Jn 1:29-34
29[John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming to-ward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. 30He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ 31I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” 32John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. 33I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.’ 34Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God: John lived his whole life testifying about Jesus. His whole ministry pointed to Jesus. It is all about Jesus, not about him. It is all about God’s mercy, not about his fame. It is all about Jesus’ Spirit and not about his baptizing.
For whom do we live? What does our life point to? To whom do we testify? In the old Russian empire, rich landlords owned vast tracts of land. They hired people as guards to walk around the boundaries of their property. Some of these guards would meet other guards while walking around their landlord’s boundaries and inquire into one another’s identity by asking: “For whom do you walk?”
A priest was once walking to anoint a sick person when he was met by one of these guards. Not knowing he was a priest, the man asked him, “Sir, for whom do you walk?”
The priest was surprised by the seemingly deep question and answered, “I walk for Christ!”
So, for whom do we walk? What is the purpose of our lives? For what and for whom do we live?