The Comparison Trap

We all live in the land of Er! Now, that’s not a song line, but a concept.  We all live in the land of Er. You, me, the person next door, everyone living today is looking for a little more er in their lives. Let me give you some examples:

First, the next time you find yourself in a social gathering, listen to the conversations around you.  They often reveal the battle for “er” supremacy.  In some conversations the battle for “er” revolves around who is smart-er.  This is where we try to out clever our opponent – whether it’s our knowledge of the economy, covid, politics, sports or whatever might be the current talking point.  There’s always someone who is trying to one up you with their smarts, their insights.

But that’s just one example.  For women, our culture works overtime to suck you into the who’s pretty-ercompetition.  In the first church I pastored, I once spoke with a newcomer who decided not to become part of us, because as she said, “Sunday mornings at your church look like a fashion show.”  Now, I knew that wasn’t true, but all this gal could see where those few women who she believed were prettier than her.  And some of these gals loved fashion.  They always dressed to the nines.  But she only compared herself to those few women and never took note that most of the women in our church would never be on the cover of Vogue Magazine.

Here’s another example: There are many people in our culture who get their er from investing well and managing their finances and so they can become rich-er.  And when you get to this place where you are richer, well, being richer often makes people feel superior.

Now, if you’re tracking with me, I think you’re starting to get the idea why everyone struggles with trying to get a little more er in their lives: whether your er is about being smarter or wiser, prettier or richer, healthier or hipper, the more er you have in your life, better you can feel about yourself, the farther up the pecking order you can climb, and the more you can begin to think that you are somehow better than everyone else.   But what happens to us when we start living to get more er in our lives is that we fall into this thing I like to call the comparison trap.

And falling into the comparison trap is not a good way to live. Because there will always be someone smarter, prettier, richer or better than you.  That’s just the way it is.  Yet, for some strange reason, we all at one time or another get sucked into this trap. And when we do it can affect us in some pretty negative ways.  For those who fall into the comparison trap can find themselves becoming critical, competitive and jealous of others.  Those who fall into the comparison trap find that they are never really satisfied, often struggle with anxiety and insecurity, because they can never do enough, have enough or be enough.  But here’s the deal, this comparison trap can also trip up those of us who are trying to make a difference for Jesus Christ.  For even in the spiritual realm there is a temptation for us to appear better than we really are.  There’s a temptation for us to think we are somehow superior than others by how moral we are, how blessed we are, or by how much we are actually doing for God.  In fact, it’s this last temptation that we’re going to see in our passage this morning, where John the Baptist’s disciples have fallen into the comparison trap.  In fact, our text today is John 3:22-36.   So if you brought your Bible, let me encourage to open it to John 3, where apostle John not only shows us how we can fall into the comparison trap but then reveals to us who we really ought to be comparing ourselves to.  But before we unpack all this, let me just read the first couple verses that set the stage for this encounter, beginning in verse 22  After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.

Now, if you’ve been with us on this Journey in the gospel of John over the past few weeks, we’ve seen how Jesus and his disciples have been in Jerusalem celebrating the Passover feast.  During this feast Jesus began gaining a following by cleansing the temple and doing miracles. One of these would be followers, Nicodemus, came to check him out at night.  From that encounter Jesus laid out some pretty heady truth about being born again and how God’s love for the whole world is found in him.  But now with the Passover behind him, Jesus does what any good Rabbi would do, he goes to the countryside to spend time with His disciples, sharing life together with them, and do a little ministry with them. They were now baptizing people who were coming to follow Jesus.

Now all is just fine, until we read what happens next: Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized.  (This was before John was put in prison.)  We see here that John is still doing his ministry of preparing for the Messiah.  And people are constantly coming out to where John is to be baptized. His ministry is still bearing fruit.  In fact, if John’s ministry were a Church, his church would be the talk of the town – a happening place – a place you’d want to go and check it out.  John the Baptist is still the best known, well-liked, popular spiritual leader in Israel. He’s the wild man who dresses crazily, eats weird things, and speaks with remarkable power.  John is a spiritual attraction.  And people are still coming from all over to hear him preach and be baptized by him. And his disciples must have loved seeing all that God was doing through John’s ministry.  Things were good, or so it seemed.  Here now is a glimpse into The Comparison Trap:  Listen as John records what happens next:  An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.  They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”  John 3:25-26

Two things were happening here.  First, a certain Jew had appointed himself to critique what was wrong with John’s baptism.  According to him, they weren’t baptizing the right way. Obviously, he missed the point because John’s baptism wasn’t about ceremonial cleansing – but about a change of heart.  It was a baptism of repentance.  God was doing a great work through John’s ministry, but this man missed the point.

