John 1:19-23: a reflection

When the religious leaders come to ask John the Baptist who he is, John's answer is striking for its humility: he insists on who he is not, refusing every grand title, and describes himself simply as a voice pointing to the Lord. I am not the Christ, John declares plainly; not Elijah, not the prophet. And when pressed to say who he is, he answers, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord. John refuses to make himself the center; he will not claim to be the Christ or any great figure, but describes himself only as a voice whose whole purpose is to point beyond himself to the coming Lord. His humility points away from himself to Christ. This shows John's humility, pointing away from himself to Christ. John pointed away from himself, refusing grand titles. He described himself simply as a voice preparing the Lord's way. Humility points away from itself to Christ. John's whole purpose was to point beyond himself to the Lord.

Notice John's humble refusal to make himself the center. He was a figure of great importance, drawing crowds, and the leaders came wondering if he might be the Christ, or Elijah, or the awaited prophet. He could have claimed some grand identity, basked in the attention, made himself the center. But he refused: I am not the Christ; not Elijah; not the prophet. And when pressed, he described himself as nothing more than a voice, a voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord. His whole understanding of himself was oriented away from himself and toward the one he came to announce. He was content to be merely a voice, whose purpose was to point beyond himself to Christ. This is a beautiful humility, and a model for us. We can be tempted to make ourselves the center, to claim importance, to draw attention and glory to ourselves. But John's humility points us to a better way: to point away from ourselves to Christ, to be content to be, as it were, a voice that directs others not to ourselves but to him. Our purpose, like John's, is not to exalt ourselves but to point to Christ. Point away from yourself to Christ, as John did. Be content not to be the center, but to point to Christ. Humility directs attention not to ourselves but to the Lord. Our purpose is to point to Christ, not exalt ourselves.

That is worth taking to heart, for humility points away from itself to Christ, as John refused grand titles and described himself only as a voice preparing the Lord's way. We can be tempted to make ourselves the center, to claim importance and draw attention and glory to ourselves; but John, though a figure of great importance, refused every grand title and described himself simply as a voice pointing to the coming Lord. Humility points to Christ. Do not seek to make yourself the center; point away from yourself to Christ, as John did, content to direct others to him. Point away from yourself to Christ rather than making yourself the center, content like John to be a voice that directs others to the Lord, as John the Baptist, when the leaders came to ask who he was, refused every grand title, insisting he was not the Christ, not Elijah, not the prophet, and described himself only as the voice of one crying in the wilderness to make straight the way of the Lord; for John, though a figure of great importance who drew crowds and might have claimed some grand identity and made himself the center, refused to do so, orienting his whole understanding of himself away from himself and toward the one he came to announce, content to be merely a voice whose purpose was to point beyond himself to Christ, which is a beautiful humility and a model for us, since we can be tempted to make ourselves the center and draw attention and glory to ourselves, but John's humility points us to a better way, to point away from ourselves to Christ and be content to direct others not to ourselves but to him, our purpose being, like John's, not to exalt ourselves but to point to Christ.