He must increase, but I must decrease

 

 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  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 stands 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 the 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.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

 

- John 3:22-36 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus continued to teach Nicodemus:  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe in condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

 

  After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  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!"  In the following chapter, it's clarified that Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples were baptizing (see John 4:1-2).  

 

 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 stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."  John the Baptist is called the friend (meaning the "best man"), while Christ is the bridegroom.  My study Bible explains that the bride is the Church, the people of God.  Here John is confessing his role in the coming of the Messiah.  He is witness to the wedding of Christ and His people, and so he rejoices in that celebration.  

 

 "He must increase, but I must decrease.  He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the 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.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure."  My study Bible comments that John expresses a humility that serves as an example for all believers.  His words express that he renounces all earthly glory and reputation for the sake of Christ.  In allowing Christ to increase in him, John thereby find true glory for himself.  My study Bible also claims that this statement further indicates the end of the old covenant -- for as the law vanishes, the grace of Christ abounds.  John's declaration is found in the liturgical calendar, as his birth is celebrated at a time when the sun begins to decrease in the sky (June 24), while Christ's birth is celebrated when the sun begins to increase (December 25).

 

"The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."  Here John echoes the teaching of Jesus (see John 3:18).  My study Bible asks us to note the absence of the word "alone" in this statement of faith.  According to St. John Chrysostom, "We do not from this assert that faith alone is sufficient for salvation; the directions for living that are given in many places in the Gospels show this."  See also James 2:14-24.

 

John's statement, "He must increase, but I must decrease" is a model statement for all monastics, and an encouragement to all believing Christians.  St. Paul expressed the same idea when he wrote, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).   St. Paul has also written, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31).  In "decreasing" so that Christ "increases" within us, we encounter the notion of theosis, or deification.  This is a theological word which describes a human being, through Christian faith, becoming more like God.  This is not to say that we human beings can become like God in nature or substance, but rather that God shares God's grace with us.  In Orthodox theological language, God shares God's energies with us.  In St. John's Gospel, Jesus quotes from the Psalms, asking, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, you are gods'?" (John 10:34; Psalm 82:6).  My study Bible comments that we are gods in that we bear Christ's image, not His nature.  But through grace (or divine energies), we are to become more like God.  We were made in accordance with human nature, but in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26).  Christ assumed our humanity, and, my study Bible says, even in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, this process of our own healing, of being renewed in God's image and likeness, was begun.  So therefore, those who are joined to Christ, through faith, in Holy Baptism, begin this process of "re-creation."  That is, being renewed in God's image and likeness.  In this sense, St. Peter writes that we become "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4).  This is our salvation, this healing in which all things come under the authority of Christ, and we become "children of God" in this sense of image and likeness.  John the Baptist hands off the old to the new covenant, as my study Bible says, and encapsulates this salvation memorably for all when he says, "He must increase, but I must decrease."  Christ is our Bridegroom, and we the Church, the faithful, are His Bride, to be joined to Him.  And therein is John's, and our, joy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He must increase, but I must decrease

 

 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  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 stands 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 the 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.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

 

- John 3:22–36 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught Nicodemus, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

 

  After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  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 stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."  Here John the Baptist is called the friend (or "best man"), while Christ Himself is the bridegroom.  My study Bible tells us that the bride is the Church, the people of God.  Here John confesses is role in the coming of the Messiah.  He's witness to the wedding of Christ and His people, my study Bible says, and so he rejoices in that celebration. 

"He must increase, but I must decrease."  My study Bible comments that John expresses a humility that serves as an example for all believers.  He renounces all earthly glory and reputation for the sake of Christ.  In allowing Christ to increase in him, he finds true glory for himself.  Moreover, my study Bible adds, John's statement indicates the end of the old covenant.  As the law vanishes, it says, the grace of Jesus Christ abounds.  This declaration is also evident in the liturgical calendar.  John the Baptist's birth is celebrated at a time when the sun begins to decrease in the sky (June 24), while the birth of Christ is celebrated when the sun begins to increase (December 25).

 

"He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the 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.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."  Here John echoes the teaching of Jesus Himself (in John 3:18).   My study Bible asks us to note the absence of the word "alone" in this statement of faith.  St. John Chrysostom is quoted as saying, "We do not from this assert that faith alone is sufficient for salvation; the directions for living that are given in many places in the Gospels show this."  See also James 2:14-24. 

