Excerpt from Mark 1:4-8

As [John the Baptist] preached he said, "The real action comes next: The star in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will change your life. I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism—a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit—will change you from the inside out."  (The Message)

Reflection by Lillian Daniel

My mother used to try to pull everyone into self-confidence by saying, "You are the greatest star." She'd say it to me to pull me out of my childhood shyness, which mortified me, of course. The last thing a shy person wants to be is the star of the show. But that was her mantra. "You are the greatest star."

As I got older, I began to notice that I was not the only one she said it to. She'd say it to my little cousins when she though they needed a boost. She'd say it to her own friends when they had an important job interview coming up. "You are the greatest star," she would say, with total enthusiasm. After a while, it finally hit me that we couldn't all be the greatest star.

John the Baptist was considered by some people to be the greatest star. He was a charismatic wild man with a passionate and devoted following. His fans would travel all the way out into the wilderness to get baptized by him and to listen to him preach.

But John was a wise enough leader not to believe his own publicity. He knew that another one was coming who would make him look like a bit player or a stagehand in the show. And John didn't resent it; he delighted in it.

Jesus was going to be the star of the show. To John, that was good news. It's good news to me, too. I am relieved that God is the center of this production. And whatever small part I can play, bring it on.

Prayer

God, bless each one of us with a sense of responsibility for the part we play in your drama and the comforting knowledge that the show’s success does not depend on us. Amen.

About the Author Lillian Daniel is the senior minister of the First Congregational Church, UCC, Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She is the author, with Martin Copenhaver, of This Odd and Wondrous Calling: the Public and Private Lives of Two Ministers.

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