As we hear about the death of John the Baptist in the Gospel today, we also reflect on his life and the significant role that he played in preparing the way of Lord. John spent his life urging people towards repentance, conversion, and renewed relationship with God. We remember that the angel Gabriel appeared to John’s father, Zechariah, to foretell his miraculous birth. John was chosen for a special role in the coming of our Savior.
Because of his miraculous conception, the special role that God gifted to him, and his many followers, it would likely have been a simple thing for him to fall into one or another species of spiritual pride. It would have been easy for him to slip into a mode of thinking wherein the success of his personal ministry and/or legacy became his priority. But John knew what he was about. He knew that everything was about Jesus and God’s plan of salvation for the world. He had no illusions that he was the star of the show. He remained humble and faithful to God through thick and thin, even unto imprisonment and death.
There are often temptations for us to place an outsized importance on our personal projects and roles. While these things can certainly be very good and meritorious in their own right, they have to be properly prioritized in the context of our relationship and service to God. Like John, it’s critical for us to always keep Christ at the center of all we do.