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When his parents died he was still too young to be on his own. Zechariah and Elizabeth had been very old when John was born, so it was no surpirse that it happened, but apparently nothing had been done to prepare for it just the same. The rest of the family had gone north to Nazareth because of political problems, and John was alone. According to tradition, he was taken in by a group of old men who lived in a little village down by tahe Dead Sea. The place was called Qumran, and the men were known as the Essenes.

No one agrees just where the Essenes came from orignially, but most agree that they had come to Qumran to get away from the "corruption" they believed was taking place in the temple in Jerusalem. You could say they were religious fanatics, who spent the days and nights copying scripture and writing scrolls about how one day God was going to send his Messiah and flush that filth right out of Jerusalem. Since many of them were unmarried, it was common for them to "adopt" homeless children, and raise and teach them to continue the Essene lifestyle. One of those homeless children may well have been the young boy John. Years later, when he appears just a few miles north of Qumran, he preaches, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!" These are Essene words, pure and simple.

And John preaches them well. People travel from all over Judea, even from Jerusalem itself, to hear his message. Not only do people end up getting baptized by him, but many of them stay around and sign up to become his disciples. Some even begin to talk about him as the long-awaited Messiah. What a distance he has come from being the orphan boy from the Judean hills.

His mission was succeeding. People were hearing his words and changing their lives. There seemed to be no end to those ready to come under his leadership. Then, one day as he was baptizing, he looked up and saw that one of those in line was Jesus. The One. The Chosen One. The Messiah. John's replacement. Number one to John's number two. I wonder if he was tempted?

I really wonder if the thought went through John's mind to just keep his head down, keep sending the line through, and not let on that he recognized him? Maybe if nothing was said, John could continue his work. After all, it was obviously successful. He apparently had what it took to do this, so why should he step back and let someone else take over. I wonder if it went through John's mind like I'll bet it would have gone through mine?

Before you get all upset that I would suggest that John the Baptist would do such a thing, just let me remind you how hard it is to settle for number two. Elmer Berstein was once asked what instrument in the orchestra was the most difficult to play, and he answered, "Second fiddle." You know very well that it's true.

Parents struggle with it every day. Sometimes it is almost overwhelming to accept the fact that the kids come first. Sure, they are dependent upon us for food, clothing and safety. Sure, we sometimes have to sacarifice what we want to see that the kids get a good education, and the extras like basketball, swim team, violin or piano lessons, and scouting. But, what about us? There are days I just want to tuck my head down real low, and pretend I don't recognize that this is my child, and maybe I can just do what I want today. If I look the other way, maybe I can stay number one a bit longer. You know it's true. We have all seen parents do just that. It doesn't work though, does it?

And in marriage. In the beginning we made that promise to make the other person most important in our lives, but aren't there days when you just kind of want to duck your head when those vows come walking through your mind? I mean, sure, I promised to make her needs and wants at least equal to my own, and, sure, I know what those needs and wants are, and could meet them if I wanted to. But what about me? I've had a hard week, too. In fact, in my opinion, my week was a bit harder than hers, and that ought to put me in position number one and her in number two. You know it happens. We have all seen marriages that continually arm wrestle over first and second position. It doesn't work either, does it?

It happens at work, it happens with the neighbors, and it happens right here. Right here in God's own living room. There was a point in our lives when we realized just who God really was. We realized how we stacked up against God, and there wasn't much comparison. We call that one of those "Aha" experiences. We promised to be a good and loyal follower, to pray every day, quit seven or eight nasty habits, and read the Bible from cover to cover. And we tried. We really tried. But somewhere along the way we began to wonder, "But, what about me?"

"What about me?" has become the national anthem of society. Whether it is raising children, raising a marriage, making a living or making a commitment to God, one after the other cries out, "But, what about me?" Position number two has become exceedingly unpopular. Spot number one is the place to be and my rights are the ones to ensure. No, if it were me in John's wet shoes that day when Jesus walked up expecting me to humbly step aside and introduce him as the new "man from God," my lips might have hesitated. So how did John make it look so easy?

John knew something that I sometimes forget. He knew why he was there. Everything that had happened to him, from the old parents, to the old Essenes, to the crowds getting their shoes wet in the Jordan, he knew why it had happened. He said, "but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." He knew why he was here and that made all the difference.

Sometimes I forget why I am here. Sometimes I forget and get the ridiculous notion that the reason God gave me a child was to make me happy and meet my needs. Sometimes I forget and get the foolish idea that the reason God gave me a wonderful wife was to keep me happy and see that I want for nothing. Sometimes I forget and get the strange thought that the reason Jesus Christ invited me to follow him was so that he could make my world more comfortable and keep me away from those nasty people who mess up my day. I forget why I am here. And so do you.

Why am I here? I am here to see that my child gets to know Jesus Christ. I am here to see that my wife meets Jesus Christ. I am here to see that my co-workers, my neighbors, my friends, my enemies and you, meet Jesus Christ. I am here to be a reflector for Jesus CHrist. I am here to be number two.

And, when I honestly think about it, I can't think of a more exciting place to be.