However, his criticisms did their job.  His criticism began to get under the skin of John’s disciples. For now, John’s disciples notice how Jesus’ disciples are baptizing more people than they are.  Up till now, John’s ministry has been the hottest ticket in town, but not anymore.  Jesus is beginning to steal their thunder. Jesus and his disciples are attracting attention and it doesn’t sit well with them.  So, they come to John and make a pointed statement – a statement that reveals how they’ve fallen into the comparison trap: “the one you told us about, he’s now baptizing, and EVERYONE is going to him.”

Up till now, God’s hand had been on their ministry.  Crowds had been flocking to them to be baptized.  They had the best ministry going.  But now that Jesus had come on the scene, they were losing their “er.” The crowds were going to Jesus, and they’re jealous.  In their minds, John is still the superior leader; and so, they exaggerate what’s happening, “the one you told us about, he’s now baptizing, and EVERYONE is going to him.”   What they are doing is this: They are COMPARING their ministry to Jesus’ ministry like it was some kind of competition.  Like, whoever was baptizing the most people – they had the “BETTER” ministry.

Now let me ask you: Do we ever do that?  Oh, sure we do. People change churches all the time for something they believe is “better.” Here’s some of the “better” reasoning I’ve heard over the years: “I prefer the style of music in their church.  What are they saying? “They have better worship.” “We don’t have much for the youth at our church: What are they saying? “They have a better programs. “ “My husband connects better with the Pastor’s preaching. What are she saying? “They have better preaching.” “I like how that church ministers to the less fortunate:  What are they saying? “They have better outreach.” We live in a culture that has taught us to be consumers of religion, and we’ve been taught over and over again: go to where we can get better worship, better programs, better preaching or better outreach.  But the problem with this kind of thinking is that it plays into the comparison trap.  And what happens when we get caught up in the comparison trap?  We can become competitive and critical of God’s work.

If you have a competitive spirit when it comes to how a church does ministry, you will never be content with where you are at.  If you’re always looking for the perfect church, you will be critical with how your current church does ministry.  And I hope that’s not where anyone here is this morning.  For this in one of the most effect tactics Satan uses to derail the work of God. He convinces us to criticize others who are faithfully doing God’s work.  And this tactic was working among John’s disciples.  How do I know this?  The whole purpose of John’s ministry was to get people to go follow Jesus.  And what we see here is that John’s disciples should have been glad to see people going to Jesus, but they were not.  They were a more than little freaked out, a little jealous and totally competitive… They had fallen for the comparison trap.

Now, what do you think John the Baptist’s response would be? Anger? Envy?  Jealousy?  Here is his response. His response what is what I call the comparison cure:  To this John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’ “The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him and is full of joy when he hears the bride-groom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.  He must become greater; I must become less.”  John 3:27-30  

How do we escape the comparison trap?  John the Baptist helps us a few ways:  First, when he says, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.” He had a proper perspective on ministry.  His perspective was that God is in control.  God brought these people to him, and if God takes them elsewhere, that’s God’s decision.  The good hand of God is the reason for any success in ministry.  Big buildings, growing budgets, and increased attendance don’t measure the success of a ministry. The results are not ours, they’re God’s and He has the authority to do with us whatever He desires.

Talk about perspective.  John was content in the role God had given him. John knew his role was to point others to Jesus.  He was not the story.  He just needed to share the story.  John did not have a Messiah complex.  He knew his role: He was the forerunner of Christ, not the King himself.  

That’s why he follows up his perspective with “the best man” illustration to drive home his point.  The role of the friend at a wedding, the role of “the best man” is to make sure the bridegroom gets to the wedding. Once, the best man has done his job, and he hears the bridegroom’s voice say, “I do,” he’s glad for his friend, for his friend is now centerstage.  He now just needs to get out of the way. That’s what John did.  In essence, he says to his disciples, “It’s not about me.  It’s about Jesus. Jesus is now centerstage.  I’ve done my job and that makes me glad.”

