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Happy Monday to you. We’re really in the middle of the semester here. Just two weeks left until Thanksgiving Break. Keep your eyes on the prize.
Last week we kicked off with a reminder that John the Baptist is really important for the New Testament. This week, I want us to talk a little bit about how remarkable John really was. If you look at the kind of stuff John says in Matthew 3, it can be a bit jarring. He offers an unflinching call to repentance – and no one is left unsinged by his fiery words!
Normal people are coming to him.
Religious leaders are coming to him.
We even find out in another Gospel that Roman soldiers are coming to him.
John is an equal opportunity offender. He’s got a big “get your life right for God” message and it’s for everyone. His exact words are Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand! We have definitely heard that before…
On the one hand, I’m impressed by John’s commitment to the Kingdom as he understands it. And I should say… some of the story of John’s interactions with Jesus are going to entail Jesus seemingly correcting John’s expectations about what the Kingdom of God is really like.
On the other hand, I’m struck by John’s clear humility. He says, the one coming after me is mightier than I. This man knew exactly who he wasn’t, and he decided to announce that quite publicly. You just have to imagine – with a booming ministry, growing fame, and a clear message – John had every opportunity to convince himself that he was hot spit, the big show in town. But the man never seemed to take the bait. He always knew he was not the messiah.
John’s holiness and his humility – that miraculous coupling can serve as a model for all of us. His seriousness and his self-forgetfulness. His moral courage and his modest composure. If only we were all like that.
Too often, moral seriousness can turn into self-glorification. Too often, the attempt to be humble just turns into defaulting on principles. So, what do we want? We want humble people who truly believe in the Kingdom of God.
If this is something you feel tugging at your own heart – the call to both holiness and humility – you might try this prayer:
Lord Jesus, who considered equality with God not a thing to be grasped, make me like you: both holy and humble, willing to go wherever the Father calls. Amen