Content with Second?

Our selfish and ambitious nature tries to tell us that we’re number one. Many of us love to be noticed, appreciated and recognized. But the truths Jesus taught about greatness were quite different from what contemporary culture tells us.  Jesus said, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-44)

Jesus told his followers that, “born of women none is great than John.”[1] John was the wilderness prophet who baptized Jesus. The one who saw the Spirit descend on Christ and heard the audible voice of the Father from heaven saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”[2] John was man who had a special calling on his life. Have you ever heard the audible voice of God? I sure haven’t. John did. Jesus said, “Let me lay it out for you as plainly as I can: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer, but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. The ordinary and disreputable people who heard John, by being baptized by him into the kingdom, are the clearest evidence; the Pharisees and religious officials would have nothing to do with such a baptism, wouldn’t think of giving up their place in line to their inferiors.”[3]

John the Baptizer was a “Second.” He knew who he was not. The New Testament records, “Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ‘I am not the Christ.’ They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’”[4] Like John, “Seconds” know who they are ‘not.’ A “Seconds” admits that he or she is not God, or even a part of God. God is so much greater than us, yet God loves us and comes to us when invited.

[2] Matthew 17:5

[3] Luke 7:28 The Message

[4] John 1:19-21 NIV