You see, John was not just content with the role God had given him, but he actually experienced joy once Jesus took centerstage.  This now is the second way to escape the comparison trap:  With an attitude of humility.  John takes great delight that Jesus is now centerstage.  He’s done His job.  It’s no longer important who he is or what he has done. The only thing that matters to him is that people are coming to Jesus.  That’s why John told his disciples: “The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bride-groom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.  He must become greater; I must become less.”  John 3:29-30

John’s example shows us that having humility is how we escape the comparison trap. John’s disciples had lost track of that.  They’d gotten so caught up in their ministry successes that they thought people had come to them because of what they were doing.  They’d lost sight of their mission.  Their mission wasn’t about what they did, it was about Jesus.  And John the Baptist makes sure they know this.

And we must not fall into the same trap. We must always remember that our mission is to exalt Jesus and point people to Him.  For when we do that – when our lives are all about putting Jesus centerstage, we won’t need the applause of others.  And when we’re all about making much of Jesus, we won’t need to make much of ourselves. That’ why John said, “He must become greater; I must become less.”  It’s because he knew how great Jesus was.  And that knowledge, the knowledge of Jesus’ greatness, that’s the final cure for the comparison trap.  For when you compare yourself to Jesus is there’s really no comparison. So, in saying,“He must become greater; I must become less” he points us to Jesus one last time, to reveal to us…

The Incomparable Jesus:   And says of Him: “The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth.  The one who comes from heaven is above all.” John 3:31

Jesus is above all in origin!  John was of the earth. He was just a man. His words, his life were limited in comparison to Jesus.  Jesus is from heaven, He is limitless, He is the source of all life.  His origin is not terrestrial but eternal.  He’s always existed.  Not only that but He created us all.  All things were created by Him and for Him.  All of creation exists to serve Jesus Christ.  Jesus is above all and that makes Him superior to us all.

Now look at verses 32-34, He testifies to what He has seen and heard, but no one accepts His testimony. The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.  

Jesus is above all in truth!  Because Jesus is sent from the very presence of God, he testifies to what He has seen and heard for God.  The words He speaks are God’s Words.  Jesus did not come to deliver his own message but to speak the message of God. So, Jesus came as the ultimate prophet. Prophets in the Old Testament spoke God’s Word and were given God’s Spirit with the right amount of power for just enough time to fulfill their tasks, but Jesus was given “the Spirit without measure.” And that makes Jesus incomparable.  There is no one like Jesus. For when Jesus speaks truth, Jesus is absolutely trustworthy. The safest thing to believe in the entire universe is testimony of Jesus, are the words of Jesus.  And the good news about Jesus being above all in truth, is that YOU CAN TRUST IN JESUS. He is the source of all truth. HE IS TRUTH PERSONIFIED.  He’s completely reliable.  You can count on Him.  He will never let you down.  There’s no one like Jesus.  JESUS IS ABOVE ALL IN TRUTH.

But there’s even more.  Because now that Jesus speaks the very words of God, John makes one more claim about the superiority of Jesus, saying, The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. John 3:35 And so we see that

Jesus is above all in authority!  His authority comes from God’s love for Him. This word “loves” is present tense, indicating that the Father continually loves the Son.

Consequently, God has given everything into Jesus hands. Jesus has authority over life and death, forgiveness and punishment, salvation and condemnation. God has given Him all things:  all life, all truth, all of the Spirit so that Jesus can give life, truth and the Spirit to whoever will believe in Him.

And so, John concludes his ministry not simply by saying He must become greater, and I must become less, but by pointing us to the incomparable Jesus and announcing the good news found in Jesus, by saying: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” John 3:36

This is the incomparable Jesus John wants you to see today.  This is the incomparable Jesus that needs to be greater in all our lives.  This is the incomparable Jesus that John calls us to believe in:

This Jesus who is above all in origin, who has come to give you eternal life.                                       This Jesus who is above all in truth, who you come so you have someone to trust. And              This Jesus who is above all in authority, who has come to give you life, truth, joy, peace and love.  That’s why He’s come to rescue you from wrath – if you’re willing to come to Him and believe.

So let me ask you:  Do you believe Jesus is incomparable?  Do you believe He has come to give you life?  Do you believe He is trustworthy?  Do you believe He has come to rescue you? If you do, then all you need to do is put your trust in Him and He will give you eternal life.  Let’s pray.