I AM THIRD
“He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” – John 1:27
There was a young man who was popular in school. He was intelligent and a leader in school organizations. A friend visited him at home and saw the plaque hanging on his room door with the words “I am Third.” When his friend asked what it meant, the young man explained, “It’s the motto I try to live by. It means God is first, others are second and I am third.”
Just like this boy, John the Baptist knew his place. He knew from the start that his mission was to “prepare the way” for the Messiah. When people asked him why he baptized others if he was not the Christ, he said in humility, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” Because he had his own followers, John could have set himself up as the anointed one from God and built a church separate from Jesus’. There could have been a rivalry between Baptizers and Christians.
Only when we put the will of God and the needs of others ahead of our own do we become true humble servants of the Lord. Let us take our rightful place as “third” and do our part in building God’s kingdom on earth. Dina Pecaña (dpecana@yahoo.com)
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REFLECTION:
“He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).
Jesus, grant me the grace to be humble as I serve You so that others may see no longer me but You, the Messiah, who is powerfully at work in me.
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