Word to the Wise
Saturday, January 10, 2009 - Christmas Weekday
[1 John 5:14-21 and John 3:22-30]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.
Those last six words from the quotation from today's gospel scripture are, like so many others in the Gospel of John, multi-leveled in meaning. On one level, there is a concern that there be no confusion over who the Messiah is. The confusion was widespread, and all four gospels make the effort to clarify the role of John the Baptist as a "herald's voice" and not the Messiah. On another level, there is the relationship between the disciple and the Lord. Some folks get so wrapped up in their role as disciple that they begin to confuse whatever power comes through that identity with their own efforts and think of themselves as essential in a way that is more ego-powered than Spirit-powered. There are plenty of historical examples of prominent evangelical preachers who have come to grief because of this dynamic. They forget those lines from the gospel: "He must increase; I must decrease." Preaching the gospel is not about ME. It is about the Lord. It's nice to know that one's preaching is effective and helpful, but it is extremely dangerous to get the notion that the helpfulness and effectiveness come about because of ME. The phrase, "I must decrease." is not meant to convey subservience or false humility. It is meant to set the priorities straight and put everyone in proper perspective in the task of preaching the gospel. "Best men (and Maids of Honor, too)" can be very helpful at a wedding, but it would be a mess if they became confused with the Bride and Groom! AMEN
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