 

 John the Baptist says of Jesus, "He must increase, but I must decrease."  As my study Bible indicates, this is also a statement that can apply to the new and old covenants, respectively.  For John the Baptist is a figure of the Old Testament, a prophet in the lineage of the Old Testament prophets.  And he is guiding and "handing off," so to speak, his disciples to Jesus.  We might consider this statement as a type of prophecy in that overarching sense of the story of salvation, and what is happening in Israel and in the world at this time of the early part of Christ's earthly ministry.  But there are also ways in which this statement by John the Baptist applies to all of us.  It also applies to each one of us individually as believers.  St. Paul writes, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).  In this statement, St. Paul makes it clear that as a person, his old life and identity are "crucified," and Christ lives and grows in him through his faith.  This is most important for each of us to understand, because we are all meant to do the same.  For the Orthodox, this process of Christ growing within us, while our worldly identities decrease in favor of the one we come to know through faith in Christ, is called Theosis.  We each, in this sense, are meant to become divinized; that is, to grow in likeness to Christ, so that we can say together with St. John the Baptist (in this particular sense), "He must increase, but I must decrease."  The only irony in such an application is that we don't decrease at all in this process.  Instead, Christ gives us an identity in Him and through our faith that is much greater than the worldly identity we might know without Him.  Like the Prodigal Son, we "come to ourselves" when we return to Christ, the One who loves us and who died for us, as St. Paul writes.  Additionally, along these same lines, St. Paul also has written, "I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31).  In the context of this letter, St. Paul was defending the imperative of our faith in Christ's Resurrection, and in this sense we can understand how both crucifixion and resurrection play a role in our lives as we participate in the life of Christ through our faith and the sacraments and practices of the Church.  If, as Christ increases in us, we (in our sense of worldly identity) decrease, then what we receive is a resurrection even in this life.  We receive for our faith a sense of ourselves that eclipses who we thought we were, just as Saul who terrified the Church by breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord became St. Paul.   "He must increase, but I must decrease" is also a powerfully iconic statement of humility, and, as such, St. John the Baptist forms the model ideal for monastics.  Sainthood itself is nothing less than this process of growth in holiness, exchanging one identity for another in obedience and humility, and giving up the things that stand in the way of such a process.  St. John, in today's reading, describes just what that process has been for him.  He has found his true identity as the friend of the Bridegroom, and as such, he has come to rejoice:  "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."  So we, like St. John the Baptist and also St. Paul, and countless myriad other saints known and not known to us, may find our joy in the ways we, too, may become friends of the Bridegroom.  For this, too, is part of the reality of everlasting life,  life given to us more abundantly by the Son and through our faith. 

 

 

 

Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled

 

 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  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 stands 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 the 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.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

 

- John 3:22-36 

 

Yesterday, we read that Jesus taught Nicodemus, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."  

 

 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  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 stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."   My study Bible notes that John the Baptist is called the friend (or the "best man"), while Christ is the bridegroom.  The bride is the Church, the people of God.  It says that John confesses his role in the coming of the Messiah -- that he is witness to the wedding of Christ and His people, and thus he rejoices in that celebration.  Let us take note of John's declaration, "Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."  Jesus will also use the language of joy in a similar way, at the Last Supper (see John 15:11; 16:22-24; 17:13).

 

"He must increase, but I must decrease."  My study Bible comments here that John expresses a humility that serves as an example for all believers.  He renounces all earthly glory and reputation for the sake of Christ.  By allowing Christ to increase in him, John himself finds true glory.  Moreover, this statement is indicative of the end of the old covenant.  As the law vanishes, the grace of Christ abounds.   In the liturgical calendar, this is expressed.  John's birth is celebrated by most denominations at a time when the sun begins to decrease in the sky (June 24), while Christ's birth is celebrated when the sun begins to increase (December 25 for most; January 6 when the celebration is joint with Epiphany, also known as Theophany, the event of Christ's Baptism and the beginning of His public ministry).  

 

"He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the 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.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."  My study Bible comments that here John echoes the teaching of Jesus Himself (John 3:18, from yesterday's reading, above).  It asks us to note that the word "alone" is not found in this statement of faith.  It quotes St. Chrysostom here:  "We do not from this assert that faith alone is sufficient for salvation; the directions for living that are given in many places in the gospels show this."  See also James 2:14-24.

