John says the one who is coming after me, his sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie

There is law of levirate among Jews

If husband dies without children’s then his brother is responsible to take care of his wife

If brother doesn’t want to do it than somebody else can take the women for a wife after special ritual when he unties the shoe of the brother and take it off

John doesn’t just says that he is unworthy to untie Jesus sandal

There is much deeper message behind his words

John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing. John 1:27-28

 

He sees that Jews people are kind like orphans, like flock without shepherd , they belong to Messiah and he is responsible to take care of them

Not John the Baptist who just prepares the way for messiah

Another words John knows his place. His mission, his responsibilities and he won’t go any further

 

Where is there reason for rejoicing ?

Reason is that that we as a church, Gods people , without him are like those orphans, or like a widow without any resources to survive

Jesus marries us in his church

And he won’t give us to anyone else

He wont give up on us.

He won’t sell us, he won’t let other liars be our savior. He fought for us and he will continue fighting for us

He is the one real and true messiah. Whose coming we await

And he bought us with the price of his blood

He is the faithful one

We as his bride, we belongs to him.

 

Lets come back to John the Baptist once again.

John the Baptist knew his place. He was humble, he lived in truth

What about me:

How often do I over step my responsibilities trying to take care of things that really aren’t my business

Where do I try to untie somebody shoes not having any rights for that

 

John could say “yes I’m the one. I’m the most important figure here. Convert. Do penance. And probably he would become even more popular.

But he didn’t

And we too need to learn it form him.