Saturday, March 19, 2011

Percentages

(John 3:30) He must increase, but I must decrease.

The speaker is John, the cousin of Jesus Christ and the 'Preparer of His way'.  The one of whom Jesus said, "a prophet,yes, but more than a prophet". 

John was aware of the rule of percentages.  A "whole" is 100%.  At least it was when I went to school.  Full capacity is 100%.  Complete is 100%.  John understood that for Jesus to increase, he personally must decrease.  There is not room for more of Jesus unless there is less of us.  The more of us, the less of Him.  The more of Him, the less of us.

John was the "friend of the bridegroom".  This is a profound position and place of trust that John occupied.  The closest thing to the "friend of the groom", is the "best man" in today's typical wedding entourage.  In John's and Jesus' day however, the role was much more vital, detailed, and responsible.  I will leave all of the detail for another space and another day. 

Suffice it to say that John realized that, when he saw the arrival of Jesus Christ, and he understood that it was Jesus whom was to be the bridegroom of the church - the saviour of the Jews and then the entire world - he understood that his role and his time of being the "preparer of the way" was coming to a conclusion.  And it did.

He knew that he must decrease so that Jesus could increase.  That decrease included the sorrowful end of John, who was martyred for his uncompromising commitment to speaking the truth when it was not acceptable.  For Jesus to increase in our lives, it will likewise cost us to yield and cast away something else.
 
In nearly every aspect of our lives we look for increase.  Seldom do we think that we all have only 100% to work with.  If one thing increases, something else must decrease. 
 
I want more of Jesus and less of everything else.  I don't know if any of us have the ability to accurately describe the true mathematical equation of our own lives.  However, we would all do well to give it some thought and effort.