 

 John the Baptist says, "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."  As noted above, Jesus uses the same language of joy when He speaks about His relationship with the disciples.  John's particular relationship to Christ defines identity, a true identity in the fullness of his own spiritual  understanding, his place in the sight of God.  As this is what defines identity in the fullest sense, it is in the fulfillment of that identity that joy -- this kind of joy -- takes place and is made possible.  This has meaning for all of us, for it is that same sort of joy that Jesus addresses to the disciples.  We understand ourselves in relationship to Christ the Son, and in this fullness of who we are, of where our soul is linked to Creator, and how we experience that in faith,  we come to the truth of identity.  It is in the living and fulfillment of that identity that we also find this kind of joy.  The word in Greek is χαρά/chara.  It also means delight.  When we find this place in which we are embraced in love, and taught who we are, we find our joy.  John understands that he is the friend of the bridegroom, like the "best man" at a wedding, as my study Bible notes.  Therefore in standing beside the Bridegroom, Christ, in hearing Him, and in finding his own place in this salvation dispensation, John takes joy, he finds his delight.  So it is with each one of us, drawn to this place of finding ourselves.  That is, finding ourselves in Christ, this place where love draws us like a type of gravity, to the place where we find comfort, home, where we know and are known.  It is this place where we find direction, and experience an embrace unlike any other for its acceptance and teaching and care.  That joy is in the fulfillment of who we are as those created "in the image and likeness of God" (Genesis 1:26), that true icon or true face of who we are.  When we are drawn by this gravity of love, and respond in trust (or faith), we are taken on this journey of discovery of who we are through this relatedness, this place for us -- and that becomes the lifelong path of faith.  We may not find that path to be straight, we may be taken on a journey that asks us to examine many things about our beliefs, our habits, our practices.  We may be taken on a long journey of change, an evolution of the way we think.  Like John the Baptist, it is a worldly, limited sense of self which decreases, as Christ increases in us.  But what draws us in this deep place is the love of God, and the joy found there -- for there we are free to find ourselves and to live that abundant life.  

 

He must increase, but I must decrease

 

 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  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 stands 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 the 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.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

 

- John 3:22-36 

 

In yesterday's reading, we were told that there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."   Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." 

 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  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!"  In the following chapter of John's Gospel we are told that Jesus' disciples were baptizing -- "though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples" (John 4:2).  

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 stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."  My study Bible explains that John the Baptist is called the friend (or "best man"), while Christ is the bridegroom.  The bride is the Church, the people of God.  John confesses his role in the coming of the Messiah -- that he is witness to the wedding of Christ and His people, and thus he is rejoicing in that celebration.  

"He must increase, but I must decrease."  John here expresses a deeply characteristic humility, which my study Bible says serves as an example for all believers.  He is renouncing all earthly glory and reputation for the sake of Christ.  As he allows Christ to increase in him, there John finds his own true glory.  Moreover, my study Bible explains, this statement is an indication of the end of the old covenant.  As the law vanishes, the grace of Jesus Christ abounds.  This declaration by John is also reflected in the Church calendar.  Across several denominations, John's birth is celebrated at a time when the sun begins to decrease in the sky (June 24), and Christ's birth is celebrated when the sun begins to increase (December 25).  

 

"He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the 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.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."  Here John echoes the teaching of Christ Himself (see John 3:18).  My study Bible asks us to note the absence of the word "alone" in the final verse here ("He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him").  St. John Chrysostom writes, "We do not from this assert that faith alone is sufficient for salvation; the directions for living that are given in many places in the Gospels show this."  See also James 2:14-24.

"He must increase, but I must decrease" is considered to be a classic statement of humility, especially forming a model for monastic life.  John expresses a classic sense of what it is to serve Christ, and it is applicable to each one of us when we consider what salvation is and means.  If it is true that God became human (Incarnate as Jesus Christ), so that human beings could become God-like, then we must understand that this statement really could be said prayerfully by each one of us.  St. Paul makes a similar allusion to the sentiment expressed here when he declared, "I die daily" (see 1 Corinthians 15:30-31); in a passage vigorously proclaiming the resurrection, he was affirming the value and meaning of sacrifice and struggle in the faith.   It is interesting to note also that regarding the final verse in today's passage, St. Chrysostom comments that "faith alone" is not sufficient for salvation.  What he is saying is that it is the life lived in faith that matters; our lives must be expressions of that faith and love.  Our faith, in following Jesus Christ, is also deeply "incarnate" if you will.  Our faith is meant to be expressed in what has been called "love in action," even as imitation of how Christ lived.   Perhaps the most profound illustration we have is the parable of judgment given to us by Christ, and its examples of compassion (Matthew 25:31-46).  Our baptism, as we have read emphasized in yesterday's reading, above, is with water and the Spirit -- so that we are not simply left to our own devices but are born again "from above," the beginning of the Christian life.  Therefore, He must increase, but I must decrease, becomes our own model for salvation, a lifetime trajectory, a sense of how Christ is indeed, always with us.  St. Paul speaks eloquently of the fruits of the Spirit; that is, the things born in us from this rebirth "from above" with water and the Spirit ("love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control").  And they are clearly meant as things we see through time, effects which manifest throughout our lifetime.  He contrasts these fruits of the Spirit with what he calls the works of the flesh (see Galatians 5:19-23).   But without an attitude of humility, so well-exemplified in the words of St. John the Baptist, how will we come to those fruits and the flowering of our baptism?  How will we realize the things we need to discard, and the ways in which we need to grow, and make room for Christ to increase in us?  Let us consider this great model that has served and inspired so many throughout the history of the Church, and do likewise.

Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease

 

After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  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 stands 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 the 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.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

 

- John 3:22–36 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His teaching to Nicodemus:   "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

 

  After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  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 4:2 explains that Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples.  

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 stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."  John the Baptist calls himself the friend (or "best man"), while Christ Himself is the bridegroom.  The bride, my study bible explains, is the Church, the people of God.  Here John is confessing that his role in the coming o the Messiah is to be witness to the wedding of Christ and His people, therefore he rejoices in that celebration.  John's joy is fulfilled ("this joy of mine" is specific to him) because his true role and identity are fulfilled.

"He must increase, but I must decrease."   My study bible expresses the view universal to the Church regarding John the Baptist:  John exemplifies a humility that serves as model for all believers.   It says that he renounces all earthly glory and reputation for the sake of Christ.  As John allows Christ to increase in him, he himself finds his own true glory.  Moreover, this statement also expresses the end of the old covenant.  As the law vanishes, my study bible says, the grace of Jesus Christ abounds.  John's declaration is revealed in the liturgical calendar of the Church.  His birth is celebrated at a time when the sun begins to decrease in the sky (June 24th), while Christ's is celebrated when the sun begins to increase.

"He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the 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.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."  My study bible comments that John echoes the teaching of Christ Himself given earlier in this chapter (see John 3:18 in yesterday's reading above;  also yesterday's reading and commentary).  It also notes the absence of the word "alone" in this statement of faith.  St. John Chrysostom writes:  "We do not from this assert that faith alone is sufficient for salvation; the directions for living that are given in many places in the Gospels show this."  See also James 2:14-24.

