Isaiah 4:3, 5-6 / 1 Cor 1:1-3 / John 1:29-34
There are many sayings that we have heard and remembered.
Some are famous and popular sayings, and we remember them because they are like the wisdom sayings of life.
For example, we will surely know this saying: “Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose.”
That is like the cycle of life, sometimes up, sometimes down.
Another one is this: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” That tells us that appearance is only skin deep. There is more to discover when we go deeper.
And there is this one that states a principle of life: “Honesty is the best policy.” That saying is practical and undeniable.
Those sayings are short, but they express the truths of life, and they also guide us through life.
Although actions speak louder than words, yet words are also necessary as they form our thoughts, and our thoughts are then expressed in our actions.
So yes, actions speak louder than words, yet, what we say, we must do, and that will show the integrity of our words and actions.
The gospel passage features John the Baptist, and what he says about Jesus.
John the Baptist is often called the greatest of the prophets, because it was he who pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God.
But John the Baptist tells us something interesting.
He didn’t know that Jesus is the Lamb of God.
He was sent by God to baptise for the forgiveness of sins.
And God said this to him: The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit.
And when John the Baptist saw the Holy Spirit coming down on Jesus after His baptism, then he knew that Jesus is the Lamb of God.
That was the testimony of John the Baptist, and it also signalled that his mission would soon be over.
As we listen to the testimony of John the Baptist, we will remember two of his most profound sayings.
When Jesus began his mission, the disciples of John the Baptist were feeling concerned that John the Baptist was becoming irrelevant and being pushed out of the scene.
But John the Baptist said this: A man can only lay claim to what is given to him from above.
John the Baptist knew what he was called to do.
And with the appearance of Jesus, John the Baptist knew that his mission was over, and he had to let go of the attention, and move out of the scene.
And with that, John the Baptist also made this astonishing profound 6-worded statement: He must increase, I must decrease.
John the Baptist was the greatest of all the prophets.
He laid claim to the power given to him by God to accomplish his mission.
He was the bright light until Jesus the true light appeared.
With that, John the Baptist knew that Jesus must increase, and he must decrease.
Those two sayings of John the Baptist are also the foundations of our Christian life.
They are also the foundations of our relationship with Jesus and with others.
It is said that human beings long for acknowledgment and appreciation.
It is like there is a hole in the heart that needs to be filled.
So, we may look for attention, for praise and compliments, so as to fill that hole in the heart.
We want to excel, to prove our capabilities, and also, we want to be in the spotlight and in the limelight.
And yet, even when we have all that, we don’t seem to be contented, to be satisfied, to be happy.
That is the human tendency that had afflicted famous figures like Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Napoleon Bonaparte, right down to ordinary people.
But then that hole in the heart cannot be filled by worldly achievements and accomplishments.
It can only be filled by knowing what God has given us and what He wants us to do.
Whether it is a glorious achievement of making a discovery or invention, or a simple task of caring and serving the poor and the sick, when the task is over and the time is up, let us like John the Baptist, graciously step aside.
We need to know when to step aside, so that Jesus can increase, and we must decrease.
When we decrease, then the hole in the heart will also decrease, and then our hearts will finally be at rest in the loving heart of Jesus, the Lamb of God.