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Manila Bulletin devider Reflections devider Best man

Best man

Published Jan 9, 2021 12:03 pm
REFLECTIONS TODAY “Best man” translates the Greek ho philos tou nymphiou, literally “the friend of the bridegroom,” representing the shoshben of Jewish life. At a Jewish wedding, the groom is attended to by his relatives and friends, “the sons of the bride chamber” (Mk 2:19), and by one friend in particular. John the Baptist here is expressing his perception of how he stands in relation to Jesus. He identifies Jesus as “the Messiah,” the central figure in God’s saving work. Jesus is the bridegroom who calls the community, his bride, to the joy of God’s Kingdom, as symbolized by the wedding. John’s own role as the “friend of the bridegroom” is ancillary and without meaning without Jesus. He has prepared the wedding of the bride (God’s people) and the messianic groom (Jesus). He is content with his subordinate role and fades into the background with joy, the same joy that Revelation associates with the marriage of the Lamb (19:7). John’s role is an important one. He is the model of the apostle Paul who tells the Corinthian Christians: “I betrothed you to one husband to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Cor 11:2).

Gospel • JOHN 3:22-30 

Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing. John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized, for John had not yet been imprisoned. Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew about ceremonial washings. So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.” John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ, but that I was sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. 30He must increase; I must decrease.” SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.

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