Meditation for 20 January 2010
From The Rev. Peter A. Munson
John 3:22-30
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized. 23John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people kept coming and were being baptized— 24John, of course, had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Now a discussion about purification arose between John’s disciples and a Jew. 26They came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him.’ 27John answered, ‘No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. 28You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, “I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.” 29He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. 30He must increase, but I must decrease.’
Receiving What Is Given to You
John 3:16 is a wonderful verse about why Jesus came into the world. Many of you could probably quote it. If you ever watch sporting events on television, you probably have seen someone hold up a large “John 3:16” sign. This is how some people choose to evangelize. But have you ever seen someone quote John 3:27 or hold up a John 3:27 sign? No? Me, neither.
John 3:22 is the only place in the New Testament, along with John 4:1, where there is any mention of Jesus actually baptizing people. (In John 4:2 there is a partial retraction: “although it was not Jesus himself but his disciples who baptized”) In any event, according to John (the gospel writer), “… a discussion about purification arose between John’s disciples [John the Baptist’s disciples] and a Jew. They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” (verses 25-26)
John answered, “No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven.” That is John 3:27. That, it seems to me, is another good verse to memorize.
John was saying that he had a role, given to him by God – “You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.’” (verse 28) – and that Jesus had a role, given to him by God. He then goes on to describe himself as the “friend of the bridegroom”, and Jesus as “the bridegroom”. (verse 29) John understood that he was the forerunner, the one prophesied about in Isaiah 40:3, a voice that cries out, “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
Whether Jesus baptized anyone, or his disciples did, it was time for Jesus to take center stage now, and it was time for John to decrease (verse 30). John understood that. John evidently wasn’t jealous about this. He didn’t have any super-competitive juices flowing that led him to shout, “No! Don’t follow him! Keep following me!” Why did John act this way? Because he understood that no one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. God had given John a certain role to play, and he stepped into that role. He received what had been given to him from heaven.
I wonder how much easier our lives would flow if we could just receive what is given to us from heaven. Sometimes we want to be the center of the universe. We act as if we are God. That hasn’t been given to us. Sometimes we act as if it our part to go around saving people. That hasn’t been given to us, either. There is only one Messiah; there is only one Savior.
On the other hand, sometimes we don’t receive what God has given us. We often don’t accept that we are the beloved children of God – for example, whenever we act like we are not good enough or qualified enough to serve God. We sometimes shy away from being light or salt, even though Jesus said we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. When we act like there is no strength or guidance available to us, we don’t receive what has been given to us. That, of course, is the Holy Spirit – given to all who believe, and dwelling inside each of us, and also given to us as a community of faith.
Sometimes we have certain gifts and we wish we had been given some other gift. Have you ever fallen into this camp? I can write really well, but I wish I were a great dancer! I am a gifted fifth grade teacher, but I wish… I am a gifted nurse, but I wish… I am gifted scientist, but I wish… Have you ever spent so much time wishing you had other gifts, that you forgot to be grateful for the gifts that you have been given by God? John rejoiced greatly at hearing the bridegroom’s voice (verse 29). Probably we should, too.
My sense is that we could all benefit from chewing on this thing that John the Baptist said… and meant… and lived out. We could all benefit from chewing on this for another week or more. Heck, we could all benefit from memorizing it.
“No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven.”
Thank you, God, that you give all of us precious gifts. Help us to really receive them, and use them – to your glory, and for the good of others. Amen.