the bread of heaven that "I'm not really hungry for a multi-course meal with God. I'd rather just have a snack." I want him to increase. He must increase.
God, tell us the truth today about who we are. Also, tell us the truth about you and your Son Jesus, so that we can be fulfilled in him alone.
No comments:
Post a Comment