John's humility is a remarkable thing to behold, but it also speaks very loudly to us of our own place in the cosmos, in all of creation, and in relationship to God.  Let us observe that John is in fact acknowledging his true role in the entire picture of salvation, even in creation.  He knows himself to be the friend of the bridegroom.  Therefore his own joy (to reiterate, he says, "this joy of mine") is fulfilled, because he knows who he is and is fulfilling his true role.  This role, the friend of the bridegroom, is what we would call John's "true self."  A world permeated with social media, in which we are used now to presenting ourselves in a certain way for others to see and behold, seems to do anything but give us a sense of humility, in which our true role is hidden behind the desires cultivated by popular pressure.  This is especially true if that role or image is one that seems secondary, or "less than" anything but whatever the top might be.  We are given images to behold every day in which we might measure ourselves by the achievements of others.  Billionaires hold top places in terms not simply of material success, but increasingly as those who are becoming the arbiters of morality and truth, if we but look closely.  As social media titans begin to implement their own forms of censorship, for whatever the motivation, there are yet other great "men of business" (to use an old expression) who offer us solutions for every ailment facing the world:  energy supplies, environmental crises, hunger, health, public policy, and so on.  None of them are experts in ethics or social policies, or medicine, or environmental science, for that matter.  But to have a platform is to proffer the image to the world that we would prefer people to behold about us.  Compare this to the humility of John the Baptist, who earnestly tells us that his true joy is in fulfilling the role that God has prepared for him, whatever that is in service to God's purpose and plans.  We are each encouraged through various types of social pressure to be like the titans, that success and wealth make us "somebody."  It's not good enough if our houses don't compare to what we see or imagine that others with more wealth have.  This has become such a standard yardstick by which to measure ourselves that our various social engineers twist themselves into pretzels to explain why poverty still exists, or any sense of inequality -- be that talent, or skill, or even hard work.  But the truth is simply the way John the Baptist displays it for us.  We were not created to be all the same.  In fact, the truth is far, far away from this vision of sameness.  God has created each one of us as unique persons, and each one of us has a true "joy of mine" to fulfill in the salvation plan of God.  Each one of us has our own way in which we bear our cross, and serve the purposes of salvation in a communion with our Creator.  While what we might see in carefully crafted social profiles might look like there are others with supposedly "perfect lives," or special people who deserve a special sympathy because of a unique tragedy in their lives, the truth is that we all have disappointments, flaws, failures, and places where we are "less than" someone or something else that someone has that we wish we had (whether that is a talent, a personality trait, or a possession of some other kind).   And the deepest truth is that to bear our own crosses, with the humility that asks of us, is the true sense of success as far as the Gospels are concerned.  This is the real strength and the real faith it takes a lifetime to hone, and real courage to face up to.   This is the achievement praised in the gospel message.  For to bear our own cross, and to find our own joy as the person whom God asks us to be, is to truly find ourselves.  It is to find who we really are.  And to rest in and claim that joy as our own takes a kind of courage that can face up to a world that demands the impossible and makes us miserable in the process, leading us off the sane and very real path that Christ asks us to enter as we seek to follow Him.  Because it is Christ who knows our burdens, our strengths, and the things of which we are capable, there is so much more that we serve when we seek to follow Him than the popular flattering images in magazines and television stories.  But it is in the statement of John the Baptist that we really come to full maturity and greatness, as Christ has said:  "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Matthew 23:11-12).  To cultivate this kind of humility is to come to terms with the greatest truth we can face, that it is the place to which God calls us where we find ourselves, and to let go of impressing or following the world's images for us is to become truly free in Christ.   Of course, this is not to say that the place God has in mind for us to serve God won't be as one of those titans of industry or images in magazines of popular stars.  With God, all things are possible, and there is no such thing as a "cookie-cutter" saint.  We're given two great saints of tremendous courage and humility in John's Gospel -- Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea -- who were very socially prominent and wealthy men of their time and place.  But let us seek first the Kingdom, and then God will add to us what God will add.  To be ashamed of humility is to turn our back on the Gospels and Christ's central message.  And, lest we forget, it is to turn our backs on the humble whom Christ loved.  Let us find our true selves, our honest joy, in the place Christ has for us.  John the Baptist was an exceptionally revered figure in his time, and yet he goes one better in greatness through his exemplary humility.   John's disciples echo the voices of the Pharisees to come, who will woefully complain of Jesus' popularity:  "You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!" (John 12:19).  But it is John's response that is the proper one, to which we must look ourselves to find our true joy.

Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow

 

 And again He began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that 

'Seeing they may see and not perceive,

And hearing they may hear and not understand;

Lest they should turn,

And their sins be forgiven them.'"

And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  

 

- Mark 4:1–20 

 

Yesterday we read that, after Jesus and the disciples went into a house, the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.  But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."  So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables:  "How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.  No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  And then he will plunder his house. Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."  Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.  And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You."  But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"  And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother." 

 And again He began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  Today's passage marks another shift in Jesus' ministry, and it also reflects His growing popularity as a preacher.  He begins to preach and teach in parables.  This is significant because, as we read a little further along at the end of today's reading, Jesus is conscious now that a lot depends upon how people are hearing Him speak; that is, upon people's own perceptions and capacity to grasp to truth He's teaching.  Everything does not depend only on the One who delivers the message.  My study bible tells us that the Hebrew and Aramaic words for parable also mean "allegory," "riddle," or "proverb."  These are images drawn from daily life to give us deep truths of God.   But it points out that the truth communicated by Jesus' parables is not evident to all who hear them.  The listener needs spiritual ears to hear, and even then not everyone has the same degree of understanding.  

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that 'Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.'"  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6:9-10.  My study bible comments that, according to St. John Chrysostom, Isaiah's prophecy does not mean that God causes spiritual blindness in people who would otherwise have been faithful.  This is rather a figure of speech which is common to Scripture, and indicates God giving people up to their own devices (as in Romans 1:24, 26).   

And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."   Christ reveals Himself through the parable as the promised Messiah.  He is the sower foretold in Isaiah 55:10-13. My study bible remarks that while some might teach that one is permanently saved at the moment a person professes faith (a view which has never been held by the historic Church), in Christ's parable it is clear that it is possible for someone to believe for a while and then fall away.

