Mark 1:7-11

In the course of his preaching John the Baptist said, ‘Someone is following me, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.’

It was at this time that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised in the Jordan by John. No sooner had he come up out of the water than he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit, like a dove, descending on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.’

 Reflection

It would have been so easy for John to have responded to the great interest of the people with self-aggrandisement. Instead he never lost sight of his role as the one who was to prepare the way for the one who was greater.

John’s faith and understanding of his role was vindicated when Jesus presented himself to be baptised by John. The mystery of the heavenly intervention would have confirmed for John that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, if indeed he had any doubts. 

John was a strong and assertive man. His preaching enthralled many people, and his lifestyle was not for the faint-hearted. But his deep faith was accompanied by the humility which enabled him to rejoice in his secondary role to that of Jesus. If he had been affected by pride or jealousy he would have made much of himself and less of Jesus. Perhaps he had encountered that type of temptation during his time in the desert, and any delusions of grandeur had been destroyed in the spiritual furnace of the desert. 

There are many times in our lives when we are called to be a supporting act for someone else. Parenthood is an obvious example. John’s words about Jesus “He must increase; I must decrease”, are at the heart of being a good parent. Parents instinctively put their children first in order to give them the best possible life. Parents are not consumed with jealousy of their child’s achievements but rejoice in them.  

There are many people who have done good and great things whose achievements have only been possible because of the dedicated work of someone else. When people receive awards they often say the award is an acknowledgement of the team which has worked with them. The best people really mean that, because they have enough humility to know that their achievements would have not been possible without others.

Jesus spoke about John in ways which revealed his deep admiration for the role John played, and the price he eventually paid for his dedication.  Those who lead and achieve great things must always be aware of those who make these things possible, and be open about the contribution of others.  

If we are called to play a supporting role to another at some stage in our lives, it is important to be sure that who and what we are supporting is morally good, and stands up in the light of our faith. We also need to be sure that we are not being exploited or taken advantage of because of our dedication to the person or cause. Our human dignity and potential should never be diminished by what we do for another. 

Playing a John the Baptist role requires wisdom and self-knowledge, humility and faith. It is never a lesser role because it is an essential role.