Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Thursday, January 30, 2013 Read John 3:25-30 The encounter in which Jesus and John the Baptist are engaged simultaneously in ministry and baptism continues with a story of a dispute between John the Baptist and a Jew. The story centers on the competition that must arise between Jesus and John the Baptist. This gives John one more chance to demote John the Baptist and exalt Jesus. The Jew points out that Jesus is baptizing more people than John the Baptist – everyone is going to him. The Jew expects, of course, that John the Baptist will be jealous. But with grace and honor John defers to Jesus – “I must decrease and he must increase.” Of course it is likely that there is historical accuracy behind what happens here. John likely really did defer to Jesus. But, as has been said earlier, it is also likely that these words were written as much for the community to which the final form of John’s gospel was written. John has gone to great ends to exalt Jesus over John the Baptist likely because there were people in that area who exalted John the Baptist over Jesus. John is critical of them and calls them to do as their master, John the Baptist, had done.