In the fullness of the parable Jesus offers of Himself as Sower, we can come to understand several things.  First of all, there is no "one size fits all" here.  That is, He fully expects that those in His audience will receive His words (which are the seeds of the Sower) in different ways.  Just like the ground on which seed might be scattered, the condition of the ground makes a difference.  It's not just the quality of the seed that matters.  For a modern Western audience in a country filled with suburban homes, there are those who might understand this very well if they consider their own gardens and lawns.  No matter where we might scatter even the most expensive and best quality seed, the ground it falls on and all the environmental conditions make a difference.  (In an extended consideration of that metaphor, we might also think about cultivation, pruning, mowing, watering, pests, sunshine, rainfall, and so on!)  So each person not only receives and understands (or fails to) through their own capacity, but Christ also gives a kind of timeline of development here.  That is, once a seed is received -- if it is received -- there is a history awaiting, a story that has to unfold.  So much depends upon the conditions of life and how that person responds to those conditions.  Jesus gives a good description of stumbling when tribulation or persecution arises.  Let us note that to stumble is to fail to stay on the right path, to fall down rather than going forward.   He speaks of those ever-with-us thorns, the "cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in" as those things that choke the word in us, and so it fails to grow and produce.  The sowing of the seed is just what the Sower does, but He is counting on and hoping for so much more, which is purely invested in us and how we respond to what we're given and what we have.  Not to give in to the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things is part of the work of producing a harvest, being or becoming abundant, and yielding fruit.  All of these things are with us always, they just come in different forms, and we are clearly expected to discern what those are.  But the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred, are the ones who endure through all things.  They are the ones who continue to protect and to nurture the word so that it can take root and grow within them and through their lives.  And so, what we learn from the parable is that this is expected to be a lifelong journey, and not without its pitfalls, difficulties, and struggles.  And yet, we are called upon to endure.  I know many people right now who feel that life has become a struggle in a more complex way than in the past.  The difficulties of Covid pandemic multiply as we're cut off from friends for longer than we expected, life doesn't really quite go back to normal, lockdowns might increase, and a whole host of other difficulties including fears about loved ones and sadness regarding those who've been harmed and lost those dear to them.  Political instability also seems to be a strange part of this picture, and in some sense that means, also, that the world is affected in any number of ways.  War rages in places, with devastation and terrible loss, all made worse in the time of pandemic.  And yes, there are those who take advantage.  It may help to perceive that things we're talking about and witnessing are elements of the problems of this world that have always been with us.  We might be experiencing them in different ways and new forms that come with the time of technology or other features of our moment in history, but life in this world and the meaning of the parable have not changed.  Jesus still profiles our situation with remarkable insight even in the simplicity of His parable built on the prophecy of Isaiah and the Sower who is the Messiah.  He has planted a seed, and more seeds, and you and I both have ground for it to grow, a struggle for that seed to be nurtured and to produce, and especially to endure, for the story of our faith -- at least when one looks at the Gospels and Jesus' teachings -- is one of endurance.  We hang in there.  Let us do all we can to endure and be persistent when there are obstacles, thorns, stony ground, tribulation, persecution, choking cares and concerns, and any number of things Jesus names here in the parable for us, so that we are prepared to deal with life His way.  We will persist and endure, for there is nothing that is not expected, and there is joy always to celebrate, as we give thanks for what we've been given and for the beauty in life that is good.  Let's not forget that Jesus tells us there will be those who don't hear it and don't understand, also those who fall away.  But His concern is with those with the capacity to stick with it and be productive, and it's time to plant seeds of prayer and faith, even in seemingly unstable times of the world -- and maybe especially then.

He must increase, but I must decrease

 

 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  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 stands 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 the 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.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

 

- John 3:22–36 

 

Yesterday we read that there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."  Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, "We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

 

 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  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 stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."  In the development of the ministry of Christ, we read now that Jesus' ministry is also practicing baptism (4:2 tells us that it was not Jesus Himself who baptized, but rather Christ's disciples).   And here, John the Baptist's status is also revealed more deeply in the light of Christ.  He is called the friend (the "best man") while Christ is the bridegroom.  And the bride is the Church, the people of God.  Here John confesses his role in the coming of the Messiah:  John is witness to the wedding of Christ and His people, and therefore John rejoices in that celebration.  

"He must increase, but I must decrease."  This landmark statement expresses a humility which has become an example for all believers.  John's humility most especially became an example for the monastic life.  My study bible says that, in effect, John renounces all earthly glory and reputation for the sake of Christ.  By allowing Christ to increase in him, John himself finds true glory.  Note that this is the goal of all Christian believers, that Christ grows in us.  This statement, my study bible further says, also indicates the end of the old covenant.  As the law vanishes, the grace of Jesus Christ abounds.  In the liturgical calendar, this declaration is also revealed in the historical commemorations of the Church.  John's birth is celebrated at a time when the sun begins to decrease in the sky (June 24), while Christ birth is celebrated when the sun begins to increase (December 25).  

