Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea,
where he spent some time with them baptizing.
John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim,
because there was an abundance of water there,
and people came to be baptized,
for John had not yet been imprisoned.
Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew
about ceremonial washings.
So 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 everyone is coming to him.”
John answered and said,
“No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven.
You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ,
but that I was sent before him.
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom;
the best man, who stands and listens for him,
rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice.
So this joy of mine has been made complete.
He must increase; I must decrease.”

You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ, but that I was sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must decrease.”

John’s words in this reading “He must increase; I must decrease.” echo throughout the centuries. It is prophetic, but it also reveals a deep theological understanding of who he was, but more importantly who Jesus was.

First I want to focus on the location of these events, and what is happening there. John was in “Aenon near Salim,” this place is not really known today, but many scholars claim that it was near Salem, the anchient home of the mysterious Melchizadek, who was the both the king and great high priest of Salem. This has importance because of Jesus and all of his disciples are said to be priests forever in the line of Melchizadek. So when considering the location and what Jesus and His disciples are doing (performing the priestly role of batism) we see that there is great significance in what is happening at this moment. Jesus has assembled his first apostles, taken up a position in the desert near John the Baptist, stated His ministry, and is carrying out the priestly role of baptising souls for the forgiveness of sins.

John’s disciples are arguing about what they should do about this. John responds with what seems like divine understanding. He recognizes Jesus as the Christ, the one that will unite all of the tribes of Israel, and reign as great high king. John also sees that Jesus has gathered His apostles (His Bride the church), and started His ministry. John knows his role was simply that of the precursor. To, as Isaiah said, prepare the way of the lord, and make straight His path. And now that the king is here, it is now time for Him to decrease so that the Lord Jesus, can increase. John does not want to compete with Jesus, he wants Jesus to rise to the mission that He was entrusted…, like St. John Chrisostom said “that he should be happy to see all his followers desert him, to run to Jesus Christ.”

But that decrease is not just to disappear, he is saying that his time is at an end. That he is to give everything, his ministry, his disciples, his blessing, and even his life to support the mission of Jesus. And this is infact what happened. Soon after this momemnt, He challenges Herods adultery, is put in prison and ultimately is executed because of Herod’s jealousy and pride. Bernard Orchard references this in his commentary, that the traditional breviary (Aug. 29) reads: “John dwindled by decapitation, Christ grew on the cross.” That is what decrease means, to die to yourself, so that Christ can increase and you can rise with Him, and this is why John say that His joy has now been made complete. He has fulfilled his mission, and it is time for Jesus’s to begin.

And this is ultimately the call that God wants us all to face. It is the choice between choosing God’s will for our lives and letting go of our own. All of the sin of this world comes from people saying the opposite of John, “that I must increase, and everyone else (including God), must decrease. This only causes pain and suffering. To follow God’s will for your life will bring you the most happiness and joy, and will ultimately lead you to heaven. This is your call today, ask God how you can decrease, and how you can allow Him to increase in your life. This, I promise, will change your life.

Oh lord, help me understand today how you want me to decrease, and how I can let you increase in me and in the world around me, Amen.