TUESDAY, March 8

John 1:19-28. I am not the Messiah.…I am not.…No.

John the Baptist’s three-fold denial that he is the Messiah is remarkable to me. I’ve been a preacher most of my life, and though I’ve tried to be humble (or to appear to be), I confess that it made me feel good, very good, when a large crowd showed up to hear what I would say. I felt like somebody special, and I liked feeling that way. I’d have known better than to have claimed I was the Messiah, but watching people hang (or appear to hang) on every word I uttered gave me a delightful adrenaline kick.

Not so with John the Baptist. People wondered whether he was the Messiah, and three times John the Baptist denied it, each time more tersely, with fewer words. It’s as if he says less and less every time, so as to fade from the scene, like a light growing dimmer and dimmer. In chapter 3 of John’s Gospel, John the Baptist must explain it all again, but it’s the same thing: “I am not the Christ; he is. Forget me; follow him.”

John the Baptist didn’t need or seek the limelight. He knew who he was—the forerunner of Jesus—and he was content with that. You don’t often find that kind of humility, especially in us preachers.

PRAY for the International Anglican Women’s Network as it connects Anglican women across the world, encouraging them to become influential, equal participants throughout the Communion and in their own communities.

Ps 26, 28 * 36, 39; Deuteronomy 6:16-25; Hebrews 2:1-10

View the daily Lectionary Readings at Satucket.com.
Or view the Bible passages at Biblegateway.com or Oremus Bible browser.

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