DCLM Daily Manna Wed 19 June 2024

TOPIC: Rare Self-effacement

TEXT:  John 1:15-27 (KJV) 
¹⁵ John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

¹⁶ And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

¹⁷ For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

¹⁹ And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

²⁰ And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

²¹ And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

²² Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

²³ He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

²⁴ And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

²⁵ And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

²⁶ John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

²⁷ He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

KEY VERSE
“He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”
John 1:27

DCLM Daily Manna Wed 19 June 2024 MESSAGE

According to Aeschylus, the ancient Greek dramatist known as the father of tragedy, who wrote plays in which envy and jealousy brought down many great and noble men, “It is in the character of very few men to honour without envy, a friend who has prospered”. Aeschylus knew quite a lot about the virtue of living without envy.

John the Baptist was one of the “very few men…without envy” who would honour a friend who has prospered. Free from this fatal evil, the prophet who came announcing the advent of the Saviour into the world, spoke in glorious terms about Jesus, the Messiah. He plainly admitted that Jesus was infinitely superior to him and he was not even worthy to unloose His shoes. There was no double-speak to suggest John had a hidden agenda or scheme to upstage the Lord or compete with Him.

READ DCLM Daily Manna Tuesday 18 June 2024 – Tears For Avoidable Losses

Among the citizens of the kingdom of God where all have been purged for service by the blood of Jesus at salvation, there should be no such vices as envy and jealousy or rivalry that triggers ill will or malice. We all should humbly bring our skills and talents to His feet, knowing that all come from Him. Whatever we have are gifts from God and none has reason to be envious of anyone.

The whole world is ill at ease because of the prevalence of the rat-race spirit. There is fierce and cutthroat competition everywhere, fuelled by jealousy and envy, to outwit one another and occupy preeminent positions. No one is ready to submit to his neighbour. Christians can make a difference in our assemblies, homes, workplaces, schools, neighbourhoods, etc. as we put on the often forsaken garment of self-effacement.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
He who is full of himself has no space to accommodate God’s favour.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Thessalonians 1-3