Less is Greater

I never took a course in physics but even I know that Isaac Newton introduced the laws of gravity after an encounter with a falling apple.  Though he made his discoveries in the 1600's, he is one of the great minds of physics even to this day.  But none of us may have heard of him had it not been for a man named Edmund Halley.

Halley was a mentor and guide to Newton.  He challenged Newton to think through some of his original notions, corrected Newton's mathematical errors and prepared geometrical figures to support his discoveries.  Halley encouraged Newton to write down his work, he edited his writings and then paid for the printing costs.

When Newton's fame grew, Halley received little credit and did not seem to care.  Edmund Halley did use Newton's principles to predict the orbit and the sighting of Halley's comet that bears his name but other than that, few know of his contributions. I certainly did not until this week.  Was he mentioned in physics classes and I just never heard it?

When Jesus began to preach and people began to go to him instead of John the Baptist, one of John's disciples brought it to his attention.  John's reply was, "He must become greater and I must become less" John 3:30.  No one thought much of John the Baptist's contributions after that.  Jesus took the spotlight and John was taken to prison and then to his execution.

But John, in Jesus own words, did prepare the way for him.  He fulfilled his life's purpose to be the "voice of one calling in the wilderness" to prepare the way for the Lord.  His words and example still echo today, "He must become greater, I must become less."  For John, 'less is more,' was not the way it worked, less was greater.

This Sunday we will look at that statement and John's life but until then let me ask, where is he becoming greater in your life and where are you becoming less?  Also, who is becoming greater in the kingdom because of your encouragement?  If we are going to live out John's great principle of Jesus becoming greater and we becoming less, we have to have answers to both those questions.

for the journey...

Tim