...Herod feared John and protected him,
knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John,
he was greatly puzzled;
yet he liked to listen to him.
Mark6:20 NIV
In the middle of the story of Herod, his wife, and the eventual murder of John the Baptist is this glimpse into Herod's mind.
Herod had all the power.
Yet he respected John because it was clear that his words and his life and actions matched.
He lived with integrity
And he spoke the truth.
Truth that intrigued and puzzled Herod.
Herod was well on the way to faith in Jesus.
For John, speaking the truth was more important than being in Herod's good books, being close to the powerful, saying what Herod wanted to hear.
And for John, the consequences were fatal in the end.
For John, his faith in Jesus, his calling to represent him, was worth living for in every context of his life
And, Jesus was worth dying for.
May my life and faith be more like John the Baptist today.
#gospelofmark
#faith
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see - such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. Colossians 1:15-16 NLT OK so this is an English translation of a letter Paul wrote to a church 2,000 years ago, but does it feel like Paul is wrestling with words and ideas to try and capture all of who Jesus is, of who God is, of how does it work that the walking around Jesus was also there before the beginning of the beginning of everything we can see and touch and know. Not only that but Jesus was somehow the agent of everything that has been made in the physical, social, and spiritual. Jesus is at the centre of it all. Walking around Jesus. Cooking fish for breakfast Jesus. Heart aching as he ...
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