Monday, May 08, 2006
He Must Increase, and I Must Decrease
"And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to Whom you have testified--behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him". John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ", but 'I have been sent before Him'. He who has the bride is the Bridegroom, but the friend of the Bridegroom, who stand and hears Him, rejoices greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. HE MUST INCREASE, BUT I MUST DECREASE. He Who comes from above is above all; he who is of earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He Who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies, and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true" (St. John 3:26-33).
The disciples of St. John the Baptist and Forerunner of our Lord were perplexed. "Rabbi", they said, "how can this man who was with you have all the men going to him". They were upset that this Man was taking away disciples from their teacher's side. St. John Chrysostom comments on this scripture, that St. John the Baptist seeks to illustrate to his disciples "that they warred against none other than God Himself, when they warred against Christ" (Homily XXIX on John 3). But in his correction of his disciples, there is also consolation, because St. John shows them that they have not been outdone by an earthly man who "speaks of the earth". This Man, Who has outdone their rabbi, is what there rabbi consistently stated he was not: "I am not the Christ", he told them over and over again. Surely, however, when he saw Him approaching, he stated aloud, "Behold the Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world". St. John tells them Who Christ is--"He Who comes from heaven is above all". Amen.
Christ must increase, and we must decrease. This is a great lesson that the blessed St. John the Prophet, Baptist and Forerunner of the Lord makes clear to us. The Lord Jesus Christ's Power, as the Word of God, as True God of True God, is revealed in His willing self-abasement. It is revealed in His willing Incarnation. The Lord of all, Creator, Reedemer, High Priest and Judge, is revealed to humanity in His own becoming Man. Truly, this is why the Lord calls great, Him that can be last.
It is not by accident that when the Apostles asked Him who should be first, the Lord said, "He is first who makes himself last, and servant of all". There must come to the heart of every ardent seeker of Christ, that same KENOSIS, that same SELF-ABASEMENT which the Lord Himself showed. We must not seek titles, we must not seek adulation. We must not seek recognition, but must seek to put ourselves last--because it is the humble heart that the Lord will not despise, and the humble heart that He will exalt.
This is why the blessed St. John says, "He must increase, and I must decrease". Even in our very selves, it is Christ who must increase, and our own egos that must decrease. Does Christ not want a certain thing in our lives? Let us not want it either! The Lord is the Giver of Life, if He wills that we must not do something, let us not be adverse, but let us accept it. So that it is no longer us who live, but Christ Who lives in us, as St. Paul states. So that we may be decreased, and the Lord be increased. So that Christ will be etched onto us.
Have mercy and patience with us, Lord, for we are blind to your benevolence and love, and though knowing the right, do not know how to do it. Amen.
The disciples of St. John the Baptist and Forerunner of our Lord were perplexed. "Rabbi", they said, "how can this man who was with you have all the men going to him". They were upset that this Man was taking away disciples from their teacher's side. St. John Chrysostom comments on this scripture, that St. John the Baptist seeks to illustrate to his disciples "that they warred against none other than God Himself, when they warred against Christ" (Homily XXIX on John 3). But in his correction of his disciples, there is also consolation, because St. John shows them that they have not been outdone by an earthly man who "speaks of the earth". This Man, Who has outdone their rabbi, is what there rabbi consistently stated he was not: "I am not the Christ", he told them over and over again. Surely, however, when he saw Him approaching, he stated aloud, "Behold the Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world". St. John tells them Who Christ is--"He Who comes from heaven is above all". Amen.
Christ must increase, and we must decrease. This is a great lesson that the blessed St. John the Prophet, Baptist and Forerunner of the Lord makes clear to us. The Lord Jesus Christ's Power, as the Word of God, as True God of True God, is revealed in His willing self-abasement. It is revealed in His willing Incarnation. The Lord of all, Creator, Reedemer, High Priest and Judge, is revealed to humanity in His own becoming Man. Truly, this is why the Lord calls great, Him that can be last.
It is not by accident that when the Apostles asked Him who should be first, the Lord said, "He is first who makes himself last, and servant of all". There must come to the heart of every ardent seeker of Christ, that same KENOSIS, that same SELF-ABASEMENT which the Lord Himself showed. We must not seek titles, we must not seek adulation. We must not seek recognition, but must seek to put ourselves last--because it is the humble heart that the Lord will not despise, and the humble heart that He will exalt.
This is why the blessed St. John says, "He must increase, and I must decrease". Even in our very selves, it is Christ who must increase, and our own egos that must decrease. Does Christ not want a certain thing in our lives? Let us not want it either! The Lord is the Giver of Life, if He wills that we must not do something, let us not be adverse, but let us accept it. So that it is no longer us who live, but Christ Who lives in us, as St. Paul states. So that we may be decreased, and the Lord be increased. So that Christ will be etched onto us.
Have mercy and patience with us, Lord, for we are blind to your benevolence and love, and though knowing the right, do not know how to do it. Amen.
