He must increase, I must decrease

 

LORD THAT I MAY SEE

A SHORT REFLECTION ON THE GOSPEL OF THE DAY

Gospel

John 3:22-30

'He must grow greater and I must grow smaller: my joy is complete'

1.      Jesus went with his disciples into the Judaean countryside and stayed with them there and baptised.

2.      At the same time John was baptising at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water, and people were going there to be baptised. This was before John had been put in prison.

 

3.      Now some of John’s disciples had opened a discussion with a Jew about purification, so they went to John and said, ‘Rabbi, the man who was with you on the far side of the Jordan, the man to whom you bore witness, is baptising now; and everyone is going to him.’

 

4.      John replied:

5.      ‘A man can lay claim

only to what is given him from heaven.

6.      ‘You yourselves can bear me out: I said: I myself am not the Christ; I am the one who has been sent in front of him.

7.      ‘The bride is only for the bridegroom;

and yet the bridegroom’s friend,

who stands there and listens,

is glad when he hears the bridegroom’s voice.

This same joy I feel, and now it is complete.

8.      He must grow greater, I must grow smaller.’

 

John tells us that a man can only lay claim to what is given him from above. God has given us everything we have and are. This is the truth about ourselves. We can all count our blessings and we should. St. Paul tells us that God blesses all those in Christ Jesus with all the blessings he has. He withholds nothing from his dear children.

 

The Son of God has emptied himself of his divine prerogatives and become one of us for our sake. He wants a relationship with each one similar to a bridegroom and bride. If we really understand this, then we can really count our blessings. Having given himself, what more can God give?