QT 11/22/2023 Mark 6:21-29, Let's fight the "right" battle

Mark 6:21–29 (ESV) —

21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

 

NOTE: This text has some disagreement with Josephus' account and there appears to be a two-letter change by a copyist that has caused some problems over the issue of who is the girl. In one sense, it is not important, there was enough sin in the Herod household, that just about anyone would have wanted John dead. So let's forget about the textual criticism and turn to the question: what do we learn? A few things stand out. 1) Until we meet the Lord, we will face opposition, unjust imprisonment, and even death. God knows the truth. The world system is corrupt. Someday, we will be the rulers and judges in the new millennial. There will still be sin on the earth, and we will need to maintain justice in the sin-stained world. The good news is that we will be free from our bodies of sin, and we will not be tainted by sin. 2) The world can try to hide its shame and guilt through words like "pride" and "choice," but deep down they cannot escape their sin. What they did to John, did not free themselves, but only added to their guilt and pain. Sometimes winning is actually losing. 3) We can't stop being a witness because of the potential for false imprisonment. This is already happening in the political arena, where false imprisonments are occurring because people believe (politically) what is deemed wrong or false. Personally, we need to stay out of the political arena, no matter how much it bothers us. We need to get more involved in the spiritual arena, not matter the consequences. They will come after us soon, but it has not happened yet.

 

PONDER:

1. Where is my focus, in the political arena or the spiritual arena?
2. Does my heart ache more for those who are dying spiritually or because my political party is not getting what is wants?
3. In the last days, the church will experience apostasy. People will call themselves believers and be religious, but God only wants to spit them out of his mouth. Does that bother me, our fake religiosity?

 

PRAYER: Father, continue to give me boldness to stand up for your truth. I pray my conversation and my teaching would honor you. I pray that my actions and lifestyle would be consistent with the your word.