“John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;”
He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie — the Baptist's humility reaches its lowest point in ancient Mediterranean culture, comparing himself unfavorably to a slave's task. "Comes after me" again plays on temporal versus ontological succession. The sandal thong image emphasizes functional subordination so profound that the Baptist counts himself unfit for basic service.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
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