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John the Baptist was great, even if he was eccentric. Nobody could fault him for his passion or devotion to God.

This only makes Jesus’ words to a crowd one day in Luke 7:28 even more shocking. “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

Jesus affirms two truths at the same time.

First, John is great. In fact, Jesus says that no human up to that point had been greater. John towers over history as an example of what it looks like to live a life pleasing to God.

Second, the least believer in the new covenant era is greater than John. John stands at the pinnacle of all that came before Jesus, observes John Holland. But he only prepared the way for what we get to enjoy. Like Moses, he didn’t enter into it himself. We, on the other hand, get to enjoy greater blessings. We’ve experienced more of God’s grace than John ever did.

Don’t Miss What We Have

Sometimes I think it’s important for us to remember what a privileged position we get to enjoy.

It’s easy to complain. The world around us certainly gives us many reasons to despair. We shouldn’t be surprised, though. Jesus told us to expect this.

It’s also easy to despair at the condition of the church. Read the comments on Christian social media, or visit a website that reports the latest scandals in the church, and you’ll begin to despair of the church and Christians.

But look to the humblest Christian or the humblest church and you realize that what we have is unbelievably great. We have the gospel. We have the news that changed everything, the power of God for salvation to everyone who believers. We have God himself and the knowledge that everything is going his way. We have every reason to hope.

I’ve caught myself despairing a little these past few months. Blame COVID. Blame the long days of winter. Blame the cumulative wear of years of pastoring and living with all its burdens and irritants.

I’ve noticed how easy it is for me to begin to see the negatives, and to start to miss what God has given me. I find this dynamic at work even more when times are challenging, as they are now.

I do not argue that we ignore hard realities. We should be clear about the challenges and dangers we face, and alert against the dangers that threaten us as individuals and churches. But we should also be people of hope.

We have more than John the Baptist. He had enough to die for, and we have even more. The least among believers, the least among churches, has immeasurably more than anyone had for centuries. As hard as life might be, we have enough to keep going, enough to sustain us when things get hard, and enough to remain people of hope.

So let’s keep going. Let’s not give up. Even if you’re the least among believers and churches, you’ve got everything you need.

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