The Greater Good

John 3:26, 29b-30 - And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” John answered, “This joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Can you celebrate with another who wins at your expense? This is a very un-American thing to do. Our socio-economic system is built on competition. Individuals pursue winning, however it may be defined. Sometimes we team together we others, but it is because we want to be on the winning team. “No time for losers,” it is often said.

In many games there is only one winner. In the case of tennis, there is one loser for every winner. In a race – running, cars, bikes, horses, or motorcycles – there can be dozens of non-winners for every winner. Only the winner is celebrated. Only the winner takes home the trophy. So, we strive to win – win for ourselves and maybe our team.

Yet, what if someone else winning is better for the overall good? John the Baptist closes out his time in John’s Gospel with some very un-capitalistic words: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John had been the big hero. In Chapter One, all the crowds were coming to see him. He had the megachurch and the front page headlines. Everyone wanted to invest in his stock.

By Chapter Three, it was a different story. A new hero had emerged and all were “going out to him.” I imagine most of us would have been discouraged. Perhaps we would have wanted to throw in the towel on our efforts. We might have felt like failures. It is especially hard to lose when you have only ever known victory.

Something greater was at stake, and John knew it. Jesus, the Savior of the world, had come. He must become greater. John was willing to take a back seat.

Most of us who are Christians would say we would gladly take a back seat to Jesus, but what about another who can more effectively accomplish what we once did? Can we celebrate with them? Are we willing to hand over the reins to another whose time has come? Can we do it with the joy that John expresses?

I have met many who have this attitude. After seeing great personal success, they willingly step out of the way to give others the chance to lead.  They celebrate when an ostensible competitor outdoes them because they know, in the end, we are all on the same team. Having John’s commitment to the greater good, even at personal expense, is tough. It is certainly un-capitalistic, it may even be un-American, in a sense, yet it is the best way to be.