The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. John answered them all, I baptise you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. When all the people were being baptised, Jesus was baptised too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased. (Lc 3,15-16.21-22)
„A voice of one calling: In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.” (Is 40, 3) John is the leant between the Old Testament and the New Testament. He came for the people of Israel to take them to the good path, the path of the Lord and to bring them to Christ. Was he accepted? Was he praised? No! Which prophet is accepted in his own country? None! His payout was the death, which he accepted to make God’s will.
Let’s observe a little bit what is happening during the Baptism of Jesus. We’ll use the Gospel according to Matthew for better understanding and observation: “Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (3, 13-17)
In different occasions John denied himself as being the Saviour, by his humble nature, he recognises that he is just an instrument of God, and the expected Saviour is coming. At the point of the Baptism we sees and recognises the Christ, he tries to deter Jesus, can’t accept that Jesus can be baptised by his humble hands. John can’t accept that Jesus needs this Baptism.
In the same time, let’s look a little bit at ourselves: are we a little bit similar to John or not? Do we see the Glory of God? Do we see ourselves as instruments of God? Sadly, most of us, the people, today will we taken by the pride of Baptising the Lord, we can recognise Him, but we are missing that humility of John, that special gift from the Lord that makes us not worthy to untie the thongs of sandals.
In the end, we have to change our lives. It is rather difficult than painful process, but we shall have no fear and thus, we’ll manage. In the work that we are doing as Youth workers in a Catholic movement we have to see that – as John – we are instruments of God, we are elected/nominated to evangelise and make God known to students. We are very similar to John, we are preparing paths. That’s why most of the times the fruits of our work can’t be seen by ourselves, we are just seeding and the farmer will be somebody else, maybe even God himself. Being instruments of God we need that humility which is a difficult gift to receive. The humility to accept others, the humility to accept ideas, the humility to accept that we are not the only ones that are right, the humility to pray for the others, all the humility possible to receive from God.
Well, it is true that this is a difficult exercise, and maybe an exercise that we have to exercise for the whole life, but we have to try and to pray to receive this great gift saying: “God, make me humble”.
May God bless us by the intercession of St. John the Baptise, of the Most Holy Ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of all the Saints and all the Angels, deliver us the humility and make us good instruments.