"He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the 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.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."   The Baptist continues to elaborate the glory of Christ and His true identity as Son.  Let us note the words of testimony John uses for Jesus:  Jesus testifies to what He knows, as One sent by God who speaks the words of God.  The Baptist, to whom was revealed the reality of the Spirit resting upon Christ, testifies himself:  God does not give the Spirit by measure.  And here again is echoes the language of Christ, and our receipt of that testimony.  My study bible comments that John echoes the teaching of Christ Himself from verse 18 of this chapter in His teaching to Nicodemus:  "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."  Importantly, my study bible asks us to note the absence of the word "alone" in this statement of faith.  St. John Chrysostom comments:  "We do not from this assert that faith alone is sufficient for salvation; the directions for living that are given in many places in the Gospels show this."  See also James 2:14-24.

John the Baptist's words, "He must increase, but I must decrease," give us a number of layers of meaning entwined in them.  First of all, John speaks to his own disciples, who complain to him that Jesus' ministry is also baptizing:  "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"  This could, in a certain sense, be compared to the complaints of the Pharisees we find in chapter 12:  "You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!" (12:19).  But in the Baptist's case, his reaction is the opposite of that of the Pharisees.  Our first understanding of this statement regarding the increase of Christ, and the decrease of John, can be understood as a clear signal to his own disciples:  that this is right and proper that Jesus' ministry expands.  This is also reflected in the choosing of the first disciples in John's Gospel, as they are directed to Christ by John the Baptist.  So, consistently, John points the way to Christ, even among his own disciples and in his own ministry.  John then goes on to elaborate to his disciples about the identity of Christ:  that He comes from the Father and therefore His testimony of God is true.  Christ has come into the world -- He has been sent -- to testify, and that we might believe His testimony.  These are the words of the one (John the Baptist) to whom was revealed the fullness of the Spirit resting upon Christ.  Let us note the language of John the Baptist as well:  "He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all."   This language is an echo of Jesus' teaching to Nicodemus about being "born again."  If we recall from yesterday's reading (above), in Greek the words to be "born again" mean literally "born from above."  Everything points to this One who can give us more than an earthly baptism, but also one of the Spirit, from above.  So John's own testimony here to his disciples is one in which he points to the One from above, the One who is "above all."  He it is who is the Bridegroom, while John is the "Friend of the Bridegroom."   And then we come to the important meaning in this phrase of increasing and decreasing that my study bible notes:  that it applies to each of us, as the entire process of repentance, the lifetime of faith, must become a process of Christ increasing in us.  We, too, must understand that we are not the Bridegroom, but we are those invited to the wedding.  As in the parable of the Wedding Feast, found in Matthew 22:1-14, there is a particular wedding garment, a gift of the king (the Father) which we must wear to fully participate in this great wedding, this union, and that is fashioned through Christ's increase in us through our faith and God's grace, in a lifetime of growth in doing so.   This statement of the Baptist's is open-ended in this sense:  there is no limit to this increase, no time limit set on it; Christ's increase is not a one-time action.  It is simply the nature of Christ, and the nature of our relationship to Christ.  John's humility, then, serves as a gateway to growth in understanding and the true nature of things as they really are.  It is He who comes from above who testifies to what He knows, and it is up to us whether or not we receive that testimony.  Christ is the faithful witness (Revelation 1:5).   What of those, we might ask, who haven't heard of the name of Christ, or who do not know His teachings?  In John 14:6, Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."  We understand this to mean that Christ Himself is Truth, and from the earliest beginnings of the Church, our believing ancestors understood this to mean that anything that served truth served Christ.  Therefore theology was born in the merger of Greek philosophy and apostolic teaching.  Our Bibles hold the Old Testament, written long before Christ's life in the world, because these Jewish Scriptures testify to the truth and therefore serve Christ.  What the ancients saw in their own pagan religions and philosophies that pointed the way to the fullness of truth in Christ was a reaching toward that truth -- just as John expresses here about himself as friend and Christ as Bridegroom.   We don't know who will come to faith in Christ, but we know the truth of His words and testimony, and we especially know His love and desire that all come to Him and that all are saved.  We don't know who will come to faith, and who will reject it, for it is not our job to judge nor to know the fullness of the ways to God.  But perhaps we can be certain that rejection is not the same as ignorance, and rest in the sureness of God's love and mercy, for this is the substance of the Witness who will be the only Judge (5:22).

