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 Have
you considered how John could have felt about his cousin Jesus?
“Sibling
rivalry” (as the books say) could have arisen between these
two at an early age. John was about six months older; and his
father was a priest, while Jesus’ apparent father was a
carpenter. For that matter John’s birth to aged parents was
more unusual (to the public eye) than the seemingly normal birth
of Jesus.
John
was well known, and already had a following when Jesus began his
earthly ministry. And, after all, Jesus came to him to be
baptized. What an opportunity here to “crow” a bit, and act
superior.
John
was a strict ascetic, and came “neither eating nor drinking,”
while Jesus led a normal social life, “eating and drinking”
(Matt. 11:18-19). How easy it would have been for John (had he
been like many today) to feel that Jesus was “worldly.” ‘Here
I am, wearing camel’s hair and existing in the wilderness on
locusts and wild honey; and he ‘lives it up’ at a banquet
with publicans and sinners.”
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But
John didn’t act like so many of us act today. When Jesus asked
for baptism John said, “I have need to be baptized of thee,
and comest thou to me?” John practices his preaching, having
said, “He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes
I am not worthy to bear,” (Matt. 3:11, 14).
Some
of John’s disciples seemed to resent, or at least question,
the growing popularity of Jesus (Jn. 3:25-36). What an
opportunity to show some peevishness, with friends to console
and comfort. But John said, “A man can receive nothing except
it be given him from heaven.” “I am not the Christ.” “He
that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the
bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly
because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is
fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.”
And
Jesus said, “there is not a greater prophet than John the
Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater
than he” (Lu. 7:28). Is there no lesson here for today’s
children of the kingdom??
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