After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. (This was before John was put in prison.) An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him. To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less. (John 3:22-30)
Most of us claim to have faith in God and perhaps we do. What we often have a problem with is faith as life unfolds. We may open one fold, and we like it because it filled with pleasantness. Then, we may open another fold and we do not like it because the it is not so good. It requires a faith that is lived out, despite what we currently see. What we need is faith in God’s unfolding story.
John’s disciples experienced one of the more challenging folds of life, which they brought to him. To cut to the chase, John’s response was, “No problem.” John Baptist and his disciples were baptizing in Aenon near Salim. Crowds of people were coming to hear him and be baptized by them. This activity had become the main focus of their life so that one could understand when attendance began to fall off. It like calving icebergs in Alaska. Huge chunks were falling out of their ministry.
They bring the concern to John and John’s response was, “No problem.” The reason for John’s response was because of his faith in the unfolding story of God. John understood that God takes care of His own. It is something that I learned from a song when I was about six years old. The song says,
“He’s got the whole world, in His hands.
He’s got the whole world, in His hands.
He’s got the whole world, in His hands.
He’s got the whole wide-world in His hands.“
Then it gets more personal as it says:
“He’s got you and me brother, in His hands.
He’s got you and me sister, in His hands.
He’s got you and me brother, in His hands.
He’s got the whole world in His hands.“
Then, in case somebody feels left out, it says,
“He’s got everybody here, in His hands.
He’s got everybody here, in His hands.
He’s got everybody here, in His hands.
He’s got the whole-wide world in His hands.”
Brothers and Sisters, given my background of extremely hard times, I never would have thought that I would be in the position that I am in today. So I encourage each of you to have faith in the unfolding story of God. And I would not have been able to endure some of the folds if I had not been for a good Samaritan, here and there, along the way. So let us both have faith and also support those whose current fold is not as bright or as smooth as our own.
God bless you.
Life Step Ministries 