Saturday after Epiphany

“No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. 

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.”

The Christmas season will end with tomorrow’s celebration of the Baptism of Jesus. And so today we hear the Baptist’s “sign off.” He has accompanied us throughout the season, singing continually, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

If we knew nothing more about Saint John than today’s “farewell speech” we would still know him as a great saint and an ideal model. In describing his vocation he limns our relationship to Jesus.

“No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. 

We want a lot of things and all too often we scrape around in the dirt of our world looking for it. Earthlings, afflicted with sin and neglecting the Spirit that inflates our lungs, we look to earth for salvation. In that muck we find things that we suppose can make us happy, satisfied, desirable, powerful, comfortable, and secure.

Saint John, a man of river mud, animal skins and grasshoppers, directs our attention to heaven, whence the Savior comes. There he found his purpose in life and he was faithful to it.

You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ,
but that I was sent before him. 

Surely he was tempted, as you and I are, to think he was more important than he was. A few days of sunshine and ease and we think we’re pretty hot stuff. He attracted a lot of attention at a time when thousands were expecting a messiah. Many thought it must be John and some surely tried to convince him of it. Now when that happens, you know someone is going to step forward and say, “Yep, it’s me!”

But John kept his feet in the mud and enjoyed the feeling of his toes rooted in muck. He waited until he “saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."

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. 

I can think of no better description of a Christian than the best man (or bride's maid). As much as he might admire the bride he knows she is not for him. Rather, he is delighted by the vision of marriage. One who admires beauty, as in the dazzling sacrament of matrimony, does not need to own it. Ownership would only cheapen it. One might as well claim to own the sky with its stars, clouds and caressing winds.

A Christian invites others to see Jesus. Fascinated they will approach the Lord asking “Where do you stay?” And he will say, “Come and see.” How they respond to that invitation is beyond the control of the Baptizer. His work is done.

He must increase; I must decrease.”