 

Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease

St. John the Baptist (with scenes from his life).  17th century, Crete

 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.

Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  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 stands 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 the 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.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

- John 3:22-36

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught Nicodemus:  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  My study bible points here that it is not Jesus Himself who baptized, but rather His disciples.  (See 4:2.)

Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  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 stands 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."  Again, we note that it is not Jesus who is baptizing (per 4:2), but rather His disciples.  My study bible tells us that John the Baptist is called the friend (or "best man"), while Christ Himself is the true bridegroom.   The bride is the Church, or the people of God (therefore we can see the connection to Baptism, "birth again" from above).  John confesses his role here in the coming of the Messiah -- that he is witnessing the wedding of Christ and His people, and therefore rejoices in that celebration.  "He must increase, but I must decrease" is a statement of humility that remains a model for all believers, and is especially held in great significance by monastics.  My study bible says that he renounces an earthly glory and reputation for the sake of Christ.  As he allows Christ to increase in him, John himself finds true glory.  Moreover, my study bible says, this statement by John indicates the end of the old covenant, and is therefore highly significant.  As the law vanishes, it is the grace of Christ that abounds.  In the liturgical calendar, the Church recognizes and marks these significant events, as John's birth is celebrated at a time when the sun begins to decrease in the sky, and Christ's birth is celebrated when the sun begins to increase.

"He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the 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.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."  My study bible says here that John echoes the teaching of Christ Himself (see verse 18).  My study bible also points out the absence of the word "alone" in this statement of faith.  It quotes St. John Chrysostom:  "We do not from this assert that faith alone is sufficient for salvation; the directions for living that are given in many places in the Gospels show this."  See also James 2:14-24.

What does it means to point out that the word "alone" is not present in John the Baptist's statement of faith?  This is not a contradiction of the essence and importance of faith, but neither is it to say that our faith merely consists of good deeds and actions.  Rather it is pointing to a holistic quality to faith and the state of our being.  Being and doing are essentially inseparable from one another.  We are to live our faith.  Faith is not a merely intellectual problem, in which we decide something, or that we are going to ascribe to a particular belief system.  Rather, as the whole of the Gospels suggest, and particularly as this passage with its emphasis both on baptism and including John's statement, "He must increase, but I must decrease" tells us, to be "born again from above" is not a matter merely of learning new things or holding a particular idea as true.  Rather, it is a question also of the work of the Spirit, the soul's adoption of qualities and patterns which change who we are, how we look at things, and how we walk and move and have our being in the world.  Identity and faith are inseparable from choices and meaning in all aspects of our lives.  Baptism is a way to understand death and rebirth, but of a spiritual nature which in turn works throughout the whole of who we are.  Even continuing into very late in life, we may find the baptism we receive in childhood illuminating meanings and choices that change who we are, and continue to reveal new paths we need to travel, and choices we must make.  Our faith is something that doesn't just exist in one dimension of the self, but rather permeates the whole (like the leaven that changes the substance of the whole of the dough in Matthew 13:33).  John the Baptist's statement, "He must increase, but I must decrease" is akin to St. Paul's statement, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31).  The mystical impact of baptism is to effectively create adoption through the work of the Spirit in us, so that we come closer to our true identity, found in communion with Christ, with Creator.  And this, in fact, as St. Paul expresses, is the true nature of salvation.  It is an ongoing process, in which we accept this work of God within us, in our lives, and workings its way through "the whole lump" of ourselves.  It is one we bear with patience, humility, courage, and all the gifts that the Spirit can bestow -- even surprisingly to ourselves -- in our souls and character, bearing out in our choices.  Let us consider that we are on a road, Christ's "way."  The road awaits, teaches us patience, and calls us ahead.  John the Baptist surrenders completely to this work of God, completes his role, and enters into salvation history as the bridge between the old and the new.  John knows who he himself is, and he also knows who Christ is.  Let us endeavor to be like him, and to find the joy that he expresses here.  The icon above gives us a word-picture, the person of St. John the Baptist.  On the sides of the icon are scenes from his life.  His head on a platter, the story of his martyrdom, is in the lower left corner.  He wears wings, to denote that his identity as messenger for the Greek word for angel simply means "messenger."   He bears a scroll with his words, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 3:2) -- which Christ Himself would repeat.  His right hand gestures in blessing.  He is called the Forerunner, the one who proclaimed the coming of the Lord to the world, and even to those in hades, as all await the Bridegroom.