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“I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. John 1:26–28

Though John the Baptist prepared the people of Israel for the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he also prepares us to receive the fruit of that ministry and mission. One way he does this is by revealing the identity of the Messiah with great clarity.

Of John, Jesus said, “Among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11). This is high praise! One of the most important qualities that made John so great was his humility. It was his humility that enabled him to turn the attention of his followers away from himself and toward the Messiah.

During this transitional period between the octave of Christmas and Ordinary Time, we are invited to anticipate all that this newborn King came to do in our lives. He came to set us free from all sin so that we can enter into union with Him. One of the best ways to embrace our Lord’s mission is to understand who He is—His identity and mission.

With John, we are invited to acknowledge the unfathomable glory of the Messiah. With John, we must profess that we are not worthy even to untie His sandal strap. In the cultural context, that function was delegated to the lowest servant in a household, who untied the master’s sandals upon his return home and washed his feet. If we understand who Jesus is in relation to us, we will believe and profess that we are not worthy even to be His lowliest servant. This is the truth: in regard to worthiness, we have none in the presence of the Messiah.

Once we understand and believe this truth, we will be better prepared to embrace the even more glorious truth that our King, Master, and Messiah has chosen to stoop down to wash our feet and serve us by laying down His life for our eternal salvation. He takes all our sins upon Himself and suffers their consequences, death on a cross.

Without imitating and participating in John’s humility, we cannot experience the depth of gratitude that we must have for Jesus’ life and mission. Acknowledging our complete unworthiness with John is not demeaning, nor does it make us any more unworthy. Instead, this act of true humility prepares us for the gift that began with the Incarnation and culminated in the Ascension into Heaven.

Reflect today on the humble truth of your complete unworthiness before the life and mission of the Messiah. Ponder John the Baptist as your model. Look at Jesus as John looked at Him, and believe what John believed. As you do, allow that realization to fill you with gratitude as you ponder God’s choice to meet you in that lowly state so as to serve you with the gift of His very life.

My glorious Lord, I am not worthy even to be Your lowest servant. Help me to understand and believe this humble truth. As I do, I offer You my utmost gratitude for choosing to meet me in that humility and to draw me to Yourself as my Messiah and King. I love You, my Lord; help me to love You more. Jesus, I trust in You.

Image: Boston at English Wikipedia & John Stephen Dwyer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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